We don’t mean that will pop your website url into some random, automated accessibility test and provide you with a simultaneously vague, yet cryptic list concerning such oddities as mark-up and user-agents. We mean that you website will be tested by (gasp) a REAL person who  then provide you with simple and effective ways to improve any problem areas your site may have.

This is offer is NOT for Access-by Design clients (who ought to already be pretty accessible unless our company needs a serious name change) but for ANY businesses and individual with a website. We are not offering this to filch other designers clients, get you onto our mailing list or find some dodgy way of making you pay us some money for ‘extras’.  This is something we do all year round (usually for £50) but if you have read anything on this website, you will know that we care and hope for a FULLY ACCESSIBLE internet one day. This little gift might help a few more website do that…

We GUARANTEE we can improve accessibility on your website!

Our Accessibility audits;

• Are quality assured by trained, certified professionals.
• follow their code(s) of conduct set out by The Guild of Accessible Web Designers to whom Access – By Design are proud to belong
• follow stringent worldwide accessibility guidelines and international web standards, many of which have been in place for over eight years .
• use some automated testing but are primarily manual checks  ALWAYS carried out by an real person as auditor.
• Audits are either carried out by or secondarily checked by a REAL disabled person  who either uses assistive technologies to view the website or who have a disability that significantly affects their use of computers and browsing the internet

• This audit is often all a small to medium website needs to significantly improve the access on their website.
• The audit is usually up to 500 words which outlines the major areas with accessibility issues and also your accessibility strengths.
• Unlike most audits we also look at your website capability to perform on the newest technologies such as PDAs, mobile phones and internet enabled TV and Games Consoles.
• These Overview Audits are created for you to pass on to your web designer or implement yourself.

PLEASE NOTE:

• We do not make any changes to your website for you.
• Please advise us whether the improvements will be carried out by a trained web practitioner or a talented amateur web designer so that the wording of the audit can be delivered appropriately.

This offer is only valid up until 31st December 2009! Contact us today on 01243 514454.

• More details about our accessibility audits can be found via this link →
  

The presentation covered the four primary website  problems businesses identify as the most critcial;

• My website content is out of date…
• My website is nowhere on Google…
• My website doesn’t always work…
• My products/services don’t sell online…

We have added the Powerpoint presentation here which offers help and solutions to these problems – please see the notes for more information.  We can also provide this information in audio format on request.

• Powerpoint (pptx) for users of Word 2007+
• Powerpoint (ppt) for users of Word  97-2003
• Plain Text Transcript

If you have any problems with your website – why not call us today to see if we can advise you. We also offer for accessibility audits  will REAL help and advice to make you website more accessible and ‘disability friendly’.  Contact us on 01243 514454.

Getting more business from your Website.

Website problems and how to resolve them.

Presentation created by Clive and Jess Loseby ©2009 Access-by Design (www.access-bydesign.com) Distribution allowed only for non-profit and with full accreditation please.

Common Problems 1- 4

• My website content is out of date…
• My website is no-where on Google…
• My website doesn’t always work…
• My products/services don’t sell online…

These are the four main problems identified by the business community that effect the performance, capability and effectiveness of their website.

Problem #1: My website content is out of date.

If your website is out of date – find a way of editing SOMETHING.

Ideally, you would have a dynamic website that you could edit yourself, but if not there are other ways of adding new content – even if you are not ‘allowed’ to make changes to your website yourself.

• Get a blog – there are lots of free blogging portals that can be added (almost) seamlessly to any website so you can add news and events yourself.
• Use social networking. All sites such as facebook, twitter and myspace allow you to make ‘badges’ so people can visit your page and talk to you.
• Use online image portals such as flicker or video such as youtube. All can be added as links or attachments to your website.
• Add testimonials – add via a blog, mailinglist or free guestbook. People buy services from business they trust.
• There are many newsletters and/or mailing lists available (often free) to keep clients up-to-date with products and services. You can refer to your website via links to highlight key areas/products.

