Website Accessibility Information for this website and all other websites created by Access-by Design
To view all our information regarding accessibility please refer to the Accessibility blog here
Statement: Access – by Design is committed to celebrating Diversity, recognizing both the Needs and Strengths of the Individual and eliminating Discrimination.
What are the accessibility guidelines?
There are a number of accessibility guidelines but the ones below are generally accepted as the most comprehensive at the present time.
Priority 1 – A Web content developer must satisfy this checkpoint. Otherwise, one or more groups will find it impossible to access information in the document. Satisfying this checkpoint is a basic requirement for some groups to be able to use Web documents.
Priority 2 – A Web content developer should satisfy this checkpoint. Otherwise, one or more groups will find it difficult to access information in the document. Satisfying this checkpoint will remove significant barriers to accessing Web documents.
Priority 3 -A Web content developer may address this checkpoint. Otherwise, one or more groups will find it somewhat difficult to access information in the document. Satisfying this checkpoint will improve access to Web documents.
[From Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 WC3 ]
If you have any other questions about web accessibility or how accessible features have been used in our websites please email us at info@access-bydesign.com If you have come to this page from one of our client’s websites, please now use the back button on your browser to return.
Access-by Design is committed to providing accessible websites to our clients- not surprising as our lead web-designer IS disabled!
The following guide has been provided by Access- by Design to provide you with a range of help and support in accessing this site, other sites created by Access-by Design and the internet as a whole- whatever your internet experience or physical ability.
The information that follows explains the accessibility features on this website and all others created by us. If you are person with a disability and require information on how to find, use or adapt your computer to allow easier access to the internet, we recommend the excellent AbilityNet website.
Our websites are:
- Designed to meet all the accessibility guidelines in the US (e.g. 508 document)
- The UK D.D.A
- Publicly Available Specification (PAS)
- We create websites and CSS that validate to web standards and document type. If we deem accessibility features required by a site conflict with web standards we will will always choose to provide access solutions rather than inaccessible but validated websites
- The main body of our websites always aim for AAA Priority 3 at Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 1 (WCAG1)
- Our goal is always to fulfil the same high standard at Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2 (WCAG2)
- If AAA conformance is not possible to supply (usually because of reliance on a third party) we provide a conformance requirement 4 solution
- Where the technology does not exist or is slow to synchronize with accessibility needs (such as Flash), we always provide accessible alternatives as standard
- After our design process, the main body of our websites pass a minimum of 4 automated accessibility checks to AAA, Priority 3. We acknowledge these automated checks are just the start of accessibility and we re-enforce these by a determination and care in visually checking and testing our sites on a range of browsers, sized platforms, screen resolutions, speech and other adaptive technology software and colour/ contrast testing
- Whist we still rely on third-party content management systems, some minor areas (usually dynamic formatting or dynamic Flash generation) may still fall short of our primary goal of AAA accessibility on every page. However, we are working hard customizing where we can and working with both the software and programmers to improve this
- Some web elements (such as Flash) are particularly challenging when trying to improve accessibility. If the client requests the use of techniques and software where the technology lags behind accessibility we provide accessible alternatives as standard
- As well as our chief designer (who is disabled) we have a further team of people with a wide range of disabilities (and who use a range of adapted technologies and speech readers) who we ask for feedback on our sites
Another fundamental remit of Access-by Design is that we do hand over full management of the sites to our clients (once they are finished) and although we train them in the importance of keeping to our accessibility guidelines – sometimes they do forget.
- If you do find any mistakes or experience any accessibility issues with this website or any others created by Access- by Design – please alert Access -by Design immediately so we can help our clients fix it.
