Web Accessibility discussed on 'Click On' show (BBC Radio 4)
Tuesday, 27 October 2009
Here is an interesting radio article about the importance of Web Accessibility & the new Web Accessibility standard "BS 8878 British Standard For Accessible Websites".
The show is hosted by Simon Cox and is joined by Léonie Watson (Nomensa) and Bim Egan (RNIB).
The show can heard by clicking here : http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ndzw4
This is the show writeup from the BBC website:
"While ramps and lifts are now an everyday sight, enabling disabled access to public buildings, the vast majority of websites aren’t anything like as disabled friendly. Simon speaks to those behind a new British standard (BS 8878) for web accessibility hoping that with the right advice and encouragement websites will finally make themselves accessible to all. Or should we see the same use of the disability discrimination legislation to compel websites to comply?"
Enjoy!
Posted byCharlie M at 14:04 0 comments
Labels: accessibility, bbc, radio
Jaws 11 - what's new?
Thursday, 22 October 2009
So, Jaws 11 has now been released bringing additional exciting and innovative functionality for screenreader users. The full new version is now shipping to coincide with the release of Windows 7 : Jaws 11 Download link (http://www.freedomscientific.com/downloads/jaws/JAWS-whats-new.asp#download)
The new features are thoroughly documented at : http://www.freedomscientific.com/downloads/jaws/JAWS-whats-new.asp
You can also download the 'What’s New in JAWS 11 DAISY book' from http://www.freedomscientific.com/downloads/training/training-downloads.asp
The FSCast podcast (FSCast Episode 33, August 2009) which discusses the new features of Jaws 11 can be found here : http://www.freedomscientific.com/FSCast/episodes/fscast033-august2009.asp
The September FSCast podcast (Episode 34, September 2009) presents a demonstration of the new "Research It" : http://www.freedomscientific.com/FSCast/episodes/fscast034-september2009.asp
I have yet to try out the new functionality within Jaws 11 thoroughly for myself, so would be very interested to hear what everyone thinks of the new version. Does it live up to expectations? Please leave me a blog comment or email me at : http://www.simplicityuserexperience.co.uk/contact.html
Posted byCharlie M at 14:49 0 comments
Labels: accessibility, jaws 11
Google Accessibility
Saturday, 17 October 2009
This week Google have launched "Google Accessibility"- a new website which will be a central resource for all their existing accessibility documentation & information. "Google Accessibility" enables us to follow all their updates from one place (RSS feed is available), and perhaps most importantly will allow us provide our feedback on all their services.
This is a another great step forward for the exposure of accessibility to the masses & reiterates the importance of creating accessible products and services.
See for yourselves : http://www.google.com/accessibility/
Here is some additional information about "Google Accessibility" : http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/new-home-for-accessibility-at-google.html
Posted byCharlie M at 02:05 0 comments
Labels: accessibility, google
Accessibility 2.0
Tuesday, 6 October 2009
Here is a link to a great write up of the Accessibility 2.0 event (written by Liz at Pancentric Blogs : http://blogs.pancentric.com/2009/10/05/accessibility-2-0/).
I particularly like the concluding paragraph :
"The conclusion I’ve drawn from this conference is that the responsibility of ensuring our sites can be used by everybody needs to be taken away from the developers and laid down at the door of the information architects and designers. If we can build it into the very structure, navigation and design, then surely the developers’ task of building the accessible code will be made that much easier. And the first challenge is to educate our clients that AX is as important when designing a website as it is when designing anything else."
I couldn't put it better myself ;)
Posted byCharlie M at 03:24 0 comments
Labels: accessibility 2.0