RNIB (UK)

Hi everyone

I haven't sent an update on what we're doing for a while, so thought I'd do
so now.

Detailed information about RNIB's Campaign for Good Web Design (which I
lead) is available on our web site at http://www.rnib.org.uk/digital

Recent achievements and developments include:

- Working with Europe's largest e-grocer, Tesco.com, to create an accessible
online shopping service. Tesco Access http://www.tesco.com/access  
- Working with the British Bankers' Association to produce a report entitled
'Accessible e-banking: making your online service accessible to all'
- The UK Government references WCAG in version 2 of its own guidelines (as a
mandatory guideline) - http://www.e-envoy.gov.uk/webguidelines.htm
- Community Legal Service Quality Mark standard For web sites references
WCAG http://www.webstandards.org.uk/
- RNIB 'See it Right' icon awarded to Standard Life Investments web site
http://www.sli.co.uk

We run bi-monthly campaign supporters network seminars in London. A guest
speaker is invited to make a presentation at each event, which is followed
by a lively Q&A.  Previous events have featured speakers from Tesco.com,
Adobe, and an expert witness from the Olympics.com court case in Australia.

The next event features Macromedia.  Details below.  These events, which
take place on Friday afternoons, are well-attended, with at least 150
delegates from Government, web design agencies, industry and the press
present.  They have proved to be a great way to spread the campaign message
and distribute campaign resources. The following event will take place on 19
April at the same venue. The subject will be accessible internet banking,
and will feature a presentation by Natwest, one of the UK's largest banks.

On behalf of RNIB I continue to do a great deal of public speaking on the
subject of web accessibility. At the moment I receive (on average) one
request to speak per day.  Clearly, interest in this area is really taking
hold in the UK.

RNIB's web design consultancy recently doubled it's staff resource and
continues to be very popular.

I look forward to seeing you in Cannes in February.

---
Kind regards
Julie Howell
Campaigns Officer (Internet)
Royal National Institute for the Blind
224 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5AA, UK
julie.howell@rnib.org.uk
Phone +44 (0)20 7391 2191
Mobile +44 (0)7984-600089
Fax +44 (0)20 7391 2104

2 million people in the UK experience sight loss or blindness.
Poor design prevents many disabled people from getting the most from the
Web.
Support RNIB's campaign for better Web design!
http://www.rnib.org.uk/digital

Ask me for our campaign film (CD-Rom or VHS video): 'Web sites that work'
Ask me for our campaign report: 'Get the message online'
Join the campaign mailing list:  
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RNIBCampaignforGoodWebDesign/join 

Event announcement

Event: 'Accessibility and Macromedia: using Macromedia products to create
accessible web content'
Details of a forthcoming event sponsored by the Royal National Institute for
the Blind.
When: Friday 25 January 2002, 3pm-5pm
Where: Theatre, International Students House, 229 Great Portland Street,
London W1, UK. 
Nearest tube: Gt Portland St, Regent's Park.
Who should attend: policy and purchase decision makers from companies and
organisations that provide web-based services to the public; representatives
from web design agencies; web designers; web project managers; equal
opportunity officers, internet users, and anyone interested in knowing what
Macromedia is doing to make the company's products fully accessible to
people with disabilities.
There can be few web designers who have no knowledge of Macromedia's web
authoring products, from Dreamweaver to Flash, and many more. Many of
Macromedia's customers are concerned with creating web sites that are
accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. In his
presentation, Jon Harris of Macromedia will reveal the steps the company is
taking to ensure that Macromedia products enable web designers to create web
content that everyone can use.
This event provides excellent networking opportunities for anyone interested
in the subject of accessible web design. The atmosphere is informal and
conducted in a manner befitting a Friday afternoon. Be sure to bring
business cards with you.
Key speaker: Jon Harris, Technical Sales Manager, Macromedia Northern Europe
Session introduced by: Julie Howell, Campaigns Officer (Internet), RNIB
Julie is the officer responsible for RNIB's Campaign for Good Web Design,
that promotes the creation of web sites and online services that include
people with disabilities. She is author of the RNIB report 'Get the message
online: making internet shopping accessible to blind and partially sighted
people', helped the UK Government draft their own web design guidelines and
worked with Tesco.com, to make its service accessible to disabled customers.

This event is organised by Julie Howell, Campaigns Officer (Accessible
Internet), RNIB. 020-7391 2191 julie.howell@rnib.org.uk.
Cost: Fifteen UK Pounds + VAT. Registration prior to the event is essential.
If you wish to attend please send an email to julie.howell@rnib.org.uk
containing:
your name
your company's name
your postal address
your email address
Please let us know if you have any reading or access requirements so that we
can ensure that you get the most from this event.
This event forms part of a programme of RNIB Campaign for Good Web Design
Supporters Network events. The events take place in London bi-monthly. For
more information contact Julie Howell at julie.howell@rnib.org.uk or visit
http://www.rnib.org.uk/digital
---


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Received on Friday, 11 January 2002 11:57:12 UTC