Hi Tim, Accessibility is the issue, right? I think authors need to take a stand, and let their visitors know that they are at least making an effort to reach their audience, through whichever technology that may have employed. To the average visitor, it is simple enough to ignore the link, just as it is simple to ignore the Skip Navigation link. I placed it first since it will be the first thing a screen reader bumps into. Persons using AT may appreciate this segue right off the bat, rather than searching for it.
It would seem that a great many users access the web through the SERPs, rather than typing the complete url. This introduced another consideration to the whole accessibility question, namely, will the site come up in the first fifty results? While I may be out in left field with this thought, I had the notion that Google and others actually 'look' for the accessibility statement, just as they look for the Privacy Policy and Site Map. With this in mind, I felt the statement would actually improve accessibility, albeit in this roundabout manner. Even though a site has no commercial aim, it is still, nonetheless mounted with the purpose of getting a message out, and providing timely information. ""Don't like the logo much though..."" Cannot take credit for the graphic. I got that in the mail, and had to reduce it to 66% for a good fit. You work with what you have, and hope to make the most of it. Locally, the group is known as FCS. Most folks don't think about the Wainwright and District part in the full name. I believe this is where the creator got the idea, and basically where I got my color scheme. My entire palette is derived from that one image, including the two mattes in the background effect. I would like to have created my own graphics, but alas, graphic design is not my forte, any more than site design. My only tools are Notepad and Paint, and a fixation on 'parallel and perpendicular' layout. Must stem from my cabinetmaking trade. If I ever decide to make a living with web development, I will certainly partner with someone who's background is in graphics (perhaps someone much younger than myself, with 'modern' ideas). When all the information is removed, the web is still chaulk full of visual content. I would be the last person to ever downplay the importance of graphical appeal. One must never discount the valuable role played by the many gifted artists who have made the web 'a nice place to visit.' Someone once said, "There may be folks who are great graphics designers, and folks who are great programmers, and folks who are great html coders... but there are very few who can honestly boast of being all three." For my own part, I am content to learn the bare-bones of proper structural design and CSS, and leave the 'enrichment' to someone with skills in the presentation arts. This is what I love most about Standards Based web development--we can not only separate content from presentation, we can also delineate the various components. I see myself as the 'cribber and framer' who hands a structure over to the folks who will put the skin on the outside, and the finish to the inside. The whole concept lends itself to teamwork much better than table based layout. Now all I need is a team. :-) This was what I had in mind when building this site, and the couple others I have on the web. I think it was Henry Ford who said, "Don't try to be the expert--find the expert, and pay what the expert is worth." This could be summed up simply: delegate or stagnate. Cheers, Roy ----- Original Message ----- From: "Hill, Tim" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2004 1:51 AM Subject: [WSG] off topic reply to 'A New Community Based Web Site for Review' Hi Roy, great idea with the accessibility links up the top, they fit in quite well with the whole design. The accessibility statement is great, do you think sites should all incorporate something like this? Don't like the logo much though, not sure about the drop shadows, and the white spot glow on the yellow oval. I think a cleaner font would have conveyed more meaning. I'm not sure how this logo relates to company. Thanks, Tim Hill Computer Associates Graphic Artist tel: +612 9937 0792 fax: +612 9937 0546 [EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ***************************************************** The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/ See http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm for some hints on posting to the list & getting help *****************************************************