Dos & Don’ts when using additional features such as social networking and free are:

• Keep it Professional. Only use a personal blog if your personal activities are relevant to your business – you have a reputation to maintain which can be shattered by a misguided ‘joke’ posted by a ‘friend’. Also remember that most social networking site carry adverts – some may directly contradict your company ethos or even be by your competitors!
• Keep it Focused. You might well ‘be’ your business but your customer will probably still not want to see pictures of your last holiday or read ‘funny’ comments left by your friends.
• Think about Longevity. Nothing looks worse than an out of date news page or blog. Only start something if you KNOW you have the time to keep it going.

Problem #2 My website is no-where on Google.

People tend to forget that Google is a business too and it wants to look GOOD. Any search engine is only as good as its results. It tailors its own search index criteria too look for websites that will show how effective IT is as a search engine. If you don’t give it want it needs – you won’t make the front page. Google looks for four main aspects to a website. Presently these are:

• relevancy
• traffic
• activity
• and classification.

So – why SHOULD Google visit your website? Give it a reason!

Reason #1) You have added a new entry to your blog.

• Every time you add a blog entry Google revisits your website (providing it has been set up correctly, of course).
• Blogs talk about your business in a way that can be clearly identified as relevant.
• Blogs create activity and traffic.

Reason #2) Your RSS Feeds.

• RSS feeds show Google your website updates regularly.
• RSS feeds help contextualise your business within a global/national market.
• RSS create activity, traffic and classification.

Reason #3) Google sees that people are using your links as a general resource.

• Links create communities and customers.
• Well selected links classify and legitimize you by contextualisation and association.
• Links create activity and traffic.

Reason #4)

Google identifies your site as have interesting, well labelled images.

• Images have the same properties as textual content (Only if ‘alt’ tag is used).
• Images classify and contextualise by descriptions.
• Images can be ‘tagged’ which create relevancy and are independently searchable.

Google Dos and Don’ts are;

1) Keep Professional.

• Don’t use methods such as ‘squeeze’ pages, javascript redirects to ‘bump up’ your hits, auto refreshing pages, multiple ‘copy and paste’ for extra content or spam people with ‘news’ emails or you WILL be marked down by Google.

2) Keep Focused.

• If you use Adsense, make sure you choose adverts that are relevant to you.
• Don’t use single words as meta tags. Think about relevant phrases instead.
• Don’t overuse keywords/phrases. or you WILL be marked down by Google.

3) Think about Longevity.

• Do check links regularly as websites change and delete pages all the time,
• check RSS feeds are working regularly
• and don’t take on a Blog if you can’t keep it up-to-date or you WILL be marked down by Google.

Problem #3 My website doesn’t always work.

Problems with websites are often caused by incompatibility.

Not only are there lots of internet browsers now – there are lots of versions too.

Most websites are only designed to work on one version of Internet Explorer – but there a 3 versions in high use in the UK and they are very different. Other popular browsers in common use are;

• Safari
• (Mozilla) Firefox
• Google Chrome
• Opera
• Flock (watch out for that last one as it is created for social networking addicts and set to be a big hit.).

There are usually around 3 versions of each browser in use at any one time. Are you sure your website works on these? This chart usually makes businesses scared.

Be VERY scared!

The following is a list of browsers/internet ready devices that are in common use in the UK.

Web Browsers:

• Internet Explorer 6-8.
• Mozilla Firefox (3 versions)
• Safari (3 versions)
• Opera (3 versions)
• Google Chrome (Beta).

On mobile devices the most used browsers are;

• Windows Mobile
• Safari Mobile
• Opera (SSR – Small Screen Rendering)
• Firefox Mobile (Beta)

plus a range of brand-specific browsers such as;

• Polaris
• JB5,
• BOLT
• Blazer
• Skyfire.

