Accessibility Features - Technical information
The following steps have been taken to improve and promote website accessibility:
XHTML and CSS
These pages are created using XHTML 1.0 Strict DTD and pages are validated using the W3C’s XHTML and CSS validators.
Markup
- Markup is written to conform to the XHTML 1.0 Strict DTD
- Whist we rely on third party content management systems we cannot guarantee all dynamically generated formating will be 100% compliant although we are working hard with the software/companies involved to improve this. Please see notes on web standards for more details. At Access- by Design we aim for valid web standards as a crucial base point AND then aim for full accessibility but we do sometimes have to make hard choices.
- The markup on this site aims to separate content from presentation.
- Pages are validated using the W3C’s validators with limitations (see above)
- As or clients take over the management of our websites, they are taught to use correct mark-up but naturally, some mistakes may occur. Please contact us or the client whose website you are viewing if you experience any problems.
Design
- A plain language approach is taken for all general content.
- When our clients take over the management of our websites, they are taught to use accessible web techniques but naturally, some mistakes may occur. Please contact us or the client if you experience any problems.
- We create content that is flexible and can be presented in a wide variety of different ways and using multiple technologies
- We always try to provide ways to help users with disabilities navigate, find content and determine where they are on the site
- We use foreground and background positively to aid clarity for assistive technologies and general understanding
- “Jump” links have been added to aid quick navigation for speech reader users, keyboard-only users and mobile phone users.
- Stylesheets are used to handle layout and presentation and printing.
- Separate stylesheets are used to help provide ‘instant’ viewing options
- Extensive browser and user testing has been undertaken.
- CSS (Styles) will not work older browsers. However content is displayed in the correct order, is fully legible and all page elements are visible.
- Page elements are fully flexible.
- We aim to make all functionality available from a keyboard only. Where (such as Flash) the technology lags behind we provide accessible alternatives.
- All text is resizeable.
- Sadly, whist we rely on some third part suppliers some dynamic areas on a minority of sites cannot be resized without browser intervention.
- Text alternatives are provided for important non-text content
- No device-dependent markup is used.
- A simple and consistent approach to navigation is used.
- All images are optimised. Clients are taught how to optimise their own images.
- Text within images are used as little as possible. Where unavoidable (such as Logo’s) Alt attributes and/or ‘d’ tags and/or descriptions are used. Clients are taught this technique
- All images have been assigned ALT attributes. Clients are taught this technique
- Tables are only used for data and marked-up. Clients are taught this technique
- Frames are not used
- All information conveyed with colour is also available without colour
- The LABEL element is used to explicitly associate form inputs with their controls wherever possible.
- Some third-party dynamically generated elements may be poorly marked-up but we are working hard to identify and rectify this.
- No flickering or blinking movement is used on pages.
- If we do use animations or movement we provide users with disabilities enough time to read and use content and try to carefully comply with time specifications for changing images in regards to photo-sensitive epilepsy.
- We provide accessible alternative to multimedia where appropriate and where possible, also provide synchronized alternatives for multimedia.
- Our websites are also coded to take off colours and styles to produce printer-friendly pages automatically when you print out pages
