accessibility legislation
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- jh
this weeks design week says that UK legislation will create more work for web designers as sites will need re-designing in order to comply with accessibilty legislation. Trouble is, from a design perspective that means according to the article, no flash, few (no) graphics, no links in the text and no CSS. Does anyone else feel this is a bit retro and could make designing web sites somewhat like typing a word document?
- unknown0
isn't it mainly for governmental sites... lets hope so anyway
- jh0
no not just egovernment - i thought it was too but apparently it's for all web(internet) services - so the article talks about retro designing Waitrose site. I think it'll have more impact than anyone is taking note of.
- unknown0
we do loads of the stuff for the government, and as such most of what we design for other pople as well is usable...
we just won the governments most accessible website design company award, we helped write that document that you are refering to...
but we have also won BIMA's, EMMA's etc for design.
I think design and accessibility can go together...
design isnt all about flash you know...
for example I did this...
http://www.playingsafely.co.uk/g…
which complies to all the guidelines, but in my oppinion as some cool functionality and design
- unknown0
but sites where the public use them, need to be useable, things like tescos.com and sites of that ilk, especially ecommerce, should be accessible
- dstlb0
Full text of the article...
Legislation will see sites become more accessible
Digital designers look set to benefit from Government legislation that will soon require websites to comply with tougher accessibility standards, it has emerged this week.
From October 2004, Internet services must be made available to everyone, regardless of ability, including people suffering from visual, auditory, physical or cognitive disabilities. Companies will be forced to redesign websites in order to comply with guidelines.
'Ensuring a website is accessible means modifying the layout and navigation, not just creating a text-only version of the site,' explains JKD client services director Simon Stokes. 'It's a common misconception that making a website accessible means compromising on design.'
JKD is currently 'retro-fitting' the website for Waitrose in conjunction with the Royal National Institute for the Blind, which is testing the site to ensure it meets the charity's own standards. The site is set to go live by October in time for the busy Christmas season, says Stokes.
JKD's work enables users to control the typefaces and colourways themselves and uses fewer graphics, says accessibility consultant Simon White, who works with the group and Waitrose. 'We're trying to bring down barriers. It's the on-line equivalent of building a ramp at a store,' he says.
Certain changes to websites, such as creating tables that work with any browser and using fewer images to speed up sites, will benefit all users, whether suffering from disabilities or not, White adds.
Elsewhere, charity St Dunstan's has relaunched its website, designed by Dot Creative (pictured), to provide a usable environment for its members, 'St Dunstaners', and to ensure compliance with the guidelines.
The charity provides rehabilitation and care for blind ex-service men and women and, according to Dot Creative new media director Steve Levin, the challenge was to build a creative website and not resort to a text-only version.
'I tried to keep it quick and simple. The principle can be applied to any website, aimed at any audience. If you don't overload it with visuals it can make a big difference,' says Levin. 'Many designers don't realise how many visually-impaired people use the Web.'
The site, www.st-dunstans. org.uk, enables blind users to navigate around the site using 'speech reader', whereby text is read out loud. Users can manipulate the screen using the arrow keys on the keyboard.
The site features fewer drop-down menus and links embedded in copy, which do not function with speech reader, explains St Dunstan's head of marketing Rosemary Cottrell. Instead, all links are contained in one area at the bottom. The site avoids saving key words as graphics in favour of resizable text and has been tested by the charity's members, as well as sighted people.
'Very few sites allow partially sighted or blind people to browse,' says Cottrell. 'You can't use Flash, rub overs or drop-down menus.'
The legislation, called the Disability Discrimination Act, will also apply more widely to other sectors such as interior design. Buildings will need to be more accessible, addressing issues such as wheelchair access, colour schemes, door handles, acoustics and furniture design.
- unknown0
how does using fewer images aid usability?
- jh0
That's a good site - although you can't re-size the html (assume you've used CSS) and there's graphics aplenty. So according to some accessibility standards it's not fully complying BUT yes it's good to see sites which actually look good, function well and aren't just a designers portfolio.
I can see you do lots of govt work and so hopefully you have helped compile a document which helps rather than inhibits web design.
I don't see that design has anything to do with Flash (either)since it is just a tool to use. However if it fails to deliver accessible sites then we might lose some good designs which have been created using flash.
- unknown0
Are we gonig to end up with sites that are not Flash vs. HTML... but are now
Not accessible vs. accesible
- jh0
fewer images mean quicker downloads and I guess if you're using a reader means that the interpretation of the site remains the same regardless of your ability to view (access) it.
as a designer i'd hate to design with restrictions on the number of images. But i do want to only use images which are absolutely neccessary.
- jh0
Not accessible vs. accesible
good point and "yes we will" I think has to be the answer. Also that will relate to the technology we're using. So accessible might mean a very standard web site experience using tables and basic html with very few graphics. The web as it was a few years ago.
- sexypixel0
the word legislation scares the bejasus out of me.
Im all for an accessible internet, as long as its not boring
- unknown0
I know it's necessary, and I'm going to get burned for possibly speaking out of turn... but...
Can I just have my sites sat on a server out of the UK and avoid it : )
No seriously...
There are plenty other mediums that could be made more accessible but haven't got such legislation...
- sexypixel0
so does this mean you could get put in jail for having a fullscreen flash site. I hope so. Those guys need a good ass ramming
- jh0
"as long as its not boring"
that bothers me too. Could be very boring with all that plain html and simple graphics. What's the standard user experience going to be if you have to design for someone who is visually impaired and therefore perhaps cannot use graphics, or flash transitions or rollovers?
- dstlb0
Could the legislation leave companies open to being sued by users if their sites don't comply with accessibility regulations? And could that then leave designers and developers open to being sued by clients for having built sites that don't comply? Pretty worrying.
I can see clients deciding to go for basic html sites in the future which will leave a lot of Flash developers out in the cold.
- sexypixel0
on the other hand, i used to use a wap fone and i got pretty pissed of with graphics as i was charged per k download. i didnt mind pure text as all i wanted was the news and football results.
But the web will always have fluff. people like fluff
- jh0
Having no flash for flash animations sake - yes that's good thing.
But if you ever watched BBC tv with the person signing the content in the corner the experience is a little irritating. Not the full wide screen cinematic viewing I'm used to.
- jh0
I think that sites will need to conform in the way that shops and business need to allow dissabled people into them. Which in turn means that designers/developers will be responsible for delivering sites which conform to that legislation. My guess is flash will suffer since there's no easy way to make it accessible.
- sexypixel0
Dont worry, I doubt macromeida well let themselves fall behind. Maybe flash is the answer when it comes to usability.
- unknown0
thing is... could be a good money making exercise for a company that says it'll produce the accessible side of 'designers' websites