Is your school website DDA compliant?

[bishopsgarthstockton]

Had a phone call the other day from voicegroup asking me what software package we use to create our school website.. i told them that we use Dreamwever.

they went to say that they had a web creating package that could help improve our website. I told her that we were happy with dreamweaver, and didnt require any other software.

like a true sales rep she started to blagg my head, so i asked her to email me details about the package, and when I get 5 minutes i will take a look.

this is the responce



Dear Customer,



Following our conversation today, here are a few examples of websites we have designed:-



Milton Keynes College - www.mkcollege.ac.uk Parliament Hill School - www.parliamenthill.camden.sch.uk Walsall College - www.walcat.ac.uk



The website package can be an excellent marketing tool to promote your specialist school within the community and help with raising its profile.



* It has strong graphics, pre-set navigation, online video and audio technology facilities, all designed to your specification giving you an individual website.



* The website can be easily updated by yourself or others with super user function.



* The package is DDA complaint (it is now a legal obligation to make websites accessible to the disabled).





As previously discussed we would be more than happy to visit you and show you a demonstration of the website package with no obligation.



Laura Walker will contact you in the next few days.



Kind regards,





Hayley Gora

Quality Manager

Voice Marketing Ltd

now in the email it says

"The package is DDA complaint (it is now a legal obligation to make websites accessible to the disabled)."

Now i know our school website is not the best, and i dont thinks its DDA compliant. so decided to look in to this further and found the folowing info at the website website

has anyone dealt with voice group and more importantly what is the package. they havent emiled me any details about the package.

Does anyone have any idea how to make there site DDA compliant? I just dont want to feel pushed in to buying crap software to abide by tyhe law when i could do my self with what we already have, and obviously improve the site.

cheers

[_Bat_]

I too would be interested in this if anyone can give anymore info.

I kept meaning to get around to making my school websites DDA compliant but never did. I know about the simple things such as added "alt" tags to images, but what else is there?

[Domino]

you've gotta make sure a screen reader can go through the site easily, and make sure everythings tagged meaningfully. Its usual to put text links at the bottom of the page and have a site map.

Theres only been one case of any legal action actually being taken http://www.drc-gb.org/pdf/Latif_Judgement.pdf in the UK.

However you should be as compliant as possible as this (obviously) helps the disabled, but also most of the things you will do will actually help your search engine optimisation as well.

[ICT_GUY]

This came up recently at our school.

None of the sites for the big schools in our area come even close to being compliant. It would not be easy or worthwhile to change our site. If a blind person complains we may have a rethink.

[Scotmk]

Having a look at their examples, they are all missing 1 vital example of DDA-compliancy, which is Access-Keys. e.g. being able to to press (alt + first character of menu), ie. if they have a menu item called About us, then you should be able to press "alt + A", this should be for vistitors unable to use a mouse correctly. Also multi colour change. (as per excellent example in Sysman_mk joomla template.

So what are they on!

[Kained]

The key thing is screen readers from what i have been told / heard.

Just make sure you use valid xhtml and use alt tags on images and as pre mentioned access keys

we have just recently had a re design of our site to cope with the law change as long as you are seen to make a effort in this direction i dont see where people will have a stand.