Monitor screens now range from;

• 1280 x1024+ / Widescreen  – which is the currently the most commonly used monitor size in the UK
• 1024 x 868+ which has previously been standard screen size across all age groups,
• 800 x 600 which still covers between 10 and 20% of internet users in the UK and all new Netbooks
• 640×480 – which is estimated to still effect between 1-5% of UK internet users but vitally, is STILL the default resolution on low-end screens such as those used by patients in hospitals and within the public sector departments.

As well as these screen sizes and resolutions, most mobile web devices display web pages on portrait NOT landscape screens.

Other new considerations include;

• Internet enabled HD-TV (often powered by Yahoo)
• Internet enabled Sky + boxes
• Internet enabled Wii and X-Box 360
• Wireless internet enabled games consoles such as Nintendo DS, PSP and Ipod Touch.

(PS there are 40+ other web browsers in common use not mentioned here…)

How to make your website work on everything!

The good news is there is one complete solution.

The best (and possibly, only) way of making your website work on all these browsers and devices is to adopt modern and word wide web standards which cover design and accessibility across all technologies – both now and those that may emerge in the future.

• The most well known of these is called WC3 Guidelines (Word Wide Web Consortium) , which in spite of being published over 8 years ago, are still widely ignored.
• The second are the WCAG, which are the Word Wide Web Consortium Accessibility Guidelines, which promote web accessibility
• Lastly is Web 2.0 – which separates how a website looks from its content, enabling and encouraging worldwide distribution and freedom to access information – whatever you are using to view that information.

Many business (and sadly, even web designers) do that think that the either the demand or need is there to adopt these accessible web design techniques. However, it is precisely these techniques which ALSO allow your website to be viewed all the browsers and platforms we previously listed.

Why limit who can see your websites and buy your products and services simply because your website doesn’t work? Don’t settle for second best – ask your designer to adopt accessible web design techniques.

Problem #4: My Products/Services don’t sell online.

To identify what your products or services are not selling online its often easiest to look at successful e-commerce websites and ask yourself what makes them different to you?

Research has identified four solid facts about successful online shops all have to do with the clients ‘shopping experience’.

1) Clients feel safe and secure.

Research has shown that If a client;

• feels they have left the website they were on;
• feels that their personal details may be unsafe;
• can’t clearly see confirmation of what they have bought (and when it will be delivered BEFORE paying)
• can’t easily get help if they get stuck during the shopping or checkout process ;

that they will stop and leave the shop.

2) Clients feel calm and at ease.

If a client feels at all;

• unsure
• panicked
• frustrated due to slowness or complexity of the process

then they will leave the website (even at the very last stage of checkout).

Check your shopping experience from start to finish on a someone else’s unfamiliar computer – would YOU buy from you?

3) Client can see clearly what they are buying.

Images on many web shops are terrible!

• Look at eBay to see images by the most popular sellers.
• Look at the ‘big boys’ shops and how easy the image options they offer are.
• Contact your manufacturer – most will provide high quality images free for web distribution.

4) Clients feel they have options.

Successful online shops usually have most(if not all) of the following options:

• visible contact information;
• an FAQ or Help page;
• optional telephone payment;
• one-click buying option;
• optional account sign-up;
• instant email confirmation and shipping details;
• instant, accurate stock information;
• pictures of their products IN the shopping cart;
• multiple shipping/Postage options.

Check your shop site and make sure you follow these examples of good practice.

In conclusion.

To resolve your website problems take the following action:

• Help clients FIND you
• Make clients feel WELCOME
• Make clients feel SAFE
• Make clients feel INTERESTED
• PROVIDE clients with the ability to choose you and your services.

For any help and advice with what you have read here, please contact Clive Loseby on 01243 514454

©Access-byDesign 2009

• In this article the <> around the mark up has been removed so it does not get applied to the text.

