[bcab] Re: Accessibility considerations

  Hallo Vince I wonder what the Australian tool is you mean. I know that at 
Abilitynet Robin Christopherson specialises in this field. He will talk in 
terms of Hexadecimals for colours and  in the beginning I had not a clue what 
he meant  being alone  and trying to learn on my own there being no tuition 
available from my  Association for the Blind. I have to have  black screen and 
white Font and low light or no light on to cope. I use Lunar  in Inverse Mode 
to do this. There were some incompatibilities to be sorted out and it was 
another  lump of software on my computer on top of Jaws and Kurzweil, however 
it is bearable and before it was not.  People  just couldn't understand unless 
they  actually were  sitting beside me.  I was told 'turn the screen off for 
get it and so  on.  I refused to do this.Andrew Hodgson  found a way. I had 
been prepared to pay a man in Sussex who told me he had worked for a firm of 
Electronics. He ran a Computer repair business. He was he said designing a box 
to invert the screen.  a sort of switching box.  the switch in the middle if 
turned up would give colour and view. Thing is after waiting 8 months,  it came 
about  we Andrew and I realised he  was not able to do it,  or admit it. I 
truly would not have minded but he seemed not able to  admit it Then when I had 
the Hardrive failure it all  fell apart leavingme with  No Jaws No lunar No   
no anything no windows. He brought the equipment back and  tore off saying "I 
never want to hear Jaws again" Anyway  if Robin's Position with Abilitynet  is 
to Survey and  draw up reports for the BBC I should  ask him about it. dorothy.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Vince Thacker 
  To: bcab@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2007 6:49 PM
  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 
    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



------------------------------------------------------------------------------


  No virus found in this incoming message.
  Checked by AVG Free Edition.
  Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.3/699 - Release Date: 23/02/2007 
13:26

Other related posts: