Information underload

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Information underload
Julie Howell Campaigns Officer (Digital
Access) RNIB
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Yes, blind people use the Internet!!

• good Web design
• browser flexibility
• access technology
• magnification software
• synthetic speech
• braille display

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Why good Web design matters

• 1.7m have sight problems in the UK (1 in 35)
• inaccessible design censors blind peoples access
  to information, participation, choice, democracy
  and consumer rights
• Disability Discrimination Act 1995
• Government Web Guidelines 1999
• dont let blind people be paupers the of the
  information society

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Guidance

• http//www.rnib.org.uk/digital
• http//www.w3.org/WAI
• http//www.cast.org/bobby
• http//www.bbc.co.uk/education/betsie
• http//www.iagchampions.gov.uk/Guidelines/websites
  /

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Julies 10 top tips

• Is the text legible?
• Is the design flexible?
• Do all images have alt-text?
• Is there a site map?
• Do links make sense out of context?
• Are imagemaps accompanied by text links?
• Do frames have titles, is noframes used?
• Are alternatives offered for Javascript, applets,
  flash plug-ins?
• Is Access Adobe available for PDF files?
• Do all pages pass the Bobby test?
  http//www.cast.org/bobby

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Tip 11

• User testing - ask disabled Net users for
  feedback!

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...the more barriers you put in the way,
the less likely people with sight problems are to
reach the information to which they are
entitled...Julie Howell, 22 March 2000
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Julie HowellCampaigns Officer (Digital Access)

• JHowell_at_rnib.org.uk
• www.rnib.org.uk/digital
• 0171-391 2191
• RNIB, 224 Great Portland Street, London W1N 6AA