Algorithm for Validating Financial and Economic Web Pages in Terms of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

Abstract

Purpose:The purpose of the research is to present the algorithm for the validation of economic and financial websites, allowing to check the degree of accessibility of these websites in terms of WCAG standards with particular attention to people with disabilities and the elderly. The developed method is automatic and allows to obtain both a general score for the analyzed page and a detailed list of analyzed aspects. Design/methodology/Approach: A two-step needs analysis process was conducted to develop the algorithm. In the first phase, the literature was analyzed for selected aspects of accessibility particularly relevant to people with disabilities and the elderly. Findings: The results made it possible to determine the general directions of the algorithm, which are particularly important for the mentioned users. The next stage was the analysis of selected aspects of the websites in the context of their relation to the groups of recipients and the possibilities of analysis by the algorithm. The result of this stage is a set of 9 aspects, within which the individual elements checked by the algorithm were dissected. Practical Implications: The results obtained indicate that the evaluation made by the algorithm coincides with the evaluation of the accessibility of the pages made by the experts. The algorithm allows us to quickly analyze web pages for accessibility and to detect general trends that characterize a given theme of pages. It allows to make general recommendations for improvements and good practices for building accessible pages according to WCAG recommendations. Originality value:The algorithm created is a proprietary project that allows the automatic evaluation of websites. It is based on 9 aspects that make up websites, with the possibility of expanding to more. It can be used to supplement expert knowledge or be used as a general tool to inform about the state of accessibility for a given page.