In a recent article (‘Access is not just physical – don’t get caught out!’) I talked about how a shocking number of Headteachers and SENCOs who believe that in order to comply with the Equality Act 2010, it is only the physical access that must be addressed. ‘Access to the Building’ is in fact only 1/3 of your Accessibility Plan, the other two areas being ‘Access to the Curriculum’ and ‘Access to Information.’
The school’s website is on of the areas that comes under review when we look at ‘Access to Information’ during your School Access Audit. Accessibility in this instance is about making sure that your website is accessible to all internet users who want to view it, both abled and disabled.
Adjustments need not be costly, however some slight (and simple) changes might be considered ‘reasonable’.
One of the most important adjustments which can be made to your school’s website is appropriate colour contrast. Enabling your users to adjust the colour contrast is a simple way to improve ease of use for the visually impaired. Similarly, adding an option to increase the size of the text is a very easy yet effective addition. Other factors to consider might be ensuring that you limit flashing videos, or something like alternating textures on graphs to create more contrast, and so on.
Equality Act Audits help schools ensure that they are meeting their obligations under the Equality Act 2010. As mentioned, schools are not expected to spend a fortune on things such as adjusting their website. However, they are expected to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ in order to be more inclusive.
We can help you to find those adjustments without it costing too much. Please contact us for more information.