Why Web Accessibilité is Important

The Web is an increasingly important resource in many aspects of life: community, education, employment, government, commerce, health care, recreation, and more. It is essential that the Web be accessible in order to provide equal access and equal opportunity to people with disabilities. An accessible Web can also help people with disabilities more actively participate in society.

The Web offers the possibility of unprecedented access to information and interaction for many people with disabilities. That is, the accessibility barriers to print, audio, and visual media can be much more easily overcome through Web technologies

The St. Privat des Prés community website will be designed using the W3C WAI Guidelines. The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) has established three accessibility levels: "A", double "A" and triple "A." Each level is reached after meeting certain guidelines or principles.

The initial objective is to meet accessibility level "A". In order to ensure that the accessibility criteria is met, the website will be tested using a program called WAT (Web Accessibility Test).

Accessibility (Under development)

Introduction
We recognise the importance of providing a website that is inclusive and available for all user groups. This page explains

Select the following links to access specific details for:

• Screen reader/voice browser/screen magnifier users
  
• Partially sighted users - changing the font size
  
• Colour-blind users
  
• Keyboard-only users
  
• Deaf users
  
• Changing the style sheet
  
• Questions and feedback

Screen reader/voice browser/screen magnifier users
Our navigation mechanisms are accessible by screen readers and voice browsers. In addition, skip links allow the user to by-pass the navigation to the main content and also go directly to the site tools.

Alt keys assist the users as follows:

• Alt key + m + Enter key will take the user to the top of the main content panel
  
• Alt key + s + Enter key will take the user to the site tools
  
• Alt key + n + Enter key will take the user back to the main navigation

Text equivalents of all images have been provided and the relevant page and table header tags inserted.

Alternative mechanisms have been provided where JavaScript is used within the site.

Partially sighted users - changing the font size
We have provided the facility to change the font size of the text used on our web pages. If you are using Internet Explorer, select “View” from the menu bar, then “Text Size” and select from “Smallest” to “Largest”. In Netscape, select “View” from the menu bar, then “Text Size” and select from “Smaller”, “Larger”, % values or “Other”.

Colour-blind users
We have checked the site font and background colour combinations for the different colour-blindness conditions and ensured that items are not referenced by colour alone.

Should you wish to change the colour of text and background by introducing your own style sheet, please follow the instructions in changing the style sheet.

Keyboard-only users
The web pages on the site have been tested for use in keyboard-only operation. When using the forms or controls for the tools, the keys to use are as follows:

• To select from drop down boxes, use up and down arrow keys
  
• To select/unselect a check box, use the space bar
  
• To move forward between links, use the tab key
  
• To move back between links, use the Shift + tab keys
  
• To initiate an action button, use the Enter key when the action button is selected.

Deaf users
An introductory transcript will be prepared as a part of this website project.

Changing the style sheet
Users may import their own style sheet into the website. In Internet Explorer, select Tools, then Internet Options and then Accessibility. Next click on any or all of three checkboxes to ignore colours, font styles or font sizes. In the same window, you can change the style sheet by clicking the checkbox that says 'Format document using my style sheet', then simply browse to your preferred style sheet and click ok. In Netscape, select Edit, then Preferences and then Appearance. You will then be given a choice of colours and fonts.

For further information regarding accessibility, please email Colin WARD, colin@findandfix.co.uk