Making Websites Accessible – A Guide is Published.
When SAIF published its Standards for Disability Information & Advice Provision in Scotland in 1999, the Internet merited a few brief mentions as a possible method of delivering information and advice. The technological revolution that is the World Wide Web was receiving huge amounts of publicity but at that time it was making very little impact on the every day lives of disabled people throughout Scotland.
Three years later, it is unusual to come across an information and advice agency that is not planning, building or working hard to maintain a website in order to deliver some or all of its services. It is also very unusual to meet someone who has attempted to set up a website and found the process easy or straightforward. In addition, there are many initiatives throughout Scotland that are making access to the web more widespread.
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Jim Byrne, Director of the Making Connections Unit, Glasgow Caledonian University, wrote the guide. The Making Connections Unit is the main resource in Scotland for information and guidance related accessible website design. Jim is a recognised expert in the field and has a thorough awareness of practice and policy issues in this area.
Admittedly, there is a wealth of information on the web and elsewhere about setting up a website and about accessibility. But where do you start and who do you believe? This guide is intended to do two things. Firstly, to explain in simple, straightforward language what is involved in setting up a website. Secondly, to provide guidance on how to make sure that accessibility is considered and addressed at every stage of the process.
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The guide takes a broad view of the issues that organisations face when trying to set up a website and provides help by doing the following things:
- advising on how to maximise your chances of building a useful website
- explaining what an accessible website actually is
- helping you to find a designer who can build and accessible website – and what questions to ask when you do
- helping you to take control of the process
The web has huge potential to make information readily available for disabled people in their preferred format, but often that potential is still not being fulfilled. SAIF hopes that this guide will help information providers to build accessible, user-friendly websites that benefit everyone.
The Making Websites Accessible guide is available in Braille, in large print, on audiotape, and in electronic format. It will also be available on the web when SAIF launches its new, improved website early in 2003.
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