Overview
Access-by Design is committed 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 been 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 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 other created by Access- by Design - please alert Access -by Design immediately so we can help our clients fix it.
