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DDA / WAI / Section 508
**This is a long one, but it is important to anyone who takes website design and production seriously**
Acronyms, Acronyms, though these will probably be some of the most influential acronyms you'll come across on the internet over the next 2 years.
Just when you though it was safe to go forth and create, new legislation arrives which could make life much more difficult than deciding what layout or colour we should use on our web pages. Enter the world of Accessibility and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA).
Back in 1995, the UK government passed a bill to protect citizens rights on race and sex, this was then extended to disabilities. The original bill was draugthed back in 1990, but this was before the dotcom boom, and at this point, there was no provision made about how this would be applied to the internet.... until now!
This year a new Code of Practice was added to a section within the DDA which covers the right to access, this now means that the DDA now applied to the web.
The new code states: (http://www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1995/95050--c.htm#19)
..."Under the Act, the provision of services includes the provision of goods and facilities...
(3) The following are examples of services to which this section and sections 20 and 21 apply-
(a) access to and use of any place which members of the public are permitted to enter;
(b) access to and use of means of communication;
(c) access to and use of information services"...
Unfortunately, in the UK, "Information Services" apply to anything on the internet.
In layman's terms, this equates to all internet based products have to be accessible to the disabled other wise that provider risks the possibility of being prosecuted for discrimination against the DDA. Sites have to be readable by screen readers, offer options for those with impaired vision and supply descriptive information on things such as links and movie clips for those with learning disabilities.
When does this have to be complied with?
Any service affected by the DDA has until 1st October 2004 to ensure their products comply.
For example, this website (SR), offers a service to sell and supply good to the public, this also covers people with disabilities. This gives SR just under 2 years to make sure their site complies to the new act or risk prosecution for discrimination if someone were to complain. (**I was only using SR as an example here, though about 80% of UK sites fail to comply so far including my own firms.)
So how do we make the change?...
In comes the wonderful people at W3C they have known about this for some time especially as the USA now enforce "Section 508" [http://www.section508.gov], though currently only specific to government based sites.
W3C are equal tot he word of God when it comes to all things internet related, and because of this, these people are the standard when it comes to accessibility and compliance. I would suggest this as a good starting point in gaining an understanding for web accessibility. [http://w3.org/WAI/Resources]
For now, here are the basics:
Images and Animations:
Use the "alt" attribute to describe the function of each visual. These have to be "true" descriptive terms and not just "alt-image". Certain image types should be avoided to as things such as poorly made animated gifs can cause screen flicker and trigger off seizures (this covers the jpeg format too for some odd reason!).
Image Maps:
Use client side image maps and text for hotspots., Again, this also requires a descriptive "alt" and "title"
Multimedia:
Provide captioning and transcripts of audio as well as descriptions of video.
Hypertext Links:
Use text that makes sense when read out of context. DO NOT USE "CLICK HERE"!! Again, all of these should have a descriptive "title" tag.
Page Organisation:
Use headings, lists and a consistent structure. Try to avoid tables for layouts and opt for pure CSS design as things such screen readers will find translating these sites easier. The way forward is CSS2, XML, xHTML and XSLT, start using this technology now.
Frames:
IMHO DON'T USE THEM AT ALL!! But if you insist on doing so, supply real "noframes" content and meaningful titles.
Tables:
Tables are still acceptable in design, though thanks to the advancement in browser compliance, these are slowly being dropped for CSS. If using tables, make the layout logical as screen reader will access these line by line. Always summarise a table too giving a description of its contents.
Plug-ins/Scripts:
Provide alternative content in case these features are unsupported or un accessible.
Flash:
Macromedia have worked hard at making Flash accessible. Anything authored in Flash 5 or lower will not be accessible in any shape or form. If you wish to continue creating Flash monsters, upgrade to FlashMX. This includes a suite of tools for making Flash accessible and useable.
