Some success from the UK

Hi everyone
as well as working at RNIB, I run a community site for people
with multiple sclerosis (MS).  I do my best to make the site fully
WAI compliant.  I had some award successes this week which I
thought might be on interest.
Here is the RNIB press release, in which WAI is mentioned.
Best wishes
Julie Howell, RNIB, UK

13 July 2000

RNIB WEB EXPERT WINS TWO MAJOR AWARDS

Julie Howell, the Royal National Institute for the Blind's (RNIB)
Campaigns Officer (Accessible Internet), has won two website
awards in one evening.  In the Yell UK Web Awards organised
annually by Yellow Pages, she won hands-down with 75% of the
votes in the "Daily Mirror Readers Choice" category, and was
runner-up in the 'Best Personal Site' category.  In addition, she
gained first prize in The New Statesman New Media Awards in
the "Online Community" category.  In a bizarre twist, Julie had
originally been asked to be a judge in the New Statesman
Awards for accessibility, and then found out why she had not
been contacted about the shortlisting: she was on the list herself!

Julie - who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) ten
years ago - created her website, Jooly's Joint, five years ago,
as an on-line community of people with MS around the world.

"I am thrilled to receive these two awards on behalf of the
thousands of people
with multiple sclerosis who make up the community that is
Jooly's Joint," she said reacting to her double success.  Going
on to refer to her work with RNIB, she continued: "These awards
recognise that websites that are designed with the needs of
everyone in mind can be winners.  Careful, accessible web
design (as recommended by the Web Accessibility Initiative)
can result in attractive, functional sites that are a joy to use and
easy to create.  I hope more designers will take a leaf out of my
book and consider the needs of everyone when designing for
the web." 
 
 Julie Howell has also been recognised as an internet pioneer
in a new book: "Heroes.com: the names and faces behind the
dot com era", sold in aid of The ITV Year of Promise.  
 
 The book is a collection of interviews with significant figures of
the internet age, and Julie was selected because: "Julie Howell,
the name and face behind Jooly's Joint, is one of our greatest
heroes.  Her site is visited regularly by 10,000 members who are
living and surfing with multiple sclerosis".
  
 Notes for Editors:
 
 1	The UK Yell Web Awards 2000 are the "people's choice"
of the best of the Net. Now in its fifth year, the Yell Awards
continue to recognise and promote the wealth of creativity and
originality within the UK Web industry
(http://www.yell.co.uk/awards).
 
 2	For more information about the New Statesman new
Media Awards, go to
http://www.newstatesman.co.uk/newmedia.
 
 3	Jooly's Joint: people with MS supporting each other is at:
http://www.mswebpals.org.
 
 4	"Heroes.com:the names and faces behind the dot com
era" by Louise Proddow of Sun Microsystems, is published by
Hodder and Stoughton (http://www.dotcomheroes.com). The
book is being sold in aid of the charity ITV Year of Promise
(http://www.itv.yearofpromise.co.uk/).
 
 5	The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) Web Content
Authoring Guidelines are available online at:
http://www.w3.org/WAI.
 
 6	Further information about RNIB's Campaign for Better
Web design is available online at: http://www.rnib.org.uk/digital.
 
 7	RNIB's Technology Service provides a wide range of
information on the use of technology by blind and partially
sighted people. The service helps sighted and people with
serious sight problems, such as employers, those in work or
seeking work, students, teachers, parents, and educational and
employment professionals.  RNIB Technology Information
Service can be contacted at: www.rnib.org.uk/technology, or by
phone on: 024-7636 9555, or via email: technology@rnib.org.uk.
 
 8	RNIB is the leading charity working in the UK offering
practical support, advice and information to anyone with a
serious sight problem.  For information, call the RNIB Helpline
on: 0845-766 9999.

Received on Thursday, 13 July 2000 13:47:10 UTC