[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

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