The IVCA launch Clarion Awards 2004 to promote the effective communications of Corporate Social Responsibility
London, UK, 8 April 2004 - FTSE 100 companies are undermining their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes, as well as damaging their credibility and reputations, by failing to make web sites accessible to people with disabilities, according to new research by leading digital design company Nomensa.
The second in a series of reports by Nomensa entitled "FTSE 100 Accessibility", to be released later this month, will highlight the lack of joined up thinking still being demonstrated by big businesses towards website accessibility.
Research by the International Visual Communications Association (IVCA) suggests that 90 per cent of large corporates have adopted socially responsible practices into their mainstream business strategies, with 71 per cent investing heavily in CSR programmes.
However, Nomensa found that although 40 per cent of corporate websites now meet basic levels of accessibility - compared to just 10 per cent 3 months ago - companies are still not embracing accessibility issues with the same vigor as they do CSR, even though the two are intrinsically linked.
In the UK it is estimated there are some 8.6 million people with visual, auditory, cognitive or motor impairments, wielding a spending power of around £45 billion a year. Furthermore, The 1995 Disability Discrimination Act indicates that web sites should be accessible to all, regardless of their ability.
Simon Norris, managing director of Nomensa, commented:
"Companies clearly understand the business case for CSR. The argument being that a responsible attitude towards society and the environment can make a business more competitive, more resilient to shocks, and more likely to attract and hold both consumers and the best employees. However, these same companies do not equate web accessibility with the seamless integration of CSR into modern business practices.
The message is simple – if companies do not engage fully with the serious issues of website accessibility they will damage their business reputations unnecessarily as well as undermine stakeholder confidence."
Likewise, the IVCA, the professional body for leaders in business and public service communication - has recognised that website accessibility is key to the effective communication of responsible practice. Nomensa, recognised leaders in the development and implementation of both accessible and usable web design, has been invited by The IVCA to sponsor the Award for Interactive Media, at the IVCA Clarion Awards 2004.
The aim of the awards is to identify and showcase those companies that are successfully communicating CSR and sustainable development projects to stakeholders and the wider public so that such work can be more fully understood and replicated.
Wayne Drew, Chief Executive Officer of the IVCA said:
"Corporate Social Responsibility is vital to the future of all economies, but without a good communication practice, both online and through traditional channels, its impact and effectiveness will be limited and even undermined. Our research suggests that only 20 per cent of companies, which have adopted a CSR programme, effectively communicate such practices. The IVCA Clarion Awards aim to make a new and unique contribution to CSR and encourage higher level of both understanding and engagement."
The new Nomensa report "FTSE 100 Accessibility, 2004 Update", due out in May, will provide analysis of the standards of accessibility achieved by the FTSE 100 company web sites to date.
