FTSE 100 firms improve website accessibility

The UK's leading blue-chip companies are showing signs of improving compliance with website accessibility legislation and guidelines, according to a new study.

The survey of the corporate websites of FTSE 100 companies found 37 per cent now meet minimum international web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG), compared to just 11 per cent in the same survey last year.

The report said: "It clearly demonstrates a trend towards accessibility in commercial web design and a recognition of the legal obligations placed upon corporate bodies".

Overall accessibility levels also increased from 23 per cent to 30 per cent but, despite this improvement, not one single FTSE 100 firm met the higher level two accessibility guidelines, which are recommended by the UK government as the minimum standard for businesses.

Gallaher Group and Prudential came joint top of the survey, closely followed by HBOS, Intercontinental Hotels Group (which jumped from No. 88 last year), and Rolls Royce. The hall of shame at the bottom, where companies failed on all testing criteria, included Allied Domecq, BOC Group, WM Morrison, Whitbread and Wolseley.

Testing took place over two weeks in March by web design company Nomensa, looking at conformance to WCAG, code validity, keyboard shortcuts, correct headings and page titles.

Nomensa welcomed the improvements but warned that many firms are still some way behind.

The report said: "It has been said before that for all the demonstrable effort put in by those companies who have faired well in this research, there is still a long way to go before true web accessibility can said to have been achieved."