OrbitAccess

Working for Web Accessibility

Services

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Designing Web sites for the Big Two browsers is a bad idea. These sites can 'break' on other browsers and on a variety of Internet access tools. Television set-top boxes don't play all multimedia. Palm-sized computers hide information in off-screen tables, or jumble their contents. Handhelds don't show Web site index frames. Applets run into security barriers, crash browsers, or are simply ignored.

Some visitors access sites using speech programs and 'screen-scraping' readers. Unless the site is built correctly, these programs can't communicate its contents in a clear and meaningful way.

OrbitAccess provides services in website accessibility.

We are available for confidential evaluation and testing of your corporate, association or non-profit organization site, or multiple sites designed by your organization. We will help you identify communications barriers for those using compact-display or Internet devices and for those using alternative browsing methods.

Each test uses standard access tools to determine the site's effectiveness and clarity on compact-screen devices and its usefulness to handicapped visitors.

In February 2001, the Federal government mandated accessibility standards for websites built by agencies, institutions, and corporations receiving government funds or under government contract. The standards, which implement the Web Accessibility Initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium (or W3C), demand significant review of websites to determine their adherence to the standards.

OrbitAccess will examine sites for their overall accessibility (based on 'front doors' or initial visitor pages), and provide preliminary recommendations to webmasters and site owners. Detailed evaluations will follow, together with recommendations for reaching the widest possible audience with the least economic impact on the organization. Preliminary evaluations will explore the main pages for navigation issues; missing accessibility components; inaccessible use of frames and tables; browser-specific design; multimedia content, applets, and plug-ins without accessible alternatives; scripts and Java without standard alternatives; auto-forwarding and auto-refreshing pages, and popups; problems with contrast and color; presence of flashing or blinking elements; use of script-dependent forms; issues with image maps; and site download times.

Detailed evaluations will drill down into site contents for these same issues, include an executive/mobile access review, and provide recommendations for improvement.

OrbitAccess regularly evaluates and tests categories of websites for accessibility considerations. Sample reports are posted under Reports & Papers. Your OrbitAccess report can be an overview similar to these reports, or a detailed look at each page and its status.

The Internet is an important communications venue, but its value is being short-changed because people are unaware of accessibility issues. These issues can have both legal and economic impacts on your company or organization.

OrbitAccess is available to present seminars on Web site accessibility issues to your company, professional or trade organization, user or educational conference, or news group.

Communicate: that's what Web sites are supposed to do. Do you want to build sites that work, not create ones that are just a pretty face?

OrbitAccess conducts one-day workshops, at your office or convenient off-site location. We'll explain in detail the issues affecting accessibility, and show you how to mark up your site so visitors can navigate smoothly. At the end of the day, you'll know how to design future sites so they are fully accessible. It doesn't cost any more to do it right the first time. If you're building sites, we can help. Get in touch.

Presentations are available for institutions, businesses, and trade shows

Please contact Dennis Báthory-Kitsz.

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