Web Access Centre

Waitrose case study

Summary: Find out how design agency JKD went about making the Waitrose food and drink portal accessible.

• Introduction
• Background
• The Waitrose vision
• New publishing standards
• Publishing community
• Overview of accessible changes
• Ongoing compliance
• Future developments

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Introduction

Waitrose recognises that, in order for the site to provide the same high standard of service it provides throughout its branches, it needs to ensure that all users are able to access the content on the site quickly and easily without the need for special software or plug-ins.

JKD, the London-based digital communications agency responsible for the Waitrose suite of sites, was tasked with the redevelopment of the flagship website. The company worked closely with Waitrose and RNIB to ensure that the level of accessibility on the newly developed Waitrose.com website was increased to encompass the widest possible range of accessible features, including those necessary to achieve RNIB endorsement.

Background

Since the original Waitrose.com website was first launched in September 1997, it has undergone many changes, and now offers over 5000 pages of content to a wide-ranging audience of 400,000 unique users per month.

The site is updated on a daily basis with copy taken from a wide variety of sources, including Waitrose Food Illustrated magazine, Harden’s Restaurant Guide and a variety of nutrition factsheets and supporting information. As befits a recognised expert in food and drink, the site incorporates a sophisticated search tool for hundreds of recipes and articles.

Responsibility for publishing content on the site falls to the Waitrose editorial team via a bespoke content management system created by JKD.

By attracting a larger share of the online audience through the introduction of accessibility elements, Waitrose is providing a service to the wider community, while making the management of the website easier in the long-term.

The site had already been updated and redesigned prior to the introduction of Section 21 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA), which came into force in 1999. However the supermarket decided that this was the perfect time to redevelop site to achieve a higher standard than that specified – selecting Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) double-A accreditation as the minimal acceptable standard. The WAI is run by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the international body that benchmarks standards on the web.

Following a series of meetings and strategic developments with JKD, the process of educating all key stakeholders was driven by the Waitrose editorial team, ensuring that everyone involved in the project understood the importance of accessibility and the streamlining of the design and development processes.

The Waitrose vision

• All users, regardless of ability or disability, should have access to the full content and services on Waitrose.com.
• All information is available in a variety of formats, online and offline.
• Location and time are not barriers to accessing the content.
• Users can exercise choice and control over information received.

All content published on the site will continue to meet both RNIB’s See It Right accreditation guidelines and the WAI double-A standard. This information is available to the site’s users, with a feedback area offered for comments and suggestions on any issues present within the site.

New publishing standards

As befits such a socially responsible organisation, Waitrose already had many standards set out to help with the accessibility of the website. However, these guidelines were tightened following the decision to achieve RNIB See It Right award and ensure ongoing compliance with legislation and the double-A standard advocated by the WAI.

All site stakeholders understand the importance of these guidelines and the reasons behind the implementation of accessibility. A series of checklists has been created that new pages and content need to pass before publication on the live site. As the site is managed through templates, this helps ensure control of the development process throughout the lifecycle of the website.

Publishing community

With over 5000 pages of content contained within the site, there has to be stringent controls on the publishing of content to make sure that the site continues to meet the standards set by both RNIB and the WAI. The Content Management system used on the site allows the stakeholders to apply all the necessary elements to the site that will ensure continuing compliance.

Additionally, the site is checked on a regular basis to ensure that new content and templates comply fully with the guidelines. This is done using a variety of automated tools and manual checks.

Overview of accessible changes

There are a number of implementations to aid users that have visual and auditory impairments, users with motor impairments, as well as those visitors that may be coming to the portal using older technology and browser configurations. These include:

• Access keys
• Style sheets
• A new site map
• Client-side JavaScript has also been removed
• All code used on the site has been validated to published standards from the W3C

Ongoing compliance

Before any content is published, even if it uses an existing template, each page is checked using a combination of automated tools and manual processes across a vast array of browsers and operating systems. Any update must pass a set of pre-ordained checklists before it can be published on the live Waitrose website.

The standards that are checked vary dependent upon the specific functions incorporated within the page, but include checks for JavaScript use, alt attribute inclusion, link destination clarity, and structural elements.

Future developments

Following the success of the redevelopment of Waitrose.com, the process of extending accessible design and development elements across every Waitrose website (including the e-commerce websites) has begun. Waitrose is determined to provide each user, independent of ability or technology, the opportunity to enjoy the same experience and levels of service across all its online services through the same access point.

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Content author: webaccess@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 06/03/2008 15:41