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Web Standards (and Accessibility)Why bother with standards?
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What are Web Standards?Essentially, the idea is to create one set of code that works for everyone, independent of browsers and platforms, disability and device. The essential elements are:-Valid xhtml code - this is an updated version of the sleek language that underlies all web information (html) the x signifies its interface with CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) for designing the text, layout and basic look. This is all about the separation of content and structure from presentation leaving your mark-up clean and semantically meaningful, making it quicker and reducing total file sizes and download times. Code correctness means that the individual elements have meaning on their own, labels that ensure that each individual piece of a site can be understood by search engines, browsers, all appliances and people as well! So really standards are all about accessibility and usability now and in the future |
AccessibilityAccessibility is really just what it sounds like. It is about ensuring that all good practice is followed in terms of making the site visible, easy to understand and simple to find your way around. People with impairments - Whilst there are more and more devices to assist people with impairments, there are several things that we have to (legally) include on our sites to make their experience as good as it can be. The most crucial of these is to label every item on your site - photo, table, graph, flash. Also, to explain those elements that are crucial to the site in detail, this is particularly true for tables, animation and statistical charts. You need to assume that people may not be able to see the pictures and other elements, so describe them in whatever detail is required. Remember that many people with site impairment can see relatively well, however they cannot see type below size 12, nor can they read your pages unless there is sufficient contrast between your background and your type. Colour blindness is also an issue, and one thing that all designers should ensure is that every site is just as meaningful in black and white as in colour. (To ensure this you may need to expand some of your tags and descriptions). |
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