Accessible Web Design - Automatic for the people?
In the quest to stand out from the crowd in the debates about Section 508, P.A.S. 78 and WCAG, it seems to me that one crucial component of the whole accessibility issue has been sidelined by an increasing number of self-proclaimed (self-important?) specialists advocating automatic means of compliance testing for the various aspects of accessible web design and implementation.
The one thing which many of these intrepid 'authorities' seem to have completely overlooked is the user.
Whilst it is all very well using Watchfire's Bobby or an equivalent tool to check the accessibility compliance of a page or site, few within this new generation of 'accessibility specialists' seem ready to acknowledge that only a fraction of the recommendations set down by European, U.S. and W3C guidelines are actually verifiable by automatic means.
It naturally follows that the only true means of ensuring a site's accessibility is to submit it to a live audience for testing.
On the face of it this may seem like an utterly unrealistic proposition fraught with financial and logistical implications; something so unfit for general implementation, as to be rejected out of hand without a second glance.
Indeed, ignoring corporate or government sectors with their comparatively large budgets which at least make the addition of an 'accessibility field-testing' staff a reasonable proposition, just how could truly accessible web design and implementation be brought within reach of small and mid-size companies and organisations on the internet?
For mid-size operations, one relatively cost effective means would be to bring in one of the growing number of accessibility consultants now operating, largely in the United States, although if this route is to be taken I should recommend the use of a company owned and operated by disabled persons, rather than one of the growing number of corporate entities simply wishing to cash in on this relatively new market sector.
Be that as it may, this still leaves a seemingly endless host of small, internet based companies and organisations out in the cold, so to speak, since their budgets simply cannot support the expense incurred by the use of such consultants.
The obvious answer, although one which seems to have occurred to few of those involved in the web accessibility debate, would be for the various disability charities and associations to take a direct hand in these matters.
If organisations such as the NFB, the RNIB and others were to offer an accessibility testing service operated by their members, the disabled users themselves, in return for a nominal charge, not only could funds be raised for these respective organisations, but truly accessible web design could finally be brought within reach of small-time internet concerns.
Ultimately, smaller operators account for an overwhelming proportion of commercial web sites on the internet, yet these same sites are likely to be affected the most once disability discrimination legislation finally becomes a fact of life on the internet.
And although concrete legislation is still a relatively distant prospect, recent court cases, such as judgment against Target.com in the Californian courts, amply demonstrate that such laws are already looming on the horizon.
Surely the time to address the issue of accessible web design for smaller companies should be now, rather than in a blind panic (pardon the pun) six months before new laws are due to come into effect.
About the Author
As an accomplished writer with well over ten years of experience, Sasch Mayer currently works under contract to IceGiant Web Design in Cyprus.
Aside from a wide range of quality web services, the IceGiant web site also provides a large number of articles containing hints, tips and general information about selling on the internet.