Although, with more designers adopting Web 2.0 principles, the idea that a document structure only has one main heading h1 has ‘sunk in’ (with a co-sponsoring dramatic drop in designers using h1 purely to change the text size) h2 elements are still used, even on the most accessible of pages, as general and multiple mark-up to indicate not a second heading but  any subheadings on the page or to simply make a title bigger. A webpage with several divided areas might have several h2 elements as a title.

Quite simply, this is a basic misunderstanding between the structural mark-up and semantics. A second heading (mark-up) is the second heading of the document content e.g:

h1 A New Look at Web Accessibility /h1
h2 How correct use of mark-up aids understanding of content. /h2

• Remind yourself of  why Web 2.0 is important by watching the video below:

[youtube]6gmP4nk0EOE[/youtube]

Instead Most designers are using h2 as general ”secondary” heading e.g.

h1 This Look at Common Web Design /h1

h2 The Use of Html/h2
p Some writing on html /p
h2 The Advantages of PHP /h2
p Some Writing on php /p
h2 Accessibility and the use of Headings /h2
p Some writing on this subject/p

If it is used multiply on a page an h2 becomes simply a secondary heading or a subheading – all equal. This confuses the user whose browser of assistive technology uses mark-up to aid document comprehension. These elements become irrelevant and the user is unable to gain any indication or item priority or document structure or navigation from their use. It is also confusing for the designer. If the all h2 are equal, where and why do we use h3 or h4..?

To keep a document structure clean and its visual design separate use h2 only if it really is a second heading. For lots of secondary headings (i.e separate titles to areas) use other methods mainly, CSS colour, size or capitalisation and hidden navigational aids or (where accurate and appropriate) the title=”" tag.

A well-worded, textual title or CSS hidden navigational element used to identify page areas and navigation can be invaluable to everyone from those using screen-readers or even those using mobile phone that have a non-standard mobile browser.

We offer training for clients, designers and bespoke accessible design packages for members of the public, businesses and organisations.

Additional client training sessions are usually 1 hour and can be booked in groups of up to 5.

Titles include;

• Create your own online forms (clients only)
• Create your own interactive galleries (clients only)
• Make your images web friendly (Open to all)
• An introduction to basic  web accessibility (Open to all)
• Adding audio to you website (clients only)
• Additional Web Training (topic of choice)
• How to take better digital pictures (Open to all)
• An introduction to Photoshop
• An introduction to Flash
• An introduction to Flash Video
• An introduction to Video Editing
• An introduction to DVD creation
• An introduction to interactive CD Creation

Seminars and workshops are led by Clive and Jess Loseby, who  are confident and friendly speakers with  national and international experience of leading seminars and workshops for ages two to eighty years! Both have been invited to speak at business platforms,  conferences  and forums of every size, from small groups  to gatherings of as many as five hundred people.

Jess is a respected digital art and media trainer  who has worked as senior associated lecturer  and visiting lecturer in a number of universities and academic conferences and widely across schools in Sussex and Hampshire speaking on  disability awareness for KS1,2 and 3.

We are fortunate to have the use of a fantastic conference area which can provide training and workshop facilities (including PCs and internet access) in Hampshire where we can present bespoke seminars and workshops primarily based around  understanding  accessibility and the internet.

These presentations and/or workshops are useful and informative across a wide range of business, community and academic settings including;

• An introduction to basic  web accessibility
• Accessible techniques, language and attitudes for data entry for the web
• Helping local authorities  to ensure web accessibility
• Parish Councils and accessible community websites
• Accessible web techniques for school websites – teachers and/or administrators
• Helping teachers support accessible web design techniques and language with children (KS2 and 3)
• Accessible techniques for use on community websites
• Accessibility websites and charities
• How to meet  and exceed your legal accessibility obligations for accessibility on you website
• Business websites and the DDA
• Accessible design and marketing – how to reach your maximum audience.
• Accessible web techniques for students studying entry level web design (KS2-MA level)
• Accessible web design for people and small businesses who design and run their own websites
• How to combine visuals and text online to aid understanding of concepts and programmes.
• How to provide cheap but effective alternative media for people with visual or audio needs.
• How to be dyslexia friendly in web and print.
• How to use inclusive language in your web  writings.
• How to use inclusive language in your printed material.
• “Why make my website accessible?” The BIG question.
• “I don’t have disabled customers”. Web accessibility and the small business.

