Not Just Text

Making the Web Accessible

Tom Worthington FACS

Visiting Fellow, Department of Computer Science, Australian National University, Canberra

This document is Version 1.0 – 6 September 2000: http://www.tomw.net.au/2000/njt.html

Topics

  1. The SCOG Olympic Web Site: All that glitters is not gold.
  2. Accessibility Traps: It is not just plain text
  3. What Works: Consider the client and start simple
  4. Getting Found with Search Engines: Register early and often
  5. Making Audio and Video Accessible: Diversity leads to accessibility
  6. Make the Application Simple: 40 minutes to install a useless ATO digital certificate.


The SOCOG Olympic Web Site: All that glitters is not gold.

Complaint Between Maguire and SOCOG, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission:


Accessibility Traps: It is not just plain text

Accessibility Guidelines, such as those of W3C, cover more than accessibility for the blind and there are more and better solutions than just building a text only option.




What Works: Consider the client and start simple

Slavishly following the accessibility guidelines and passing the Bobby tests will not necessarily produce a good result. You need to consider the needs of the clients and perhaps reconsider what it is you want to present.




Getting Found with Search Engines: Register early and often

Include the metadata that search engines want and register the pages as soon as they are ready. Make sure you don't have a "robots noindex" setting on the web site keeping the search engines away. Consider registering in other languages.


Making Audio and Video Accessible: Diversity leads to accessibility

Consider providing subtitles and a script available as a supplement for audio and video material. Still images with audio can be a good alternative to video.


Make the Application Simple: 40 minutes to install a useless ATO digital certificate.

Rather than provide excellent training material, simplify the process. As an example ATO has issued excellent training material for the digital certificates for for their Internet based e-commerce system. However, the system is still extremely difficult to use, of limited practical value and will most likely be abandoned within a few months. A simple web based system would be more than adequate, as used for ASIC's eRegisters. Confidentiality would be via SSL, with non-repudiation and authentication by matching payments through the separate financial network system.




This material was prepared for presentation to a Federal Government agency in September 2000, delivered using Internet based videoconference. Comments, suggestions for additions and invitations for presentation in person or via the Internet welcome.

Further Information

    Comments and corrections to: webmaster@tomw.net.au

    Copyright © Tom Worthington 2000.