Accessibility
Websites should be accessible to all - including disabled users and users who do not have the latest PC or web browser. Unfortunately, the vast majority are not.
In April 2004 the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) surveyed over 400 web development agencies to see who was doing it right.
It's a huge challenge for most organisations. There are so many standards and "kite marks" available, so many conflicting ideas of what constitutes an 'accessible' website. The good news is that Fused Technologies is at the very forefront of accessible web design and has been since its inception. It's fair to say that Fused Technologies (under its old guise of Poptech) was a pioneer and established many of the best practices that are only now considered essential.
Fused technologies designed websites have featured strongly at the last four Visionary Design Awards, picking up an award at the last ceremony as well as three shortlisted nominations. In addition, in summer 2004, Fused Technologies organised a series of seminars for the North West eGovernment Group (NWEGG) providing advice to 49 local authorities in developing accessible web-services.
Design methodology - A website that works - for all your site visitors
We've worked with many clients in the public and voluntary sectors. Which is probably one reason why we can't help developing accessible and usable websites.
Our designers are accessibility specialists. They live and breathe accessibility. And they don't believe you have to necessarily sacrifice beauty and panache in order to achieve a website that is accessible and useable for all your visitors.
Seemingly small design decisions can have huge consequences for accessibility AND usability. We have developed a methodology to ensure that the right design decisions are made.
We take into consideration many factors. Factors such as:
- Who will be visiting the site? Will they be able to see all necessary information? Follow the links, knowing where they are being taken?
- In what ways will the site be accessed - using speech browsers? Or screen magnifier applications? Without the use of a mouse?
- Is there a plain text or HTML version of any rich media elements, such as Flash movies or video extracts?
- Can you change the font size?
One option that some agencies use is to offer 'low tech' alternatives to the 'real' website which many be heavy in unaccessible design features.
In our view, there's no reason why a website can't be both accessible AND attractive.
Do you want to offer a first class website for some of your visitors, while directing others to the third-class alternative?
We don't think so.
Accessibility Audits - How accessible is your website?
Fused Technologies can help you get your website up to appropriate accessibility standards. The first step is an audit. Our service is flexible, depending on your needs - from a basic check to bespoke consultancy. Here's what you can expect:
Accessibility Check
We identify the major errors in your site, tell you how it measures up against WAI standards and offer initial recommendations. This audit will help you to:
- decide what level of accessibility is appropriate for your site
- fix errors on a current site, or plan for accessibility on a future site
Accessibility Review
This package is useful if you want to take a more in-depth examination of the accessibility issues on your website. We will examine your content management system, offer assistance with developing an accessibility strategy for your site, repairing faults and carrying out testing.
Commences with briefing meeting with client and concludes with presentation of review results and recommendations.
Custom Consultancy
Need something more bespoke? We can offer in-depth consultancy tailored to your needs. For example, this may include user-testing by visually impaired subjects, strategy development and detailed proposals for required development work.
What is usability? - Websites are meant to be used...
Although they are often talked about in the same breath, usability is not the same thing as accessibility.
A website can be fully accessible, but not necessarily usable.
How clear and understandable is the website? Can you immediately tell what it's about? How easy it is to perform tasks, find the information you want, know where you are in the site?
These are all questions of usability.
So how can usability be measured and standards benchmarked? When developing your site, we have a range of methods to choose from to establish usability criteria. We also carry out usability testing as standard throughout the development process.
For more information, please contact us.