We also offer software and web techiques including;

• How to take better digital pictures
• Make your images web friendly for use on your website
• An introduction to Photoshop
• An introduction to Flash
• An introduction to Flash Video
• An introduction to Video Editing
• An introduction to DVD creation
• An introduction to interactive CD Creation

These are just a few titles that we have found helpful when training local business, community groups and students. However, all seminars and workshops are bespoke and we are happy to discuss any of your ideas for disability training and the internet.

Prices are individual but start from £500. Contact us for an informal chat today on 01243 514454!

Yesterday I went to the CUTEC conference here in Cambridge which provided a forum for encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship. One of the major themes this year was around social responsibility and empowering individuals – big aims for a room of techies and ambitious PhD students. In particular cloud computing was very much viewed as the way forward and the democratisation of information and accessibility to services – resulting, for example, in the wife of one panelist being able to get real time advice on breast feeding at 4am from other mothers via her iPhone. In this context I was interested to see that the French courts have refused to uphold a new law allowing officials to cut off the internet connection of persistent online infringers.

The Constitutional Court held that only a court could do that – on the basis that access to online services is a human right. That’s the first time I’ve heard of internet access being referred to as a human right, and I question whether an English court would reach the same view – and clearly on one level it’s not in the same league as the rights to life, to freedom of thought and religious beliefs. But there were many inspirational (as well as aspirational) stories at the CUTEC conference about precisely this issue – that internet and mobile technologies do change lives and communities; that widespread access to and democratisation of services could be the catalyst for social change and improvement in developing nations. I suspect there’s a fundamental tension here between the increasing attempts to regulate the online world (with admitedly varying degrees of success) and the desire to fully exploit its potential and enable people all over the world participate in the online revolution. ”

Posted by Sarah on June 12, 2009 at 09:59 AM

Sadly, in web practice there is widespread confusion in web designers and internet agencies between validating to web standards (e.g. WC3 document type) and web accessibility guidleness (e.g.WCAG) with many self proclaimed ‘accessibility’ advisors and ‘automatic’ accessibility checks offering the misleading advice that, if a page validates it is automatically accessible – and if it doesn’t validate it is not accessible.

This mis-information echos the loophole that occurred when the word ‘reasonable’ was applied to physical accessibility requirements (cited in the DDA and Part ‘M’ of the building regulations). With websites, WC3 validation creates a ‘loophole’ where passing validation becomes an excuse to ignore obviously inaccessible web features – from unmarked tables to device dependant ‘eye candy’.

• Websites should always be built to validate to web standards
• Websites should always aim to pass Priority 3 accessibility as defined in the WCAG even though this is more than than UK  law asks for
• Where there is a conflict between validation and web accessibility, web designers should defer to accessibility
• Where third-party tools are used that make a page invalid or inaccessible, web designers should alert the creators, clearly outlining the accessibility problems and request the problems to be resolved.  This should be done with a donation for the third-parties time.
• Some needs of disabilities contradict each other. Designer must understand that they ‘cannot please everyone’ – whist still aiming to ‘please everyone.

• How do we give you CONTROL?

By being innovators of what are called ‘Dynamic ‘websites. Forget HTML and tables!

• What does that mean?

We design you a great contemporary website. Then, because it is ‘Dynamic’ we can train YOU how to run it yourself with NO web design or prior technical knowledge needed and NO need for software or courses – only an internet connection.

• Why does that help my business?

Managing your website helps you beat the “credit crunch” by removing large website maintenance fees.

