How can we Fix the Web?
We love the Web and want everyone to be able to use it.
Many disabled people have a problem using websites (accessibility) because they haven’t been made with inclusive design in mind.
Laws, international standards and specialist training help, but these “top down” solutions appear to be limited.
The idea with Fix the Web is to find solutions using the power of the network.
Our current focus is to get problem websites reported on a very large scale, with help and advice for website owners. We can do this using thousands of online volunteers who will increase their own knowledge and skills in the process.
Want to help or find out more?
- Please read these documents for more information;
word documents:
1 page Fix the Web and Fix the Web mapping the way forwards
or PDF’s:
1page_Fix the Web and Fix the Web Mapping the Way Forwards
- You can give your feedback on the feedback page
- You can subscribe to the feed and email me (gailATcitizensonline.org.uk).
I need all kinds of help especially from techies.
- There’s a poll to vote in (top right)
- When I’m off track in any way please feel free to kindly educate me!
.
For a repository of all sorts of information on assistive technologies and accessibility see AbilityNet’s Gate
.
A bit about the coordinator…
What I currently mean by e-accessibility is ensuring that people with illness, injury or impairment (including older and disabled people) can make full use of the internet and are not hampered by badly written websites. But I am by no means an expert in e-accessibility- I work for Citizens Online, a UK national charity focussed generally on digital inclusion. Nominet Trust have sponsored us to investigate this idea through the course of 2010.
I believe in the power of the internet to make positive change and it bothers me that the internet is not fully accessible and that “top down” efforts don’t seem to have made a great deal of impact (though let’s be clear they need to continue and be improved). So I’m hoping to bring passion, project management and people together to see what we can do – its called Fix the Web.
Fix the Web 
Ken Parsons said
As the Glos Co-0rdinator for IT Can Help I fully support this however you might also want to expand your remit to include the eldery as part of this.
gailbradbrook said
Thanks Ken, good point, it was intended but wasn’t explicit, so I have changed the text under “A bit about me”… to reflect your point,
thanks
gail
Beth said
All of us at Knowbility share your passion! Let’s make the Web accessible to ALL!
David banes said
So how will we do this and accommodate people for whom English is not spoken and even more so those who use non roman text or read from Right to Left – universal access means access for all and hence we need to think about languages
Gail Bradbrook said
David,
thanks for your comment on the blog..
And the answer is?
I had thought about language and I don’t know how easy that is to build into the system- I think there are quite a few auto translators around? Know anything about that kind of thing or someone who does
Someone is looking around for me for EC funding possibilities (ha ha ha) for next stages which may be an opportunity if languages = cost I haven’t got right now
Best
Gail
Gail Bradbrook said
Hi David
thanks for your comment on the blog..
And the answer is?
I had thought about language and I don’t know how easy that is to build into the system- I think there are quite a few auto translators around? Know anything about that kind of thing or someone who does
Someone is looking around for me for EC funding possibilities (ha ha ha) for next stages which may be an opportunity if languages = cost I haven’t got right now
Best
Gail
MJ Ray said
Hi – can you put the 1-page up as a PDF instead of a Microsoft Word DOC please? Some ethical users who will want to help aren’t Microsoft customers and although it might convert, it might be messy because DOC isn’t standardised.
gailbradbrook said
Thanks, I really appreciate the feedback – just need a few days to implement
thanks
gail
Graham Armfield said
Hi Gail,
We spoke only briefly at a11yLDN yesterday and I missed your presentation, but I’m interested in Fix the Web. I’m a techie with some years knowledge of accessibility and websites, and I’ve done a fair bit of accessibility testing.
I’ll be reading through your material and then perhaps we can talk about how I can get involved to help out.
Graham
Martin Dobson said
I am a specialist in creating Learning Disability Websites.
I have developed innovative new ways to make websites accessible to people who have little or no reading by adding video to web sites.
Check out some recent examples : http://www.easy-read-online.co.uk/customers.aspx
I have also developed a way for people who have no reading to find good, accessible and relevant websites – its called Dobson’s Choice and it is already getting a steady use from people with learning disabilities. You can see it at http://www.dobsonschoice.co.uk
Martin Dobson
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