Online accessibility

Online accessibility is as important as physical access to your heritage. In a time where online consumption of culture is increasing it is best practice to build in accessibility to your web presence.

Website accessibility information

• Vocal Eye’s State of Museum Access provides advice and guidance to improving access and inclusion information on your website for people with a wide variety of disabilities. For example, a visual story – National Museum of Computing website  and a sensory map to indicate noisy and quiet areas – Museum of London website.
• Vocal Eyes, Stagetext and Disability Collaborative Network developed a Disability access information online: Checklist for museums, galleries and heritage sites – a checklist of 10 items that a museum, gallery or heritage site should cover in an ‘Access information’ page within the ‘Visiting’ section of the venue’s website.

Website accessibility guidelines

• The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) define the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) This focuses on the POUR principles: Perceivable – Operable – Understable – Robust.

Website accessibility self-assessment

• The government website provides step by step instructions for undertaking a basic accessibility check on your website.
• Culture Hive have also developed an Accessible websites and delivery — getting started webinar focusing on web accessibility
• KreativeInc Agency delivered a web accessibility webinar for Sporting Heritage which explains the need for web accessibility and provides simple ways in which you can assess your own site.

Accessibility statement for your website

It is best practice to include an accessibility statement for your website on your website. This statement will explain the current accessibility of your site, where improvements can be made and how you will work towards them. For step by step information on what to include in a statement see the Government’s accessibility statement guidance, or you can use a accessibility statement generator which will generate a statement about your website based on information you provide. The statement should be included on your website.

Making social media accessible

• Advice, information and guidance produced by RNIB: Making your social media accessible and DCN: Inclusive Social Media Content

Online safeguarding of vulnerable people

For information about this see the Safeguarding subject in the Learning topic of this toolkit.