What standards are available?
website developers will be aware of the World
Wide Web Consortium (W3C) which develops interoperable technologies (specifications,
guidelines, software, and tools) to lead the Web to its full potential as
a forum for information, commerce, communication, and collective understanding.
An important W3C programme is the Web Accessibility
Initiative (WAI), which pursues accessibility of the Web through five
complementary strategies:
1. ensuring that web technologies support accessibility;
2. developing guidelines for accessibility;
3. developing tools to evaluate and facilitate accessibility;
4. conducting education and outreach;
5. coordinating with research and development.
Organisations should be looking to the WAI for the provision of accessibility guidelines. In addition to the WAI, W3C have also researched and developed extensive guidelines for the use of web technologies such as HTML, XML and CSS. These should be used to generate products that are not only good for users with disabilities, but have the added benefit of being interoperable across a multitude of platforms.
W3C have produced a list of Checkpoints for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 1.0. This is a hierarchical structure consisting of three priority levels:
Adherence to the WAI guidelines will not guarantee accessibility for a specific
individual. However, are you accessible can advise in terms of "inclusive
design" also known as, inter alia, barrier-free design, universal design,
transgenerational design and design for all. Simply put, it is the principle
that any product or service should be designed with the idea that as many
people as possible can use them, regardless of personal circumstances such
as age and disability. This principle should guide both the environment and
content development stages so it should follow that both developers and information
providers need to be aware of accessibility issues.
Will our accessible website just contain dull, boring text?
The guidelines and standards provide the means for making existing technologies accessible. You do not need to provide a text-only version of your site unless there is absolutely no other way to achieve accessibility. Users with disabilities appreciate elegance, style, creative writing, and personality as much as users without disabilities. It's important to use the Web as an information medium as it was intended and to remember to keep the meaning in the contents rather than in the appearance.
Is accessible web authoring an expensive and time-consuming process?
While it may be costly to convert a poorly designed website into an accessible website, there is virtually no extra cost to authoring an accessible website from the outset.
There can be small costs associated with providing alternate content (such as for Java applets), but, in general, accessible pages will pay for themselves through more satisfied users. Accessible web pages will often be easier and cheaper to maintain, since they will usually feature valid, structure-based HTML linked to an external style sheet that handles the presentation.
What's the return of investment - surely web accessibility only helps people with disabilities?
Embedding accessibility into your website strategy will enhance your site for all users:
Can assistive technology solve all accessibility problems?
Assistive (also "adaptive") technologies enable people with disabilities to use technology to the full potential of their abilities. It is designed to help them overcome their limitations. Different technologies exist for different users depending on the user's needs and abilities. However, no one piece of assistive technology is the solution for all users so there is still a pressing need for the provision of accessible content.
My web designer has produced our corporate image on our website, how can we ensure all users view our site the way the designer intended?
Users should view websites the way they wish. Some users may wish to view pages using the author's style sheet, but others may require their own presentation to be able to access the content. It is important to separate the content of your site from the design. The user may choose to view the site in a way that suits them but they will still see message contained in your content.
Does organisation X have THE answer?
There a a number of accessibility experts claiming to have THE answer to accessibility problems. At are you accessible we offer a range of solutions for your organisations. We can not give THE answer but will work with you to develop a strategy that is right for you.
Doesn't everyone use Internet Explorer?
Internet Explorer is currently the most popular browser on the Web, but there are a significant number of non-Internet Explorer users. Even if developers ignore the existence of other browsers, the ability of IE users to disable background images and colors, text and link colors, Java, JavaScript, cookies, dynamic fonts, and style sheets requires pages that are not dependent on these features. All users can change their window size, font size, and font face, thus giving them the ability to drastically affect the way a page looks.
Designing for a specific browser is a common mistake. Pages "designed for" a particular browser often only look good with certain versions of that browser, and only if the user leaves all preferences at their defaults.
If I use a particular accessibility logo on my site will it be accessible?
There are a number of accessibility diagnostic and evaluation packages available to the designer, each with their own logo that when placed on a web page infers that the page or site is accessible.
Whilst diagnostic software is a starting point in checking to see if a site
is accessible automatic testing does not provide a comprehensive solution.
Diagnostic and evaluation tools and their associated icons are perceived to
represent an achievable standard towards web accessibility. The tools are
able to flag areas for concern BUT they cannot ensure that these are acted
on appropriately or that all WAI Priority checkpoints are complied with.
Developers must comprehend that the evaluation process is based on an interpretation
of the WAI checkpoints developed by a particular software company. These evaluations
must then be acted upon
Rather than rely on a the outputs of a diagnostic software package are you accessible works with organisations in helping to decide on a level
of compliance that is achievable. For this to happen all stakeholders need
to sign up to the accessibility policy.