Disabled people in Derbyshire struggling to access online services
There's a call for more accessible websites for disabled people
New research shows some disabled people in Derbyshire have been struggling to access online services which don’t cater to their needs.
A lot of people have struggled to even log on to businesses websites if they have poor eyesight or similar issues.
Small font sizes, confusing language, light colours in text and convoluted animations are all features that make using a website harder for those with disabilities.
More than a third of disabled shoppers struggled to use websites during the pandemic
It comes after retailers missed out on nearly ÂŁ412m during the pandemic because their websites were inaccessible to disabled people.
More than a third of disabled shoppers struggled to use websites during the height of the pandemic, despite retailers seeing an e-commerce boom, according to research.
CEO of Disability Direct Amo Raju reveals why the pandemic has made the problem worse:
“Disabled people have been campaigning for a long time making sure that the websites are as accessible as possible.
“They are the cohort of people who are affected by inaccessible services and they just want the websites to be to-the-point and accessible.
“They’re already on catch up with services and lowered levels of support, then you get the pandemic on top that just really wipes so many people out unnecessarily.
“I’ve been in this position for 27+ years now, and I’ve seen technological advancements in software for disabled people, but its still not caught up with the pace of the development of and the use of the internet."