Our Portfolio

Accessible Web Design

What is accessible web design?

The vast majority of websites are not accessible to people with disabilities. Assistive technologies (e.g. screen readers for the blind) cannot cope with the sheer volume of information conveyed through the colour, graphics and layout now standard in website design.

However, it is possible to remove many of the barriers to access if the site is planned and executed correctly. This does not mean stripping away all the graphics and multimedia from a site, it simply means understanding user needs and providing alternative versions of inaccessible elements.

IMS and accessibility

IMS have considerable expertise in this area and have developed sites and browser-based systems that include many advanced accessibility features. In each project IMS has followed the WAI (Web Accessibility Initiative) guidelines closely and gone beyond those items listed under Priority One (the basic requirements for making websites usable for people with disabilities) to meet as many as possible of the other Priority Items. It is our aim with each website to create an equally rich experience for those with disabilities as for fully able-bodied users.

Case Studies

Our accessible web design projects include

Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Ireland. The redesign of a major website for the Department to make it fully accessible to people with disabilities.
Read about the project | Visit the site
Department of Defence, Ireland. The retro-fitting of accessibility guidelines to an existing government website.
Read about the project | Visit the site