Accessible And Attractive Websites

Web accessibility is not the sexiest subject in the world -- let's be realistic!

And, as a result, selling the concept is never all that easy. Sure, you can harp on about all the 'business benefits' (potential increased audienced, reduced bandwidth costs, good PR), but what you really need to be able to do is show that it's possible to do this without compromising on the design. That's often where the problems begin.

When we think about highly accessible sites, the first ones that spring to mind are not necessarily fantastic looking examples. Most sites that sport a Bobby AAA or WCAG Level 3-compliant badge also sport a dull interface, unimaginative navigation and are about as sexy as a half-naked octogenarian in an Ibiza nightclub. This is hardly the kind of thing that you want to show your boss or a prospective client when extolling the virtues of an accessible site.

So, show 'em the good stuff!

What do we want? More! When do we want it? Now!

There are not that many big corporate sites that have gone down the road to accessibility. Sure, many have made a few token gestures suffieicent to pass the automated (and essenatially dumb) Bobby Level A test. But there are very few that, erm, 'push the envelope' (OK, you can slap me for that one). What do I mean by this? Well, as a basic list, you might expect to see these tactics implemented on a site that meets Bobbly Level A requirements:

• Judicious use of 'Skip Navigation' links or careful ordering of content such that navigation does not get in the way of content (the second approach perhaps veers into advanced territory)
• No use of drop-down lists (as in the <select> tag) for navigation (or if it is used, ensuring that it is activated with a Go button and that a <noscript> alternative is provided)
• Suitable alt attributes, or blank alt attributes for images when they are not needed
• Sensible link phrases - no 'click here' type links; when the user tabs through, each link makes sense in its own right

It's not asking much, is it? Like I said, it's a basic list, but we should demand more:

• Table-free layouts that work as well on a handheld device as they do a PC or Mac with full colour 15" monitor
• Use of <acronym> and <abbr> elements to clarify abbreviated phrases
• Data tables with the headers and id attributes (making them usable in the likes of Jaws and other screen readers)
• A link to an accessibility statement on the home page
• A link to the site map on every page
• No framed content at all (although CSS could be used to make it appear as such)

...The list could go on. And indeed, we need to ensure at least one more addition -- it's got to look the business! But how many sites other than personal blogs achieve all of this?

The Big Boys Should Lead by Example

At this stage I should probably mention Wired News and ESPN -- these two sites have had extensive coverage because they're biggies (I don't know whether I would describe Wired as 'corporate') that have undergone a massive re-working of their underlying structure.

However, despite the very evident use of Web standards for layout, they are still not necessarily totally accessible (for example, if you try to access ESPN on Netscape 4 you don't get unstyled text; instead you're sent to a page that explains why they're unwilling to serve content in that basic format).

Beyond these two, can you name many 'HyperMegaGlobalCorp' types who are showing the way?

Enough Already! Give Me Examples!

So you want some examples of good lookers? OK, but first let me explain a couple of things:

These sites are not the mega corporates that I'd truly like to see in this list, but they are hopefully new to you and offer some variety.

I have not personally tested each site in a wide range of browsers -- I tried them in Firebird and IE6 on a PC running Windows 2000, and I also took a look at them with the stylesheets disabled to get a feel of how they might look when viewed on a handheld (or other browser that does not support CSS).

Right, that's that out of the way! Let's look at some pretty pages ...