Other useful info:
DreamweaverMX includes an accessibility suite for testing pages for compliance... don't ignore it, use it! It complies to the WAI/DDA and 508. [http://www.macromedia.com/macromedia/accessibility]
RNIB: These are setting standards too, have a look at [http://www.rnib.org.uk/digital/hints.htm]
Bobby:
[http://Bobby.watchfire.com]
You all hate him, but good old Jakob Neilsen is worth looking at too: [http://www.useit.com/]
UsableNet: Accessibility [http://www.usablenet.com/accessibility_usability/ [Space] accessibility.html] These people also offer a plug-in for DWMX/DW4 for page checking against 508/WAI
Some of you may read this and think I'm waffling for the sake of waffling, but at the end of the day that's down to you. This WILL impact the way sites will be built in the future and if you want to progress into website design and production this is something that cannot be ignored. The internet is here to provide information and a service to users, this also includes those with disabilities, and this fact cannot be ignored. One way to look at it would be to think about your sites... Are they "Joe bloggs got hold of a copy of front page and hashed this together" sites, or "real" sites in the public domain? If the latter, then they have to be accessible to a certain extent.
I also have a personal interest in this, My wife works with Learning-Dis adults and I am always thinking about how the internet must seem to them and how it's my job to ensure that their "user experience" is as enjoyable as ours. My brother-in-law in colour blind! Have any of you ever though how a site would look to him?
Again, this comes back to the essence of website creation, providing a product for an "undefined audience" using "unknown platforms". It's our job as designers/producers to ensure we can reach as wide an audience as possible with the tools we are given to use.
Life was much easier back in the day of HTML 2.0!
**This is a long one, but it is important to anyone who takes website design and production seriously**
Acronyms, Acronyms, though these will probably be some of the most influential acronyms you'll come across on the internet over the next 2 years.
Just when you though it was safe to go forth and create, new legislation arrives which could make life much more difficult than deciding what layout or colour we should use on our web pages. Enter the world of Accessibility and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA).
Back in 1995, the UK government passed a bill to protect citizens rights on race and sex, this was then extended to disabilities. The original bill was draugthed back in 1990, but this was before the dotcom boom, and at this point, there was no provision made about how this would be applied to the internet.... until now!
This year a new Code of Practice was added to a section within the DDA which covers the right to access, this now means that the DDA now applied to the web.
The new code states: (http://www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1995/95050--c.htm#19)
..."Under the Act, the provision of services includes the provision of goods and facilities...
(3) The following are examples of services to which this section and sections 20 and 21 apply-
(a) access to and use of any place which members of the public are permitted to enter;
(b) access to and use of means of communication;
(c) access to and use of information services"...
Unfortunately, in the UK, "Information Services" apply to anything on the internet.
In layman's terms, this equates to all internet based products have to be accessible to the disabled other wise that provider risks the possibility of being prosecuted for discrimination against the DDA. Sites have to be readable by screen readers, offer options for those with impaired vision and supply descriptive information on things such as links and movie clips for those with learning disabilities.
When does this have to be complied with?
Any service affected by the DDA has until 1st October 2004 to ensure their products comply.
For example, this website (SR), offers a service to sell and supply good to the public, this also covers people with disabilities. This gives SR just under 2 years to make sure their site complies to the new act or risk prosecution for discrimination if someone were to complain. (**I was only using SR as an example here, though about 80% of UK sites fail to comply so far including my own firms.)
So how do we make the change?...
In comes the wonderful people at W3C they have known about this for some time especially as the USA now enforce "Section 508" [http://www.section508.gov], though currently only specific to government based sites.
W3C are equal tot he word of God when it comes to all things internet related, and because of this, these people are the standard when it comes to accessibility and compliance. I would suggest this as a good starting point in gaining an understanding for web accessibility. [http://w3.org/WAI/Resources]
For now, here are the basics:
Images and Animations:
Use the "alt" attribute to describe the function of each visual. These have to be "true" descriptive terms and not just "alt-image". Certain image types should be avoided to as things such as poorly made animated gifs can cause screen flicker and trigger off seizures (this covers the jpeg format too for some odd reason!).
Image Maps:
Use client side image maps and text for hotspots., Again, this also requires a descriptive "alt" and "title"
Multimedia:
Provide captioning and transcripts of audio as well as descriptions of video.
