Are there any links between web performance and accessibility, and are they compatible? What are the key best practices for
compliance, and how do they align with those for web performance? We spoke to Jonathan Pansiot, a UX and accessibility consultant at Temesis,
who highlights the concept of inclusion common to both approaches.
Fasterize: In your view, are there any commonalities between web performance and accessibility?
Jonathan Pansiot: The fundamental principle of accessibility is this: to enable access to information and data, as well as to the generation of knowledge—whether trivial or not—for everyone, regardless of the equipment they use or their abilities or disabilities. In this sense, accessibility aligns with web performance, as both aim to provide access to information and enable users to interact with it under the best possible conditions. Although page size or speed are not criteria for accessibility, inclusion concerns us all! Indeed, web performance aims to eliminate discrimination between the fastest and most powerful (and therefore most expensive) devices and those that are less so; accessibility, on the other hand, aims to eliminate discrimination between individuals by including those with disabilities.
Fasterize: In what ways can these techniques be compatible? Are there any incompatibilities?
J. P.: In the vast majority of cases, web performance and accessibility techniques are compatible. However, there may be instances where
lazy-loading
implementations hinder the implementation of accessibility features. We observed this issue in a native app, where the plan was to load only the first three items in a product list, then load the rest on scroll. Unfortunately, for users of screen readers or those navigating by keyboard, it was impossible to access the newly loaded content. We also encountered sprites that were not repositioned correctly when the text was zoomed in. Nevertheless, this does not make the two techniques incompatible in absolute terms,
as all of this can be ‘fixed’!
Fasterize: As an accessibility expert, how do you view web performance? Is it a constraint or rather an extension of your work?
J.P.: Web performance and accessibility form part of the minimum standard expected by internet users. You may be familiar with
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs,
which ranks needs and expectations. Well, my view is that accessibility, web performance and best practices in terms of web quality (as defined by Opquast, for example) form the base of this pyramid. These needs are essential to the user
experience (UX)! You could create the best-designed website in the world, with a harmonious and meticulously executed design, but if it takes 5 seconds to load, it’s a lost cause! And if it isn’t accessible, it’s a lost cause too. Efforts must focus on the entirety of this foundation, at every stage from product design through to development, and even as the product evolves. Otherwise, the UX suffers.
Fasterize: Beyond the technical aspects, can or should web performance and accessibility go hand in hand?
J. P.: In theory they can, but there may be difficulties or pitfalls in practice. Here’s a concrete example: whilst Hurricane Irma was striking in 2017, CNN launched the site lite.cnn.com. It is a site with no images, featuring streamlined pages that load very quickly to facilitate access to information following a natural disaster, when networks may be limited or overloaded. However, the site has shortcomings in terms of accessibility (misuse of tags, non-semantic elements (such as ‘title’) used as headings, lack of landmarks, etc.). So, whilst the aim of the project is to provide access to information even when the sky has fallen on our heads, users must still be able to navigate the site effectively to obtain information that may be vital. The intention is laudable, but the initiative is not entirely successful. Nevertheless, accessibility and web performance are complementary in that they both champion a set of best practices centred on ethics and inclusivity – in its technical dimension for web performance and its social dimension for accessibility.
Fasterize: In your view, can the application of web performance best practices help to make a website more accessible?
J. P.: In my view, it is not the role of web performance experts to ensure a website complies with WCAG or RGAA. However, I have noticed that some web performance analysis tools now offer to automate the application of best practices for accessibility. Furthermore, certain criteria in version 1.0 of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
(WCAG) – known as ‘robustness’ criteria – were designed to account for situations where JavaScript fails to load, as well as development techniques based on progressive enhancement and graceful degradation (graceful degradation). These guidelines stem largely from shared considerations regarding accessibility and web performance. In conclusion, I would say that web performance optimises physical access to information, whilst accessibility then takes over to ensure universal access. And both enable us to move towards an approach focused on eco-design, ethics, and the efficient use of resources and energy in support of access (in the sense of ‘accessibility’, and not merely ‘speed’) and the sharing of information and knowledge.
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