Accessibility Solutions have recently undertaken a great piece of work in collaboration with Signly. Signly are a company who specialise in making content accessible for people who speak BSL (British Sign Language). We initially connected with Signly to provide consultancy to assist in improving the user experience of the service. Following this solution, we also conducted a full accessibility audit to provide Signly with some expert guidance on how to create an even more inclusive experience for users of their new website.
During this time, we had some really good conversations around BSL (British Sign Language), and how as a user group, BSL users can often be overlooked or deprioritised.
Accessibility consultancy
Signly approached us with an idea for how to make their service even more accessible and inclusive to their users. They had identified a user group with an idea of how to increase the usability of the experience. We worked together and provided Signly with three potential methods to improve the user experience.
By identifying this gap and implementing one of the suggested improvements, Signly is keen to show their commitment to accessibility. They are also ensuring that their service is not just accessible, but is an inclusive, intuitive experience for all their users.
Accessibility Audit
Following this initial piece of work, Signly also engaged with us to procure an additional service, a full accessibility audit of their new website. The new website was still in development, and designs had not yet been finalised. This was the perfect time to engage with us. We were able to provide details of any areas of improvement in terms of accessibility and WCAG compliance but also provide insight into where inclusive design principles could be implemented.
As the website had not yet been completed, collaborating with the Signly team, and discussing potential improvements was a seamless interaction. Often when websites have already been built, fixes can be timely and expensive. In this case, design and development was still in progress, so implementation of fixes and recommendations was far quicker and easier.
Beyond WCAG
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) set a baseline for accessibility that often falls short for BSL users. Signly goes beyond compliance by translating text on websites into BSL, enhancing understanding and accessibility. This technology empowers BSL users with better access to vital information, promoting inclusivity and independence.
At Accessibility Solutions we are also keen to go beyond the recommended baseline of WCAG compliance. Our accessibility audits also include recommendations and advise on inclusive design. This provides our customers with more than just a way to comply with legislation, but a way to provide an intuitive, inclusive experience for all users.
We also offer user testing as one of our services. This allows us to supplement our reports with testing findings from real users. We carry out testing sessions with people with disabilities that navigate and interact with websites and digital services on a daily basis. This provides expert insight and first-hand experience of how websites can present barriers to people with disabilities.
We believe that compliance to standards, guidelines, and the law is the minimum. We are dedicated to helping organisations to provide experiences that are frictionless and simple to use for everyone.