Hypertext Links:
Use text that makes sense when read out of context. DO NOT USE "CLICK HERE"!! Again, all of these should have a descriptive "title" tag.
Page Organisation:
Use headings, lists and a consistent structure. Try to avoid tables for layouts and opt for pure CSS design as things such screen readers will find translating these sites easier. The way forward is CSS2, XML, xHTML and XSLT, start using this technology now.
Frames:
IMHO DON'T USE THEM AT ALL!! But if you insist on doing so, supply real "noframes" content and meaningful titles.
Tables:
Tables are still acceptable in design, though thanks to the advancement in browser compliance, these are slowly being dropped for CSS. If using tables, make the layout logical as screen reader will access these line by line. Always summarise a table too giving a description of its contents.
Plug-ins/Scripts:
Provide alternative content in case these features are unsupported or un accessible.
Flash:
Macromedia have worked hard at making Flash accessible. Anything authored in Flash 5 or lower will not be accessible in any shape or form. If you wish to continue creating Flash monsters, upgrade to FlashMX. This includes a suite of tools for making Flash accessible and useable.
Other useful info:
DreamweaverMX includes an accessibility suite for testing pages for compliance... don't ignore it, use it! It complies to the WAI/DDA and 508. [http://www.macromedia.com/macromedia/accessibility]
RNIB: These are setting standards too, have a look at [http://www.rnib.org.uk/digital/hints.htm]
Bobby:
[http://Bobby.watchfire.com]
You all hate him, but good old Jakob Neilsen is worth looking at too: [http://www.useit.com/]
UsableNet: Accessibility [http://www.usablenet.com/accessibility_usability/ [Space] accessibility.html] These people also offer a plug-in for DWMX/DW4 for page checking against 508/WAI
Some of you may read this and think I'm waffling for the sake of waffling, but at the end of the day that's down to you. This WILL impact the way sites will be built in the future and if you want to progress into website design and production this is something that cannot be ignored. The internet is here to provide information and a service to users, this also includes those with disabilities, and this fact cannot be ignored. One way to look at it would be to think about your sites... Are they "Joe bloggs got hold of a copy of front page and hashed this together" sites, or "real" sites in the public domain? If the latter, then they have to be accessible to a certain extent.
I also have a personal interest in this, My wife works with Learning-Dis adults and I am always thinking about how the internet must seem to them and how it's my job to ensure that their "user experience" is as enjoyable as ours. My brother-in-law in colour blind! Have any of you ever though how a site would look to him?
Again, this comes back to the essence of website creation, providing a product for an "undefined audience" using "unknown platforms". It's our job as designers/producers to ensure we can reach as wide an audience as possible with the tools we are given to use.
Life was much easier back in the day of HTML 2.0!
I just read something you were talking about the other day, W3 are trying to make HTML more like XHTML, thats all. Is it just HTML and CSS that have standards like these? i've not heard of any PHP or ASP ones.
Fog wrote:
> Is XHTML worth learning?
YES especially if you intend to go into XML/xSLT, there's not much difference to be honest, it all about "well formed" documents.
> Is XHTML worth learning?
YES especially if you intend to go into XML/xSLT, there's not much difference to be honest, it all about "well formed" documents.
I'm quite afraid of these but I really should spend the time to learn the corretc methods of writing. It just means i'd have to pretty much learn HTML over again :D
Is XHTML worth learning?
Is XHTML worth learning?
ajg wrote:
> If they are going to insist on these standards then I'd like to see
> them making it easier to validate html. I'm afraid I bore easily and
> pages and pages of documents don't do it for me.
As I mentioned, there are validation tool and suites available for doing this:
DreamweaverMX includes an accessibility suite for testing pages for compliance... don't ignore it, use it! It complies to the WAI/DDA and 508. [http://www.macromedia.com/macromedia/accessibility]
RNIB: These are setting standards too, have a look at [http://www.rnib.org.uk/digital/hints.htm]
Bobby:
[http://Bobby.watchfire.com]
It may seem like lots of labourious text, but unlike Usability, this is a legal requirement for all sites providing information or a service, so because of this, there is no way around it apart from reading all of that text...
