Progress report from the UK

I regret I cannot attend today's meeting, but append a progress
report from the UK. I welcome questions or comments.

- RNIB report on accessibility of online shopping.
On 7 Sept RNIB will publish a campaign report entitled
"Get the message: making online shopping accessible to blind
and partially sighted people".
We tested 17 high street stores (their Web sites) against 5
accessibility criteria:
- legibility
- alt-text
- correct implementation of frames
- navigation (buttons with alt-text, links able to 'stand alone')
- Bobby test
The purpose of the report is to raise awareness of the Web
accessibility issue in the UK (amoung Web designers and
companies).  
The report will be available free of charge over the Web and in
other formats. I will alert this group when the report is available.

- UK Charity Awards: Charity Internet Site of the Year. RNIB
judged this category as the awards organisers (Charity Times
magazine) wished to ensure that accessibility was taken into
account.  Awards ceremony will take place on 6 September.

- Local Government Association Web Awards.  A new category
was introduced this year 'RNIB Content and Accessibility
Award'.  This was won in June by Kirkless Metro Borough
Council see http://www.kirkleesmc.gov.uk/

- RNIB is planning to produce a research report on the
accessibility of  Online banking at the beginning of 2001.

- We are working with the UK's largest supermarket (grocery)
'Tesco' to build a fully accessible online home shopping store.
Launch expected October 2000.

- Goverment Websites continue to be redesigned according to
the Government Web Guidelines RNIB co-authored. As a result,
e-Government is steadily becoming more accessible.  I will be
writing an article for Government IT magazine which will discuss
the progess in this area.

- Under UK disability law (Disability Discrimination Act), there
have yet to be any cases regarding Websites.  However, there
has been great interest in the AOL/NFB case in this country (I
have appeared on national TV and national radio in the past
week commenting on this), and we maintain a watching brief.

Best wishes
Julie Howell
Campaigns Officer (Internet)
Royal National Institute for the Blind
224 Great Portland Street, London W1N 6AA, UK
Jhowell@rnib.org.uk
Tel. +44 (0)20 7391 2191
Fax. +44 (0)20 7391 2104

1.7 million people in the UK experience a serious sight problem
or blindness.
Poor Web design prevents many disabled people from getting
the most from the Web. Support our campaign for better Web
design!
http://www.rnib.org.uk/digital

Watch our video 'Websites That Work' on the Web at
http://www.rnib.org.uk/digital/wtw.htm

Received on Friday, 4 August 2000 07:24:00 UTC