by | July 5, 2010 · 5:07 pm

Twelve steps to an accessible web site. Hiring the right web company

For many organisations, especially small ones, building a new web site can be a daunting prospect. Hiring the right web company is critical. There are some things that can be done to get the best value out of the web development process

  1. At the outset you need a clear purpose for the site and an understanding of the site audience and why they will visit it. Will it engage the intended audience/s? This will help the web company work with you.
  2. Make sure you are clear about the standard of accessibility you want before hiring – is a web site that will be engaging and usable for all preferable to one that is “tick box” compliant. A standards compliant site can still be equally unusable for everyone.
  3. Build clear accessibility and usability requirements into your RFP
  4. Specifically ask for evidence of web accessibility and usability experience and check it out or ask an expert to check it out for you
  5. Ask the web company for accessibility examples of their work and testimonials from satisfied customers.
  6. Have they worked alongside independent accessibility experts and how successful was the project?
  7. Does the web company have values and a philosophy that embraces accessibility and usability? Is the site user more important than design, technology or the next round of web awards?
  8. Build the standard of accessibility you want into the contract and project milestone deliverables. It is too late to leave accessibility until later in the development process.
  9. Have a penalty clause if results are not delivered to an acceptable standard
  10. Make sure advice and technical testing by accessibility experts is included regularly throughout the project
  11. Build in user testing by disabled people just before the site goes live and allow time to fix any problems
  12. If, despite everyone’s best efforts your site does not meet the standard of accessibility you ideally want, have a strategy in place to help any visitors who face access barriers complete their task or find the information they need

4 Comments

Filed under Information Accessibility, Web Accessibility

by | June 23, 2010 · 8:49 am

Disabled people, burden or benefit to the nation?

Two weeks ago I went to a two day forum run by the Welfare Working Group, and ever since I have been thinking about what I heard there and feeling a growing concern for the future of our welfare system.

Many of the presenters took a very statistical and quantitative approach to what they saw as the ‘problem’ of growing numbers of people on benefits. Taking such a “siloed” approach to the issue seems to me to be counter-productive. One of the reasons for the increase in numbers on benefits is the increasing economic and social inequality in New Zealand society. Without tackling that the problem will never be solved without draconian measures that will bring other side effects such as increasing crime, or the undermining of our precious democracy.

Since I am more familiar with disability issues I will write about disabled people. Disabled people face entrenched and widespread discrimination in education and employment, and particular groups of disabled people struggle to be recognised as valued and contributing members of society. Despite their best efforts they are often among the poorest people. The costs of living with disability, both the financial and opportunity costs are not understood well within the welfare system.

But most of all disabled people are often seen as a burden, a cost to be ‘carried’ by society, rather than a group of people with something to offer, on the asset side of the ledger. What is valued gets counted and invested in. What is not valued and invested in is discounted.

1 Comment

Filed under Disability Issues, Disability Rights

by | June 7, 2010 · 8:53 am

Seven strategies for Accessible information using the CRPD

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)  has been ratified by 87 countries to date. Disabled people in these countries can make the most of the accessible information provisions in the preamble and articles nine and 21 of the Convention.

There are real opportunities created by the CRPD to engage with government, local and national, the wider public sector and the private sector to promote access to information. Working with other disabled people who experience barriers to information and with their supporters, disabled people can take charge of their own access to information. Taking an active and leadership role will mean disabled people’s human rights progress will be faster. Nothing about us without us!

Everyone will benefit from accessible information.

Everyone can:

  1. Learn about the CRPD and human rights. The CRPD can be accessed in a variety of formats through the Office for Disability Issues web site, (ODI) It is available in every possible format, including New Zealand Sign Language and Maori. Articles nine and 21 contain the main provisions
  2. Complain constructively and strategically, and as groups if that will be more influential, for example, report inaccessible web sites
  3. Educate information providers about accessible information and how to provide it in ways that will be comprehensive and inclusive. Be prepared to work with them.
  4. Engage with the wider community of print-disabled people to think and act strategically about priorities, working together to avoid “divide and rule” tactics. Strategic alliances between the different print disabled communities can go a long way towards preventing such tactics. People who are print disabled include; blind and partially sighted, Deaf, deaf/blind, those who cannot hold a book, those who need easy read because of cognitive disability, people who are dyslexic, brain injured, have memory loss, medication that impairs concentration and more.
  5. Create a business case for the private sector in particular. They may respond more readily to numbers and $$$ than to a rights based case. The demographics become more compelling each year with a rapidly ageing population with higher rates of impairment. By 2031 26% of the New Zealand population will be over 65, and we know the older population has higher disability rates (Statistics New Zealand)
  6. Get involved in the monitoring process. There are disability coalitions working on monitoring in many countries and disabled people must be involved in government implementation and reporting, (article 33.) That way you can usefully contribute to the reporting about information accessibility
  7. Lastly, but importantly, acknowledge and celebrate best practice, progress and successful outcomes. Give credit where credit is due.

This post is taken from a keynote presented at the recent Australasian Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities conference. The full text will be published there and on the AccEase web site.

2 Comments

Filed under Disability Issues, Disability Rights, Information Accessibility, Web Accessibility

by | May 21, 2010 · 9:30 am

Disability simulation is an In-valid tool for learning

I have always been somewhat suspicious of simulations of disability, no matter what the context. How easy is it really to replicate someone’s experience? I use the analogy of labour and childbirth. While I might wish that long and uncomfortable experience of mine on a few males of my acquaintance, I defy modern physical science and psychology to do so. Without the psychological makeup of whatever kind, the preceding experience and the relevant anatomical makeup the simulation would be meaningless.

It goes without question that no one these days would suggest an attempt to simulate belonging to another race as a valid or ethical activity.

While simulation exercises may claim to give insight into the experience of impairment and disability, the so called insight can be positive or negative, depending on how the recipient processes the experience. They could end up believing that the utter helplessness or disempowerment they may feel in such an unfamiliar situation is the everyday experience of all disabled people, which would be counterproductive, and false.

Disabled people do not experience disability in this way. Even if the onset is sudden there is usually some way of learning to cope and adapt before being thrown into a newly unfamiliar world. Disabled people in my experience are very creative and adaptable.

It is one experience, that’s all it is. Disabled people are as different as everyone else, and each disabled person will experience their life in a different way, as non-disabled people do.

Disability simulation is not a game either. It often is in simulation exercises which is trivialising and rather insulting. While living with disability has its fun side, it is generally not a game.

Finally, and most importantly – What’s wrong with listening to our voices as disabled people? Our voices are valid and credible, and yes they will be different and reflect different experiences. But they will tell it like it is, from our perspective.

If non-disabled people want to make a difference to the lives of disabled people in a disabling world they should hear those voices and act on what they learn from disabled people themselves, rather than trying to appropriate our experience and reflect it through a non-disabled world view.

Simulating disability is like simulating labour and childbirth, impossible. Get over it.

2 Comments

Filed under Disability Issues, Disability Rights, Miscellaneous, Women