Is this site Accessible?

[Foamcow]

I was just doing a little research on some sites demonstrating good accessiblity when I came across this one

http://www .

access-online . co . uk

(link broken to prevent indexing etc - take the spaces out)


Now, that came up in Google as a sponsored link.
My question is, in your opinion, does that site meet the criteria it apparently claims it can ensure YOUR site meets (UK DDA)?

I say a definite "No"

Foamcow Heavy Industries - Web design and ranting
Buy Languedoc wines in the UK

 

[manarth]

It fails at the first hurdle - there's no Doctype.

This means it breaks WAI Guideline 3.2 (Priority 2): "Create documents that validate to published formal grammars."

Other issues:[ul]
[li]Unquoted attributes ([tt]BORDER=0[/tt] instead of [tt]BORDER="0"[/tt])[/li]
[li](layout) Tables do not have a summary[/li]
[li]CRITICALLY: linked images (used for navigating the site) with a null ALT attribute (and other images with no ALT attribute at all)[/li]
[li]Javascript menus (which I can't even fathom, because I can only see them when I disable stylesheets)[/li][/ul]
This site defies explanation. Even an automatic check would tell you that there are issues - although for a company claiming to be "the complete DDA, accessibility survey management system" you would expect human accessibility expertise, and hope that they conducted user-testing.

The description/keywords make interesting reading - I was confused!

	<meta name="description" content="Asbestos online is probably the first 100% online asbestos management system developed by asbestos experts EDL systems, part of the EDL group based in Essex, online asbestos register fully compliant with MDHS 100 and will ensure that you meet your responsibilities under the new legislation, CAWR 2002 Regulation 4.">
	<meta name="keywords" content="asbestos software, asbestos register, asbestos management software, HSE, online asbestos software, asbestos Online, EDL, EDL group, asbestos-online, asbestos, edl systems, live asbestos data, online asbestos register, 100% online, asbestos management system, instant data, enhanced database technology, essex">

---
Marcus
better questions get better answers - faq581-3339
accessible web design - zioncore.com

 

[Foamcow]

lol I didn't notice those.
Yeah... weird.

Foamcow Heavy Industries - Web design and ranting
Buy Languedoc wines in the UK

 

[BillyRayPreachersSon]

Try viewing it with CSS turned off - what a lot of bloat! That's not a very accessible site, IMHO!

Dan


[tt]Dan's Page [blue]@[/blue] Code Couch

http://www.codecouch.com/dan/

[/tt]

 

[Foamcow]

I know, hence my post.

Actually, I started reading through the site and it occured to me that I couldn't quite work out what they actually did

From what I can understand they will store your data in a way that makes it accessible using their own system.

Odd.

Foamcow Heavy Industries - Web design and ranting
Buy Languedoc wines in the UK

 

[manarth]

If I understand correctly, Access Online is for surveying premises for physical accessibility issues (steps instead of ramps, etc), and recording the results.

Even if the company/product isn't directly connected to web accessibility, they evidently aren't aware of the scope of the DDA, which makes the quality of the product questionable.

---
Marcus
better questions get better answers - faq581-3339
accessible web design - zioncore.com

 

[Foamcow]

Hmm I think you may be correct there Manarth. It's certainly a bit "fuzzy" though in my opinion.

The site is certainly in contravention of the DDA.

Foamcow Heavy Industries - Web design and ranting
Buy Languedoc wines in the UK

 

[BabyJeffy]

Good opportunity to give them a call and offer to help them out, maybe

Cheers,
Jeff

[tt]Jeff's Page [/tt][tt]@[/tt][tt] Code Couch

http://www.codecouch.com/jeff/

[/tt]

What is Javascript? faq216-6094

 

[manarth]

Speaking of accessibility foamcow...forms like label tags ;-)

---
Marcus
better questions get better answers - faq581-3339
accessible web design - zioncore.com

 

[BabyJeffy]

From Foamcow's site:

http://www.foamcow.com/win-a-pasty.php

What would you do to get your hands on my hot, meat filled savoury pouch?

Cheers,
Jeff

[tt]Jeff's Page [/tt][tt]@[/tt][tt] Code Couch

http://www.codecouch.com/jeff/

[/tt]

What is Javascript? faq216-6094

 

[Foamcow]

hehe.. yes.
I did that before I got into accessibility.

More recent work of mine DOES have label tags
Check out the BPE templates in my portfolio for example.

I'm also working on a new personal site which has label tags as well as a few other things.

Foamcow Heavy Industries - Web design and ranting
Buy Languedoc wines in the UK

 

[Foamcow]

There, it was annoying me so I fixed it and put labels on the form!

http://www.foamcow.com/contact.php

Foamcow Heavy Industries - Web design and ranting
Buy Languedoc wines in the UK

 

[manarth]

you're nearly there...don't forget the IDs on fld_subject and fld_message...
a guru will he become, hmm?

---
Marcus
better questions get better answers - faq581-3339
accessible web design - zioncore.com

 

[Foamcow]

I thought I did that!
hang on....

Foamcow Heavy Industries - Web design and ranting
Buy Languedoc wines in the UK

 

[Foamcow]

Bah...
OK... done now.

That's what comes of using old email form routines without checking them properly.

Thanks for pointing it out.... git ;-)

Foamcow Heavy Industries - Web design and ranting
Buy Languedoc wines in the UK

 

[manarth]

my pleasure ;-)
I too have been known to be the victim of my own old code before!

I've just finished a neat javascript
It attaches events (to every form element) which add a class to the label of the element which has the focus (and remove it when the element loses the focus).

The effect is that the label of the current element is highlighted.

Nice...and very useful for debugging missing labels!
---
Marcus - Professional Nitpicker
better questions get better answers - FAQ581-3339
accessible web design - zioncore.com

 

[theEclipse]

This thread seems to have wandered off into nothingness but I noticed this on the site linked to above:

Compliant - AccessOnline complies fully with the Disability Discrimination Act. Any changes in legislation will be automatically built into the site at no cost to you. No need for software upgrades and the charges associated with them. AccessOnline ensures that you are always up to date.

I am thinking that "site" might not be in the digital sense, but still. [LOL]

Robert Carpenter
"Disobedience to conscience is voluntary; bad poetry, on the other hand, is usually not made on purpose." - C.S. Lewis (Preface to Paradise Lost)
ô¿ô

http://www.robertcarpenter.net