I got as far as page 3 and fell asleep!
> If they are going to insist on these standards then I'd like to see
> them making it easier to validate html. I'm afraid I bore easily and
> pages and pages of documents don't do it for me.
As I mentioned, there are validation tool and suites available for doing this:
DreamweaverMX includes an accessibility suite for testing pages for compliance... don't ignore it, use it! It complies to the WAI/DDA and 508. [http://www.macromedia.com/macromedia/accessibility]
RNIB: These are setting standards too, have a look at [http://www.rnib.org.uk/digital/hints.htm]
Bobby:
[http://Bobby.watchfire.com]
It may seem like lots of labourious text, but unlike Usability, this is a legal requirement for all sites providing information or a service, so because of this, there is no way around it apart from reading all of that text...
I got as far as page 3 and fell asleep!
Every page on my own website is validated to W3 standards. For this I use the wizards on w3.org which cuts out any ambiguaty. But I was on their site recently with view to looking into exactly this point, but there is nothing but long and laborious text.
If they are going to insist on these standards then I'd like to see them making it easier to validate html. I'm afraid I bore easily and pages and pages of documents don't do it for me.
If they are going to insist on these standards then I'd like to see them making it easier to validate html. I'm afraid I bore easily and pages and pages of documents don't do it for me.
Oh good. no more crap websites then.
DDA / WAI / Section 508
**This is a long one, but it is important to anyone who takes website design and production seriously**
Acronyms, Acronyms, though these will probably be some of the most influential acronyms you'll come across on the internet over the next 2 years.
Just when you though it was safe to go forth and create, new legislation arrives which could make life much more difficult than deciding what layout or colour we should use on our web pages. Enter the world of Accessibility and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA).
Back in 1995, the UK government passed a bill to protect citizens rights on race and sex, this was then extended to disabilities. The original bill was draugthed back in 1990, but this was before the dotcom boom, and at this point, there was no provision made about how this would be applied to the internet.... until now!
This year a new Code of Practice was added to a section within the DDA which covers the right to access, this now means that the DDA now applied to the web.
The new code states: (http://www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1995/95050--c.htm#19)
..."Under the Act, the provision of services includes the provision of goods and facilities...
(3) The following are examples of services to which this section and sections 20 and 21 apply-
(a) access to and use of any place which members of the public are permitted to enter;
(b) access to and use of means of communication;
(c) access to and use of information services"...
Unfortunately, in the UK, "Information Services" apply to anything on the internet.
In layman's terms, this equates to all internet based products have to be accessible to the disabled other wise that provider risks the possibility of being prosecuted for discrimination against the DDA. Sites have to be readable by screen readers, offer options for those with impaired vision and supply descriptive information on things such as links and movie clips for those with learning disabilities.
When does this have to be complied with?
Any service affected by the DDA has until 1st October 2004 to ensure their products comply.
For example, this website (SR), offers a service to sell and supply good to the public, this also covers people with disabilities. This gives SR just under 2 years to make sure their site complies to the new act or risk prosecution for discrimination if someone were to complain. (**I was only using SR as an example here, though about 80% of UK sites fail to comply so far including my own firms.)
So how do we make the change?...
In comes the wonderful people at W3C they have known about this for some time especially as the USA now enforce "Section 508" [http://www.section508.gov], though currently only specific to government based sites.
W3C are equal tot he word of God when it comes to all things internet related, and because of this, these people are the standard when it comes to accessibility and compliance. I would suggest this as a good starting point in gaining an understanding for web accessibility. [http://w3.org/WAI/Resources]
For now, here are the basics:
Images and Animations:
Use the "alt" attribute to describe the function of each visual. These have to be "true" descriptive terms and not just "alt-image". Certain image types should be avoided to as things such as poorly made animated gifs can cause screen flicker and trigger off seizures (this covers the jpeg format too for some odd reason!).
Image Maps:
Use client side image maps and text for hotspots., Again, this also requires a descriptive "alt" and "title"
Multimedia:
Provide captioning and transcripts of audio as well as descriptions of video.
