Web accessibility petition
If you are a standards-based web developer in the UK you may like to support a petition asking the UK government to ensure that its websites are more accessible.
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to ensure that any website launched by the government complies with accessibility standards (WCAG AA at least).
The petition came about because of a poorly accessible Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) website (report, follow-up) and aims to ensure that all future government websites meet basic accessibility requirements (WCAG AA) when launched.
In my view, the government should be setting an example with its websites, at least for basic accessibility - although I appreciate that any government website project may be complex, both in terms of its creation and maintenance. Still, basic accessibility shouldn't be too difficult, should it.
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Ed 1 December 2006, 20:53 1
Signed.
In defence of quangos and other such agencies, particularly like the one I’m contracted to run, it’s extremely difficult to ensure compliance as procurement is done via marketing departments and every spend has a justification report involved which is designed at driving costs down.
With my contract at the eBiz Centre I was fortunate enough to be the site planner and I wrote the specification. I didn’t write or design the site and I don’t manage it either. We use appropriate local suppliers.
However, I know what web standards are, most departments that procure websites don’t and rely on the expertise of the designers, who in the majority, also don’t. The same also applies to contractors to the Government, especially the DTI in this case.
There’s no excuse, but it’s easy to fall foul of the guidelines when experts misinform you.