| In an attempt to make their sites
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| | Large time and money investment
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| accessible to all, more and more websites
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| | Creating a separate accessible version can
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| are now offering text-only versions of
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| | obviously represents an extremely large
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| their sites. With the huge number of
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| | time and money investment. This can be
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| inaccessible websites out there, any
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| | offset if the site is database-driven,
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| attempt to make a website accessible to
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| | although there's still a time investment
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| one and all is highly commendable.
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| | involved in setting up this alternative
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| But is text-only the way forward? The W3C
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| | version - time that could have instead
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| have this to say about alternative
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| | been spent making the primary site
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| accessible sites:
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| | accessible to all.
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| And if all else fails... If, after best
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| | Less information
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| efforts, you cannot create an accessible
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| | Some text-only versions offer far less
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| page, provide a link to an alternative
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| | information and/or functionality than the
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| page.
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| | primary version of the site. Manchester
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| Hmmm... so according to the W3C a separate
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| | United's accessible version is a prime
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| accessible site is OK, but they do use
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| | example of this: the primary website
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| some pretty strong language to suggest
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| | features over 100 choices in the
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| that this should be avoided wherever
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| | navigation menu; the accessible version
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| possible. They're probably right too,
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| | just eight. For a busy webmaster, having
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| given the disadvantages of going down the
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| | to make updates to two versions of the
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| text-only route:
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| | same website can be a huge pain.
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| Text-only version may not be accessible
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| | If the website is 100% database driven
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| The most ironic thing about text-only
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| | then the separate text-only version will
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| versions, is that often they don't even
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| | automatically be updated with the primary
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| offer full accessibility. This could be
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| | version of the site. Although
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| for a number of reasons, two of the most
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| | database-driven sites are commonplace on
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| common being:
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| | the web, it is very rare that every single
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| - Non-descriptive link text: Visually
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| | page is drawn from the database. As such,
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| impaired Internet users can browse web
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| | even with a database-driven site separate
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| pages by tabbing from one link to the
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| | versions can often be left behind.
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| next. Link text such as 'click here' and
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| | Marginalisation of society
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| 'more', which may feature in a text-only
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| | The final point, and perhaps the most
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| version, won't make any sense to them when
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| | important. One of the most famous quotes
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| doing this.
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| | about accessibility was made by Tim
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| - Inaccessible forms: For optimal
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| | Berners-Lee, the man who invented the
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| accessibility, prompt text should be
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| | Internet:
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| assigned to its form item, using the label
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| | The power of the Web is in its
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| for attribute. To check for this, a
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| | universality. Access by everyone
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| flashing cursor should appear in each form
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| | regardless of disability is an essential
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| box when the text next to it is clicked.
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| | aspect.
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| Primary website may be inaccessible to
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| | Creating a separate version for web users
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| site visitors
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| | with special needs can be seen as just one
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| One of the myths of web accessibility is
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| | more way of them being marginalised from
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| that accessibility is only about blind and
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| | every day society. Having a separate
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| disabled users. Accessibility is actually
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| | accessible version has been famously
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| about everyone being able to access your
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| | likened to a restaurant providing a side
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| website, both disabled and non-disabled,
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| | door down a back alley for disabled
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| regardless of the browsing technology
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| | customers, because the main entrance has a
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| they're using.
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| | couple of stairs leading in to the
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| For example, users accessing your website
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| | restaurant.
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| through WebTV, mobile phones, and PDAs,
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| | The idea of the Internet is that it's an
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| which have limited support for large
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| | inclusive medium, which everyone should be
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| images, Flash and JavaScript, may not be
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| | able to use and access. Visually impaired
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| able to access your site. Don't
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| | individuals particularly can now access a
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| underestimate the importance of this: in
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| | virtually unlimited source of information
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| 2008 alone an estimated 58 million PDAs
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| | in a way that would never have been
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| will be sold (source: and one third of
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| | possible.
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| the world's population will own a wireless
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| | Text-only? No thanks!
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| device (source:
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| | There are therefore so many reasons as to
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| Lost branding opportunity
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| | why a separate text-only version isn't a
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| Some users may only need to make small
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| | good idea. Additionally, there are a such
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| adjustments to your site in order to be
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| | huge number of benefits to having an
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| able to effectively use it. For example, a
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| | accessible website that there's no excuse
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| site visitor who needs to slightly resize
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| | for not trying to make your main website
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| the text on your site may have to use the
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| | accessible to everyone.
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| text-only version if you don't allow this
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| | Certainly many big organisations are now
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| is the main version. This person then
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| | working towards offering accessible
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| won't be exposed to your online image and
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| | websites, which is highly commendable. So
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| branding, which you've undoubtedly spent
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| | come on guys, let's keep working to make
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| so long developing.
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| | sure the Internet is fully inclusive.
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