Disability Rights Commission targets 1000 Sites for Compliance Testing

1000 websites will be investigated for their ability to be accessed by Britain's 8.5M disabled people in the Disability Rights Commission's (DRC) first Formal Investigation. A key aim of the investigation will be to identify recurrent barriers to web access and to help site owners and developers recognise and avoid them.

The investigation will break new ground in its breadth and depth. 1,000 web sites spanning the public and private sectors will be tested for basic compliance with recognised industry accessibility standards. In addition, 50 disabled people will be involved in in-depth testing of a representative sample of these sites for practical usability. This work will help clarify the relationship between a site's compliance with standards and its practical usability for disabled people.

The research supporting this Formal Investigation will be conducted in collaboration with a team from the Centre for Human Computer Interaction Design at City University London, led by Professor Helen Petrie.

Speaking today on the announcement of the Formal Investigation Bert Massie, Chairman of the DRC, said: 'The DRC wants to see a society where all disabled people can participate fully as equal citizens and this formal investigation into web accessibility is an important step towards that goal.'

He stressed that organisations which offer goods and services on the web already have a legal duty to make their sites accessible. 'The DRC is committed to enforcing these obligations but it is also determined to help site owners and developers tackle the barriers to inclusive web design.'

Mr Massie said that in a relatively short period of time the internet has had a profound impact on the way we live, work and study. 'It is vital that this new and powerful technology does not leave disabled people behind, but that its potential for delivering a genuinely inclusive society is realised to the full.'

The findings of the DRC's investigation are expected by the end of this year.

User Interviews - Analysis Simplified
Source: Webcredible, 6 January 2009
 
You’ve conducted your user interviews, but now you need to make sense of all that information you’ve gathered.

Why Products Fail
Source: ComputerWorld, 5 January 2009
 
Most gadget and software makers don't understand what users want most: control.

How to Design Websites for Mobile Phones
Source: stemkoski.com, 3 January 2009
 
Tips from Ryan Stemkoski's web design blog.

Pioneer of Cyberspace honoured
Source: BBC, 2 January 2009
 
A professor who invented a forerunner of the world wide web has been made a dame in the New Year Honours.

2008 in Review: Developments that rocked the world of User Experience
Source: Catalyst Resources, 1 January 2009
 
A look back at 2008 highlights some of the key developments that rocked the world of user experience.

2008: The Year Online
Source: MIT Technology Review, 31 December 2008
 
The business of social networking, cloud computing, and a flaw in the fabric of the Internet top the most notable stories of 2008.

Shoveling through the Spamalanche
Source: UN, 30 December 2008
 
A ‘Spamalanche’ of 3,000 emails will be waiting in your inbox by the time you get back to work. What can you do besides 'delete all'?

New guidelines boost Web Access
Source: BBC, 29 December 2008
 
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has announced a new standard to make sites more accessible to older and disabled people.

Measuring Emotional Engagement
Source: UN, 27 December 2008
 
New applications of electroencephalography (EEG) provide the means to gather detailed information on a user’s emotional relationship with a brand or service.

UXalliance thrives on Research strengths
Source: UN, 24 December 2008
 
The UXalliance provides clients with access to over 220 user experience professionals and 40 test labs worldwide.