Website accessibility statements: a comparative investigation of local government and high street sectors

Abstract

A detailed comparison of the use, nature and contents of the website accessibility statements of local government and high street sectors was undertaken. 55 local government and 55 high street websites were examined in depth using a checklist questionnaire to establish the presence or absence of a statement, the prominence of the statement on the website, the accessibility of the statement page, the contents of the statement, the audience of the statement and the role that the statement performed. The research found that there were considerable differences in the presence, execution and quality of accessibility statements between the two sectors. It also found a wide variation in the contents of the statements, the roles that they adopted and the audience that they were written for. The research findings led to the development of some recommendations for how to write an effective accessibility statement and suggestions for further research.