Hello all!

We use http://usablenet.com/usablenet_assistive.html to render a text only version of our site (www.britishcouncil.org) . In our redesign I am looking at implications of not offering this service and would welcome any feedback, comments or advice.

Best wishes,

With best wishes,

Javed

Chaudhry Javed Iqbal 
e-Strategy Manager

British Council

www.britishcouncil.org

Hi Javed
It is relevant and only going to get more relevant as the web becomes mainstream and we have to support an entire population's access to it. 

The only way to ensure that a website is usable by everybody is through user testing. Using an automated add on to try to include accessibility as an after-thought is the wrong way to think about it. You are not trying to tick compliancy boxes "such as ADA, Section 508, W3C, etc", you are trying to make sure that the website works for real people.

If you are building a new website, and writing modern, standards-compliant HTML, CSS and JavaScript, then there is definitely no need to use that kind of service. Designing the site to be accessible from the beginning, instead of trying to add accessibility once it is complete, means that everybody can benefit from a better website.

Examples of how good HTML, etc. solves the same problems.

Using descriptive alt text where appropriate means that the meaning of images can be conveyed to people using screen reading technologies.

Layout, colour, and typography are provided using CSS, which can be overwritten using people's own customised styles sheets or through the browser. If required we could include ready-made alternative stylesheets which people can access through the browser.

JavaScript is used in such a way that if it is not available, the site falls back to standard HTML functionality (eg, forms, standard links, etc.).

In addition, our understanding of how assistive technologies work means that we don't use things such as JavaScript in ways which would make the site inaccessable.

Drop us a line if you would like to find out more and how it could be applicable to the sites under your management.

Wyndham

Wyndham Lewis
Business analysis
tmg
.