[bcab] Re: Accessibility considerations

Tony,

        I believe that most popular browsers will allow colours to be turned
off, even if they are hard coded into the HTML. You're absolutely right
though, web developers should indeed be thinking about separating
presentation from structure in their websites and creating the possibility
for change by the user.

Regards,
Léonie. 

-----Original Message-----
From: bcab-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bcab-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Tony M Dart
Sent: 25 February 2007 14:41
To: bcab@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bcab] Re: Accessibility considerations

Leonie

Surely the web designer needs to allow for the possibility of change by the
end-user though? Some web-pages are hard-coded with text, colour
combinations etc and in this case the browser doesn't over-ride them. 
Starting with a good colour combination is a good idea, but we also need the
possibility of change coded in as well.

Regards
Tony

----- Original Message -----
From: "Léonie Watson" <tink@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bcab@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, February 25, 2007 2:02 PM
Subject: [bcab] Re: Accessibility considerations


> Charles,
>
> Yes, you're right. A colour combination that works well for people
> with a particular visual impairment, may not work as well for someone with

> a
> reading difficulty such as Dyslexia for example.
>
> Checkpoint 2.2 of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
> deals with contrast and brightness though, rather than the actual colours
> themselves. There are algorithms for working out if a colour pair has
> sufficient contrast and brightness.
>
> It's possible to find colour combinations that fall within the
> parameters of the algorithms, to suit each different user group. The 
> problem
> is finding a single colour pair that is compatible across multiple user
> groups.
>
> It's definitely one of the reasons why websites like the one you
> mention, My Web My Way, are so important. Helping people understand how 
> they
> can configure their browser to overcome problems with web pages is a big
> advantage.
>
> Regards,
> Léonie.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: bcab-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bcab-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On 
> Behalf
> Of Charles Crisp
> Sent: 25 February 2007 10:46
> To: bcab@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [bcab] Re: Accessibility considerations
>
> Hi all
>
> I've come late to this discussion.
>
> One of the problems with screen colours which are fixed to any standard is
> that some eye conditions are variable and one set of colour and contrast 
> may
> not suit everyone.
> Someone mentioned the BBC and they have the 'My web, my way' web site at
>
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/accessibility/
>
> This contains advice on how to change the screen colours and contrast for
> individual preference.
>
> Perhaps it is more important to have a standard that will allow all screen
> readers perform better, and we all know how difficult this can be.
>
>
> Kind regards
>
> Charles Crisp
>
> See our holiday home website:
> www.thecrisps.co.uk/french-house <http://www.thecrisps.co.uk/french-house>
>
>
>
> This E mail is private and may contain copyright material in the text or 
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: bcab-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bcab-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On 
> Behalf
> Of Léonie Watson
> Sent: 24 February 2007 22:21
> To: bcab@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [bcab] Re: Accessibility considerations
>
> Karen,
>
>    You're absolutely right about the fact that many agencies are
> unscrupulous about the quality of service they deliver. It's one of the 
> many
> reasons that reading PAS 78 is such a good idea:
> http://www.drc-gb.org/library/website_accessibility_guidance/pas_78.aspx
>
>    For people who are commissioning websites, but know little about web
> accessibility, PAS 78 is a great place to start understanding the basics. 
> It
> even includes a checklist of questions to ask prospective agencies before
> you hire them.
>
>    Additionally, it talks about the need for ensuring that the level of
> accessibility required is explicitly mentioned in the contract you have 
> with
> the agency. That way, if it comes to light at a later point that your
> website is not accessible, you have legal recourse to resolve the problem.
>
>
> Regards,
> Léonie.
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: bcab-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bcab-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On 
> Behalf
> Of Karen Packham
> Sent: 24 February 2007 21:03
> To: bcab@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [bcab] Re: Accessibility considerations
>
>
> I sometimes help organisations with their websites, and sadly I know that
> some of them (or more probably their web agencies) will put the
> accessibility logos on their sites because they believe certain testing
> tools are all they need to use, and they don't actually read the
> accessibility guidelines.
>
> Others say they are "working towards accessibility", so they say it's
> cheaper for them to have the logo on the website from the start, or else
> they will have to pay the agency to add it later. And others are simply
> misled by their agencies completely.
>
> Colour contrast is definitely one thing that inexperienced organisations 
> are
> surprised to hear about, so I'd suggest you contact them to explain the
> issue and ask them to confirm when they will fix it, as this nudge may be
> all that is needed.
>
> What would be good is some way of publicising the names of agencies that 
> do
> mislead their clients in this respect. The odd mistake is understandable,
> but what some of them get away with is outrageous. In the end their 
> clients
> are the ones who end up taking all the flack, whereas the agency is
> invisible and only beholden to their client, who will have trusted them to
> have (and paid for) the skills that the organisation lacked.
>
> Hope this helps and sorry for the rant!
>
> Karen
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: bcab-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bcab-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On 
> Behalf
> Of Vince Thacker
> Sent: 24 February 2007 18:49
> To: bcab@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [bcab] Re: Accessibility considerations
>
>
> Karina, couldn't agree more.  The colour combination you mention sounds
> ridiculous.
>
> Contrast is indeed an issue, mentioned in many accessibility contexts.
>
> For example, this is from w3.org's section, "Techniques For Accessibility:
> Evaluation And Repair Tools"
>
> "Checkpoint 2.2 - Ensure that foreground and background color combinations
> provide sufficient contrast when viewed by someone having color deficits 
> or
> when viewed on a black and white screen "
>
> The contrast values can indeed be tested by looking at the numbers or
> numeric equivalents of names used for colors. So it's pretty easy to
> auto-detect this problem.
>
> I've used the Vision Australia Web Accessibility Toolbar for a long time.
> One of the tests included there is a colour contrast test. It's not
> difficult to carry this out, so really there's no excuse for getting it
> wrong. It helps if you know that the red, green and blue can each range 
> from
> 0 to 255, and that the hex digits for those are 00 and FF. That's about 
> all
> there is to it.
>
> Sadly, I've come across sites put together by blind people who haven't got
> it anywhere near right. One had a green background (00FF00), red text
> (FF0000) and blue links (0000ff). Well, the FF digits give it away 
> straight
> away. The text would be invisible in black and white, and in colour it 
> would
> at the very least look yucky.
>
> I don't know for sure, but I'd have thought even automated tests like
> WebXact would fail pages with poor colour contrasts.
>
> Of course, it's not as simple as that if you are designing a site for
> dyslexics or people who have eye conditions like M D where they get a lot 
> of
> glare. the contrast values could be fine, but the site could be a pain to
> read. I know of what I speak, believe me.
>
> Vince.
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: Karina Gregory <mailto:karina.gregory@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: bcab@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2007 5:50 PM
> Subject: [bcab] Accessibility considerations
>
> Hi all,
>
> I've just come across a website that claims to have WAI - AA and
> WCAG 1.0 having a symbol in the corner of ths creen.  The thing that I 
> don't
> agree with is the colour contrast - white text on a light blue background.
> My question is that when websites are tested by an accessibility
> website/program for accessibility, is colour contrast taken into
> consideration?  Surely the colour schemes to be used can be picked up from
> the code.  If it isn't already taken into consideration, maybe it could be

> i
> nthe future by specifying to the accessibility tool what is good contrast
> and what is bad contrast.  Do you follow what I'm saying?  For example, if
> the tool was told that white text on a light blue background was not good
> contrast then it woud be able to reject websites that were accessed using
> this method.
>
> I'm interested in hearing the views of others on this topic.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Karina
>
> I'm protected by SpamBrave <http://www.spambrave.com/>
>
>
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