Hypertext Links:
Use text that makes sense when read out of context. DO NOT USE "CLICK HERE"!! Again, all of these should have a descriptive "title" tag.
Page Organisation:
Use headings, lists and a consistent structure. Try to avoid tables for layouts and opt for pure CSS design as things such screen readers will find translating these sites easier. The way forward is CSS2, XML, xHTML and XSLT, start using this technology now.
Frames:
IMHO DON'T USE THEM AT ALL!! But if you insist on doing so, supply real "noframes" content and meaningful titles.
Tables:
Tables are still acceptable in design, though thanks to the advancement in browser compliance, these are slowly being dropped for CSS. If using tables, make the layout logical as screen reader will access these line by line. Always summarise a table too giving a description of its contents.
Plug-ins/Scripts:
Provide alternative content in case these features are unsupported or un accessible.
Flash:
Macromedia have worked hard at making Flash accessible. Anything authored in Flash 5 or lower will not be accessible in any shape or form. If you wish to continue creating Flash monsters, upgrade to FlashMX. This includes a suite of tools for making Flash accessible and useable.
Other useful info:
DreamweaverMX includes an accessibility suite for testing pages for compliance... don't ignore it, use it! It complies to the WAI/DDA and 508. [http://www.macromedia.com/macromedia/accessibility]
RNIB: These are setting standards too, have a look at [http://www.rnib.org.uk/digital/hints.htm]
Bobby:
[http://Bobby.watchfire.com]
You all hate him, but good old Jakob Neilsen is worth looking at too: [http://www.useit.com/]
UsableNet: Accessibility [http://www.usablenet.com/accessibility_usability/ [Space] accessibility.html] These people also offer a plug-in for DWMX/DW4 for page checking against 508/WAI
Some of you may read this and think I'm waffling for the sake of waffling, but at the end of the day that's down to you. This WILL impact the way sites will be built in the future and if you want to progress into website design and production this is something that cannot be ignored. The internet is here to provide information and a service to users, this also includes those with disabilities, and this fact cannot be ignored. One way to look at it would be to think about your sites... Are they "Joe bloggs got hold of a copy of front page and hashed this together" sites, or "real" sites in the public domain? If the latter, then they have to be accessible to a certain extent.
I also have a personal interest in this, My wife works with Learning-Dis adults and I am always thinking about how the internet must seem to them and how it's my job to ensure that their "user experience" is as enjoyable as ours. My brother-in-law in colour blind! Have any of you ever though how a site would look to him?
Again, this comes back to the essence of website creation, providing a product for an "undefined audience" using "unknown platforms". It's our job as designers/producers to ensure we can reach as wide an audience as possible with the tools we are given to use.
Life was much easier back in the day of HTML 2.0!
**This is a long one, but it is important to anyone who takes website design and production seriously**
Acronyms, Acronyms, though these will probably be some of the most influential acronyms you'll come across on the internet over the next 2 years.
Just when you though it was safe to go forth and create, new legislation arrives which could make life much more difficult than deciding what layout or colour we should use on our web pages. Enter the world of Accessibility and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA).
Back in 1995, the UK government passed a bill to protect citizens rights on race and sex, this was then extended to disabilities. The original bill was draugthed back in 1990, but this was before the dotcom boom, and at this point, there was no provision made about how this would be applied to the internet.... until now!
This year a new Code of Practice was added to a section within the DDA which covers the right to access, this now means that the DDA now applied to the web.
The new code states: (http://www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1995/95050--c.htm#19)
..."Under the Act, the provision of services includes the provision of goods and facilities...
(3) The following are examples of services to which this section and sections 20 and 21 apply-
(a) access to and use of any place which members of the public are permitted to enter;
(b) access to and use of means of communication;
(c) access to and use of information services"...
Unfortunately, in the UK, "Information Services" apply to anything on the internet.
In layman's terms, this equates to all internet based products have to be accessible to the disabled other wise that provider risks the possibility of being prosecuted for discrimination against the DDA. Sites have to be readable by screen readers, offer options for those with impaired vision and supply descriptive information on things such as links and movie clips for those with learning disabilities.
