Action for Blind People’s accessible website reaps rewards
Written 13.04.07 by: Sally Smith
the OTHER media is very pleased to report that the website we built for major UK charity Action for Blind People, www.actionforblindpeople.org.uk has been named Site of the Week by New Media Age (NMA) magazine; scoring 79/100 overall.
The review, featured in the 5 April edition of New Media Age, recognises the substantial effort that both the OTHER media and Action for Blind People put into making the charity’s new website fully accessible and user friendly.
Paul Smith, Website Reviewer for NMA, writes “the site has clear text and strong colours, a fixed tab on the left lets you increase text size and change to higher contrast schemes. The site is clearly up to scratch, resulting in a good resource for the sight impaired.” He went on to award Action for Blind People’s website 24/25 for usability.
This review is particularly gratifying given that creating a Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) compliant website, which also looked attractive, was a central objective of the project. the OTHER media worked collaboratively with blind and partially sighted web users and surfers using a speech interface to ensure a smooth and enjoyable browsing experience. The over-arching aim was to build a website that went well beyond the basic accessibility requirements and was genuinely useful to the charity’s diverse audiences.
Jonathan Briggs, the OTHER media’s Business Development Director was particularly pleased. “This review is great news for Action and a resounding thumbs-up to accessible web design. We build all our websites to be WAI compliant, yet sometimes it is difficult to convince clients as to why accessibility is such a vital design consideration. Too many companies out there still flout accessibility law, making the online browsing experience for millions of visually impaired people untenable – this is just not acceptable or commercially sensible in today’s world.”
Action for Blind People is one of the largest charities in the UK working with blind and partially sighted people. In 2006 they chose to work with the OTHER media to redesign their website, this relationship still continues today, with the focus now on strengthening on-site fundraising elements and integrating the website into the charity’s wider business and communication strategies.
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For media enquiries please contact Sally Smith at the OTHER media. Tel: 020 7089 5959 or email sally.smith@othermedia.com
Notes to editors:
- With 13 years of digital experience, the OTHER media brings together innovative design, technology and people. We’re committed to driving the online success of our clients. To find out more please phone George Crabb on 020 7089 5959 or email george.crabb@othermedia.com
- Action for Blind People is an expert national organisation, ensuring blind and partially sighted people get practical support in all aspects of their lives. Contact Action for Blind People’s National Freephone Helpline on 0800 915 4666 or visit www.actionforblindpeople.org.uk