accessibility-online about csr Virgin Media
The internet is a medium that should be open to everyone. However, perception often differs from reality and as such surfing the web can sometimes be a rather exclusive, rather than inclusive experience.
Poor accessibility means that everyday activities carried out online - checking email, reading a news story, buying flight tickets or balancing bank accounts - become a nightmare for many disabled surfers.
The good news, however, is the net is getting easier to use and there are many commendable efforts made by organisations to improve accessibility for the over half-a-billion people in the world who are disabled in one way or another.
Under the Disability Discrimination Act, companies such as ourselves must ensure that content is accessible to all users.
Accessibity for everyone is very important to us. We regard it as another challenge for creativity and innovation and not as a barrier. We strive to create a professional and accessible site that can be enjoyed by everyone.
Accessibility basically entails providing flexibility to accommodate each user's needs and preferences. In an internet context, accessibility means making computer technology such as web pages and applications/software more useful and flexible to an individual needs.
Sadly, the internet isn't always accessible to everyone. The main issues which can cause problems include:
There are several ways in which websites can make themselves more accessible to all audiences. Above all, websites need to adopt certain accessibility standards.
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has established a set of guidelines so that organisations can design websites that can be used by people with disabilities. The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), part of the W3C, in co-ordination with organisations around the world, is pursuing web accessibility through primary areas of work.
The current version of the WAI Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) (see Note 1 below) can be found at w3c.org.
There is a number of software products available that can aid disabled users when surfing the net or with reading documents and attachments.
Screenreader - A blind or visually impaired person can use a screen reader - basically a piece of software that reads out the content on a webpage.
screenreader.net - Screenreader.net CIC is a not for profit company delivering free talking screenreader computer software to blind people anywhere in the world.
Connect Outloud - Connect Outloud is designed for the novice to experienced blind or low vision computer user to access the Internet through speech and Braille output.
MAGic - Screen magnification software.
Microsoft Word View - Microsoft Word Viewer 97-2000 is a download that lets users who do not own Microsoft Word view and print documents that were created in Word.
Microsoft Excel Viewer - With Excel Viewer 2003, you can open, view, and print Excel workbooks, even if you don't have Excel installed.
Adobe AcrobatIf you need help with accessing or creating a document with accessibility in mind, Adobe has a range of free software that can help you create, manage, and deliver accessible, visually rich content that can be accessed virtually anywhere, anytime, and by anyone.
Just as a web page can be made accessible to a disabled person, so can rich media content such as audio and video.
Windows Media Player Quicktime RealMedia Player
All claim to be accessibility friendly. The standalone versions of the three media players are far more accessible than the embedded (built into a web page) versions. Of the three standalone players, Windows Media Player and RealOne Player tend to present a high level of accessibility when using screen readers, for example.
Did you know that you can change things like foreground and background colours, font size and the range of colours provided within a webpage?
If you're an Internet explorer user, you can easily change the accessibility option in your browser (see link to instructions below).
Internet Explorer includes numerous options to make things easier to see on the computer screen, or to adjust to your visual preferences. Internet Explorer 6 Internet Explorer 7.
Firefox - A very user friendly, uncluttered and flexible browser that is a real alternative to Internet Explorer.
Opera - It claims to be the fastest and most efficient web browser going.
People with disabilities such as hearing, visual, physical or cognitive impairment can use a wide range of alternative approaches to browsing online.
These browsers are designed specifically for people with disabilities:
Connect OutLoud - Software for accessing the internet with speech and braille output.
IBM Home Page ReaderSpecialised browser which incorporates screen reader, screen magnification and text browser tools.
JAWS for Windows - Screen reader software.
Lunar / Lunar Plus - Screen magnification software.
Magic - Screen magnification software.
Supernova - Combined screen reader and screen magnification software.
WebbIE - Free specialised text browser developed by the University of Manchester.
WindowEyes - Screen reader software.
Zoomtext - Screen magnification and combined screen reader/magnification software.
For more please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_screen_readers.
RNIB - RNIB is the largest charity representing the 9 million deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK.
Disability - disability.gov.uk is the website of the UK Government's Disability Policy Division, a part of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Disability Discrimination Act - Full text of this act of parliament.
Webxacts - WebXACT is a free online service that lets you test single pages of web content for quality, accessibility, and privacy issues.
Ability.net - AbilityNet is a UK based charity who work with people with disabilities to help them get full use of information technology.
Thursday 8 Feb 2007