NO more waiting for busy designers to update your site at extra cost.

ADD new pages and images to your site as quickly as sending an email.

Jump into easy E-Commerce – fast and secure!

Link up to your Facebook page or Ebay shop and see how quickly your company grows.

• Why are we called ACCESS – by design? Isn’t all web design the same?
  

Sadly not all web design is GOOD design – no matter how pretty it may look. Whist looking for a way to make websites disability-friendly, we realised that accessible design helped EVERYONE. Now we are industry leaders!

Dynamic web design techniques allow our websites to work on anything:- PCs, Apple Macs, laptops, netbooks, mobile phones, iphones, Blackberrys and PDAs, all the way up to HD TVs!

• Why does it matter that my website works on all those things?

Our websites also work with all of the popular browsers because you don’t know what people will be using to look at your website. Believe us, if it doesn’t work for them, they won’t be back in the future! We work to global web standards and are top-level ‘disability friendly’ too!

• What about Google and other search engines?

We have fantastic search engine results for our clients, our unique dynamic SEO techniques mean that all of your pages are working for you round the clock to bring in traffic to your website. ALL our clients score over 80% in an international, independent SEO ranking.

• Won’t all this make my website slow?

If we hosted our websites the way most web design companies do, yes.  Your website would be slow because your website would be sharing the server with hundreds (if not thousands) of other websites.  Access – by Design is different. We invested in  our  own dedicated server, which is actually in Maidenhead, sitting right on the ‘electronic backbone ‘of the country for super-fast connection speed and response time. We only host for our clients and we don’t share with anyone! Think of it like taking a toll road –   you pay a little  to be on it but you get  the ability to go as fast as you like and you get to jump the traffic jams too.

Because we own our server, you also get a phenomenal amount of information about your site visitors’ statistics, tracking everyone who visits your website – even down to what they typed into the search engine that led them to you. Our servers are monitored  by real people, 24 hours a day and we get hourly reports  here in the Chichester office to check speed, security and status. Your website is also backed up every day, every week and every month so you have the added security that your information is in safe hands.

• Doesn’t all this mean Access – by Design sites are expensive?

We promise you will be amazed at how reasonable our quotes are and also how much you get for your money. We don’t ‘do’ hidden charges. By removing maintenance fees and ongoing costs most companies find they save hundreds of pounds a year by switching to Access – by Design.  Our hosting fee  is a little bit higher than some (think of the toll road example above) but when you see what benefit hosting on a dedicated server brings, you’ll wish you had made the change years ago.

• What about ethical buying?

We are please to say we don’t cut our costs or your quality by outsourcing our coding to Eastern Europe or Asia. We strongly advise businesses to avoid design houses who do. At Access-by Design you have your own personal designer whom you can phone, email and meet in person at our office.

We will work with you to create a contemporary, flexible website that presents you to the world wide web in your best light! Talk to us today on 01243 514454.

Access by Design – proud to do things differently!

However, we have identified one of the most common problems that can make a real difference to your websites accessibility – that is how you create links (hyperlinks) with your website text. This is mainly an accessibility issue but it does also help people that are less confident with using the internet – statistically that is older users.

The key thing to remember is this:

Please make sure that the link makes sense – even in isolation/ out of context.

For example, when you create a link most people use the following technique:

• Please see HERE for more information

1. This is incorrect as the world “here” does not make sense in isolation.  It says here but Where IS here? WHAT is here?
2. Please try to create links where the WHOLE link makes sense e.g.

• Please see here for more information about this subject
• Or
• Follow this link for more information about what I am talking about  in this  section

This method makes it easier for;

• hesitate users to IDENTIFY the link;
• helps people using trackerballs or less precise mouse alternatives to SELECT a link;
• makes sense for people using speech readers to READ links in isolation (often using a different “voice” than the main text.)

Remember a little accessibility goes a LONG way in getting your website noticed…