When does this have to be complied with?
Any service affected by the DDA has until 1st October 2004 to ensure their products comply.
For example, this website (SR), offers a service to sell and supply good to the public, this also covers people with disabilities. This gives SR just under 2 years to make sure their site complies to the new act or risk prosecution for discrimination if someone were to complain. (**I was only using SR as an example here, though about 80% of UK sites fail to comply so far including my own firms.)
So how do we make the change?...
In comes the wonderful people at W3C they have known about this for some time especially as the USA now enforce "Section 508" [http://www.section508.gov], though currently only specific to government based sites.
W3C are equal tot he word of God when it comes to all things internet related, and because of this, these people are the standard when it comes to accessibility and compliance. I would suggest this as a good starting point in gaining an understanding for web accessibility. [http://w3.org/WAI/Resources]
For now, here are the basics:
Images and Animations:
Use the "alt" attribute to describe the function of each visual. These have to be "true" descriptive terms and not just "alt-image". Certain image types should be avoided to as things such as poorly made animated gifs can cause screen flicker and trigger off seizures (this covers the jpeg format too for some odd reason!).
Image Maps:
Use client side image maps and text for hotspots., Again, this also requires a descriptive "alt" and "title"
Multimedia:
Provide captioning and transcripts of audio as well as descriptions of video.
Hypertext Links:
Use text that makes sense when read out of context. DO NOT USE "CLICK HERE"!! Again, all of these should have a descriptive "title" tag.
Page Organisation:
Use headings, lists and a consistent structure. Try to avoid tables for layouts and opt for pure CSS design as things such screen readers will find translating these sites easier. The way forward is CSS2, XML, xHTML and XSLT, start using this technology now.
Frames:
IMHO DON'T USE THEM AT ALL!! But if you insist on doing so, supply real "noframes" content and meaningful titles.
Tables:
Tables are still acceptable in design, though thanks to the advancement in browser compliance, these are slowly being dropped for CSS. If using tables, make the layout logical as screen reader will access these line by line. Always summarise a table too giving a description of its contents.
Plug-ins/Scripts:
Provide alternative content in case these features are unsupported or un accessible.
Flash:
Macromedia have worked hard at making Flash accessible. Anything authored in Flash 5 or lower will not be accessible in any shape or form. If you wish to continue creating Flash monsters, upgrade to FlashMX. This includes a suite of tools for making Flash accessible and useable.
Other useful info:
DreamweaverMX includes an accessibility suite for testing pages for compliance... don't ignore it, use it! It complies to the WAI/DDA and 508. [http://www.macromedia.com/macromedia/accessibility]
RNIB: These are setting standards too, have a look at [http://www.rnib.org.uk/digital/hints.htm]
Bobby:
[http://Bobby.watchfire.com]
You all hate him, but good old Jakob Neilsen is worth looking at too: [http://www.useit.com/]
UsableNet: Accessibility [http://www.usablenet.com/accessibility_usability/ [Space] accessibility.html] These people also offer a plug-in for DWMX/DW4 for page checking against 508/WAI
Some of you may read this and think I'm waffling for the sake of waffling, but at the end of the day that's down to you. This WILL impact the way sites will be built in the future and if you want to progress into website design and production this is something that cannot be ignored. The internet is here to provide information and a service to users, this also includes those with disabilities, and this fact cannot be ignored. One way to look at it would be to think about your sites... Are they "Joe bloggs got hold of a copy of front page and hashed this together" sites, or "real" sites in the public domain? If the latter, then they have to be accessible to a certain extent.
I also have a personal interest in this, My wife works with Learning-Dis adults and I am always thinking about how the internet must seem to them and how it's my job to ensure that their "user experience" is as enjoyable as ours. My brother-in-law in colour blind! Have any of you ever though how a site would look to him?
Again, this comes back to the essence of website creation, providing a product for an "undefined audience" using "unknown platforms". It's our job as designers/producers to ensure we can reach as wide an audience as possible with the tools we are given to use.
Life was much easier back in the day of HTML 2.0!