Roger Ellis
Director, Future Fisheries

• 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

Web accessibility is no longer just for ‘disabled websites’.  If you have a website, you MUST try and adhere to basic web accessibility guidelines and web standards* . The ‘disabled pound’ is worth £80 billion – your business simply cannot afford to discriminate online – even if you were not aware you were!

We can audit your website for you.

• Access – By Design accessibility audits are quality assured by trained, certified professionals.
• Access – By Design are proud to belong to The Guild of Accessible Web Designers and follow their code(s) of conduct.
• Access audits follow stringent worldwide accessibility guidelines and international web standards, many of which have been in place for over eight years .
• Audits do use some automated testing but manual checks are 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

We offer two kinds of audit:

• The Overview Audit.

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 HD TV. These Overview Audits are created for you to pass on to your web designer or implement yourself.  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.

• Access – by Design Full Audit.

This is a full investigation of your website with a complete check across all three main accessibility priority areas with practical and realistic advice on how issues can be fixed or accessible alternatives provided . Unlike most audits we also look at your website capability to perform on the newest technologies such as PDAs, mobile phones and HD TV. We do not make any changes to your website for you but we are explicit (even to code line number) as to where the issue is and accessible web techniques to use instead. 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.

*These are NOT the same thing and do not ensure accessibility or web compliance in their own right.

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 766399.

Access by Design – proud to do things differently!

We think these elements are top of the list as to why our websites are different to all the others out there.

• Firstly, you run your website yourself. If you can send an email you or anyone in your company can do it without any special software – just an internet connection . Why pay some who knows nothing about you and your business to run the most global department of your company?
• Becuase all you need is an intenet you can run your website from anywhere. How about the train on the way home by ‘Web  ‘n’ Walk’ on your laptop? Or perhaps you want to ad an urgent newsflash  to your website by changing your homepage using your mobile phone! If you or your staff need flexible working hours ALL of you can be updating areas of the website ALL AT THE SAME TIME, from home, from the office or even from another country.  Our websites are truely flexible and mobile.
• Our SEO rating is currenty 93% for our websites. What does that mean?  Basically, that the Search Engine Optimisation facilities that we use AS STANDARD get your website found in the page-ranking race. You simply do not need to pay out again for another company to get your website found on the internet
• Our websites are always written to web standards but also employ multiple visible and ‘behind the scenes ‘ aids that allow users with disabilities access to your information and/or service and products
• All our themes are tested by REAL people – both able bodies and disabled.  Although we use some automated testing when checking our sites meet the HIGHEST access standards, we also actually test them ALL individually.
• All our themes have also been tested on everything we can lay our hands on – from the most beaten up pc with a small  low resolution monitor to the most state-of-the-art phone with  mobile broadband and small screen rendering.  Our websites, work.
• With our websites, you don’t get great, contemporary designs – you get the design YOU want (not the one your designer thinks you should have)  AND a local team of friendly faces that will support and  guide you though training and getting your business online, no matter what your level of IT skills are. We never ‘abandon’ our clients. We are always here to help and grow the online sector of your business as fast (or as slowly) as you want to.

Any of that sound good to you? Call us today for a no obligation quote on 01243 514454