Actually, Steve, it's *perfectly* acceptable to me also - and I use a different screen reader! <SMILE> -- Carol ----- Original Message ----- From: "Steve Nutt" <steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Monday, June 28, 2004 8:18 PM Subject: [access-uk] Re: NEW ACCESSIBLE SEARCH ENGINE > Hi Tink, > > I haven't tried it yet, but I think my question is, how good is it as a=20 > search engine? For example, why do I need an "accessible" engine, when=20 > Google seems perfectly accessible to me? Or am I an old blind synnic with= > =20 > a good screen reader? > > All the best > > At 10:45 28/06/2004, L=E9onie Watson spake these words of wisdom > >Ian, > > > > Thanks for posting this up, it's refreshing to see accessible design= > put > >to the fore, but I do wish that they hadn't shot themselves, not to= > mention > >the rest of the accessible design sector, in the foot. > > > > They claim that they are AAA compliant against the Web Content > >Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which may be fair enough. But they also > >claim they are Level AAA compliant against the Bobby Guidelines and this= > is > >where I really take issue. > > > > Bobby is not a set of guidelines, it is a tool for measuring a site > >against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. If a site believes= > itself > >to be Level AAA against the WCAG, then Bobby can be used to confirm this,= > up > >to a point at least. Bobby is not entirely renound for its accuracy. > > > > Because Bobby isn't always very accurate, YouSearched have given > >themselves an unnesscesary problem. Bobby doesn't find the site Level AAA > >compliant under the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, it doesn't even > >find it Level A compliant. This is because Bobby is failing, not because= > the > >site is. > > > > Bobby says that the site fails to set the language type of the= > document, > >which isn't the case. The language type is clearly set, but because of the > >way the coding is arranged its quite likely that Bobby hasn't interpreted= > it > >correctly. > > Bobby also says that 15 images don't have alternate text. The images= > in > >question have an empty alt text, but because the site uses apostrophes > >rather than double quotes to enclose the alternate text, Bobby believes= > this > >to be an error. > > > > The upshot is this. Because the press release claims Level AAA against > >Bobby Guidelines, people will immediately go and check this, much as I= > did. > >What they will see is that, according to Bobby, the site fails basic > >accessibility and this is the impression they will carry away with them, > >marring an otherwise great design. > > > > I'm going to contact YouSearch and pass on my thoughts too. This could > >be a useful resource to add to my bookmarks. > > > > > >Regards, > >Tink. > > > >** Going on holiday and want to halt messages? Send a message to:- > >** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > >** and in the Subject line type > >** vacation ## d > >** where ## is the number of days followed by d for days. > >** For other things like digest mode, send a message, to > >** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq > > -- > Computer Room Services: the long cane for blind computer users. > Telephone Voice: +44(0)1438 742286, Fax/BBS: +44(0)1438 759589 > Telephone mobile: +44(0)7956 334938, Email: Steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx > Web site: http://www.comproom.co.uk > -- > For a company brochure, send an empty message to Info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx > To subscribe, and get regular updates, please send a message to > listserv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Just put the word "subscribe updates" without > the quotes in the body of the message. To join the tutorials list, > where we discuss Brian Hartgen's tutorials, please do exactly as above, > but in the body of the message, put the words "subscribe tutorials", > again, without the quotes. > > > ** Going on holiday and want to halt messages? Send a message to:- > ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > ** and in the Subject line type > ** vacation ## d > ** where ## is the number of days followed by d for days. > ** For other things like digest mode, send a message, to > ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq > ** Going on holiday and want to halt messages? Send a message to:- ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** and in the Subject line type ** vacation ## d ** where ## is the number of days followed by d for days. ** For other things like digest mode, send a message, to ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq