[gui-talk] Fwd: Article: Most websites' failing disabled

[Steve Pattison]

>From: Anna Saxon-Taylor annast at netspeed.com.au
>To: VIP-L vip-l at softspeak.com.au
>
>'Most websites' failing disabled
>Most of the leading websites around the world are failing to provide 
>the most basic accessibility standards for people with disabilities.
>Ninety seven percent of websites did not provide even minimum levels 
>of accessibility, a new survey has found.
>
>Accessibility agency Nomensa tested the leading websites in five 
>different sectors across 20 countries
>
>Only three websites, including the British Prime Minister's site, 
>achieved the minimum standards.
>
>The report, commissioned by the United Nations as part of its 
>International Day of Disabled Persons, will make depressing reading 
>for anyone committed to the idea of equal web access for all.
>
>Multiple failings
>
>
>     KEY SHORTFALLS
>      93% failed to provide adequate text descriptions for graphics
>      73% relied on JavaScript for important functionality
>      78% used colours with poor contrast, causing issues for those 
> with colour blindness
>      98% did not follow industry web standards for the programming code
>      97% did not allow people to alter or resize pages
>      89% offered poor page navigation
>      87% used pop-ups causing problems for those using screen 
> magnification software
>
>"This is a global failure and we are very disappointed with the 
>results," said Alex Metcalfe, head of client services at Nomensa.
>
>He added: "It is important for commercial, legal and moral reasons 
>that websites put in place a strategy for accessibility, both in 
>terms of quick wins and longer term improvements."
>
>Nomensa tested representative websites from five key sectors - 
>travel, retail, banking, government and media.
>
>In the UK, the websites looked at included Marks & Spencer, Lloyds 
>TSB, British Airways and The Guardian.
>
>The BBC's website was not included in the survey.
>
>The British Prime Minster's sites alongside the Spanish government 
>site and the German Chancellor's site were the only three to conform 
>to the most basic standards.
>
>In order to reach the minimum standards - tested against the Web 
>Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) - websites needed to provide 
>adequate text descriptions for graphical content so that visually 
>impaired people could 'read' pictures. 93% of the websites failed to 
>meet those guidelines.
>
>A further 73% failed to make the grade because of their reliance on 
>JavaScript for some of the website's functionality. JavaScript does 
>not work with some screen readers used by those with impaired vision.
>
>Ninety eight percent did not follow industry web standards for 
>programming code, meaning the foundations for web accessibility 
>simply were not there.
>
>Time to talk
>
>
>     Building dull, technically compliant websites is easy but 
> building commercially successful sites that are also accessible is not,
>      Mark Gristock, Foviance
>
>Mark Gristock, marketing director of usability firm Foviance, is 
>unsurprised by the results.
>
>"This is the same results we always get. The guidelines have been in 
>place for seven years but they aren't actually checkpoints so people 
>can interpret them in a variety of ways. What is needed is practical 
>advice about what happens when you build a website.
>
>"Building dull, technically compliant websites is easy but building 
>commercially successful sites that are also accessible is not," he said.
>
>It was time to share examples of good practice so that web 
>developers could start incorporating accessibility into the design 
>of websites, he suggested
>
>"Accessibility consultants and organisations for the disabled clutch 
>their knowledge of user requirements to them like they are the key 
>to future profits - which indeed they are.
>
>"If they had any interest in raising standards, they would be 
>sharing their findings with the world and opening dialogue with the 
>design and business community about how best to integrate techniques 
>with standard processes," he said.
>
>The World Health Organisation estimates that there are around 600 
>million disabled people worldwide, which represents about 10% of the 
>world's population. Of these, around 80% are believed to live in 
>developing countries.
>
>The countries surveyed by Nomensa were Argentina, Australia, Brazil, 
>Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, 
>Morocco, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, United Arab 
>Emirates, United Kingdom and United States of America.
>
>Story from BBC NEWS:
>http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/technology/6210068.stm
>
>Published: 2006/12/05 13:12:10 GMT
>
>Cheers, Anna

Regards Steve
Email:  srp at internode.on.net
Skype:  steve1963
MSN Messenger:  internetuser383 at hotmail.com