As an exercise, I think what Raymond has achieved has it merits of
accessibility in being able to obey the main standards of creation and
accessibility. I do feel however, that this example also goes a long way
to show, that a truly "usable" website is far more than the standards it
obeys, and why there are discussion groups such as wsg, instead of
handing every developer a copy of the latest standards manual.
Looking through the website, I felt that like I had time-warped back to
the mid 90s. While the site may be "accessible" (I'll come to that in a
bit), I feel it most unusable.
All the links tightly packed, odd places where a background color of a
link replaces the background of its container (making it quite
disrupting to read through). Pages of endless text with little to guide
me through the reading, or highlight points of interest, and with almost
every page looking virtually identical to the glance. Images that stick
out like a sore thumb, and a header that (even in a 1280x1024 display)
hogs up most of the page (i bet all those 800x600 and 1024x768 users are
loving that).
On a positive note, I did feel that what I like best about Raymonds
exercise was the highly descriptive alt tags placed on the images,
giving non-image viewing user a very descriptive of any action to take.
I also liked the use of semi-crumbs trail at the top of the page,
although i think it could be improved to give an idea of where the user
is, apart from a page title (eg. what section am i in? (productivity
etc) and can i get back there with a single click?).
Overall however, I feel this is an example of going overboard with
"standards-based" accessibility measures to the compromise of the
general user experience. I feel that 3 paragraphs of text to explain the
navigation is far too excessive. I also believe that the user should be
given visual clues as to what "you" think is important... im sure that
not every word in a 20 page + site carries equal important.
I also feel that certain obvious methods of usability have been left out
completely... as my browser has Javascript support, I would find it very
useful when I click the search box, that I don't have to manually delete
the content before typing.
On a final note (before I start rambling incoherently), I also find it
very odd that you would choose a single graphic to use as a navigation
menu in your "graphical version". A graphic, which a) contains almost
unreadable text, and b) has no alternative when images are disabled (the
second point is a little mute since this is dubbed a "graphical
version", although even on the types of pages where images are assumed,
if for some reason the image failed to load, it would useful to have an
alternative).
Thanks,
David
Raymond Sonoff wrote:
Since the request for finding working resources for how to achieve
accessibility has been made, I am making my first-ever contribution to the
WSG with the intent to 'throw my white hat' into the ring for one and all to
examine, critique, and to "learn by example" --- especially without having
to make any CSS hacks whatsoever --- and see what my four-year effort has
encompassed toward achieving 100% Web accessibility and Web usability, all
while conforming to W3C's xHTML 1.0 Strict, CSS, and WCAG Priority Levels 1,
2, and 3, inclusive recommendations on each and every page within the
sonoffconsulting.com domain.
What do you need to do? Just visit Sonoff Consulting Services, Inc.'s
(Scsi's) Productivity and Knowledge Transfer (P&KT) Web site at URL address
http://sonoffconsulting.com and "put it to the test" for its stated claim of
being a first-pass solution toward achieving Ubiquitous Web Access.
This Web site design is based on Scsi's "Perfect 10" Web Site Standard --
see http://sonoffconsulting.com/unique_features.html for details -- with its
underlying set of ten Best Practices -- see
http://sonoffconsulting.com/unique_features_part2.html for details -- that
every "World Class Level" (read: 100% accessibility, ideally) Web sites
should strive to provide its visitors/prospects/customers/users.
I am providing below Scsi's Working Definition of the above statements as
copied directly from the Home page.
-----------
Scsi's Working Definition of Universal Web Accessibility and Web Usability =
"World Class Level" Web Sites Anyone, anywhere, using any Internet-enabled
device, any operating system, and any (Web- or text mode-based) browser
should be enabled - by the Web site personnel's adherence to judicious
design principles and Best Practices - to accomplish basic tasks, including
the following:
Readily access any Web page within the Web site's domain Easily navigate
(regardless of the navigation tool chosen, e.g., keyboard, mouse, or other
pointing device) within and among its Web pages Display any Web page's
contents without imposing any restrictions on the user as to screen
resolution or viewing window size All of these benefits are manifested
throughout the always-and-ever productivity-focused sonoffconsulting.com
domain.
Scsi's P&KT Web site is clearly focused on serving as an exemplary working
model that clearly and convincingly demonstrates what "The Ubiquitous Web
Domain" describes as a goal to strive to reach.
Hopefully, you will end up agreeing that Scsi has carried this Web site
development effort to the point of achieving at least a first-pass
Ubiquitous Web Access solution that is available here and now, is based on
existing mature technologies, employs a from-the-ground-up Web
standards-based design architecture and relevant methodologies, and retains
an emphasis on simplicity over complexity at all times.
------------
SPECIAL NOTE: For the purists who feel that a Web site must be wholly
CSS-based, I currently consider my approach involving 'minimalistic Tables'
that do support linearization when disabled as a viable solution for the
near-term at the very least.
Hopefully, the readers of this e-mail will "learn by example" first by
"putting everything stated to the test" and by simply doing a "View Source"
operation to see the various sections of source code that together comprise
each and every Web page within the sonoffconsulting.com domain.
Have fun and good luck to everyone who takes the time to "perform this
exercise" for themselves.
Raymond Sonoff, President
Sonoff Consulting Services, Inc.
72 Fitch Avenue
Darien, CT 06820-5340
Tel.: 203.656.1518
Gen'l e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Corp. e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Web site URL: http://sonoffconsulting.com/
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