Media: New Media Age warns of Accessibility Deadlines

New Media Age writes that the Government is preparing to launch the UK's first legal crackdown on companies that fail to make their websites accessible to blind or partially sighted users.

The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) will begin a formal investigation into online service providers next month, which could produce the country's first test case of disability law applied to the Web. The commission's legal team is formulating its strategy and weighing up whether its investigation should focus on individual companies or particular sectors, says the magazine.

If the investigation concludes that certain sites breach the 1999 Disability Discrimination Act, the Commission's statutory powers allow it to serve notices ordering them to cease operation. Failure to comply with such an order would result in a court case. This would see guidelines on accessible websites established in case law in the UK.

Catriona Campbell of the Usability Company is quoted in the NMA article saying that: 'There's no excuse, especially for blue chips'.

Associated Link: NMA: Government gets tough over Web accessibility

Online videos: Engaging your users
Source: Webcredible, 6 September 2008
 
A guide to using online video on your site to offer more enticing content and provide a more compelling user experience.

The Office of the Future?
Source: Occupational Hazards via Ergonomics in the News, 5 September 2008
 
The office of the future is less about technology and more about physiology.

This year's 10 best-designed Application User Interfaces
Source: NNg, 4 September 2008
 
Nielsen Norman Group recently announced the winners in its inaugural competition to find the 10 best-designed application user interfaces of the Application Design Annual 2008.

Caroline's Corner: Buttons on Forms - where to put them, and what to call them
Source: Caroline Jarrett, 3 September 2008
 
Should you put the ‘OK’ button to the left or the right of the ‘Cancel’ button? Like so much in forms, the simple answer isn’t really appropriate. And yet, who needs another ‘it depends’?

Three Usability Gurus
Source: avangate blog, 2 September 2008
 
A personal view, but lots of good links, especially if you're new to usability.

Ofcom publishes report on Usability Event
Source: Ofcom, 1 September 2008
 
Independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries, Ofcom, has published its report on usability issues.

Get Fit for Remote Working
Source: UN, 30 August 2008
 
BT Business has announced the launch of a practical guide 'Get fit for mobile working' designed to help mobile workers avoid back, neck and arm problems.

Site Visit Interviews: from Good to Great
Source: User Focus, 29 August 2008
 
For those of you for whom the Basic Introduction to User Interviews wasn't quite enough.

Six Metrics for Managing UI Design
Source: Russell Wilson, 28 August 2008
 
A proposal of six metrics to be used for managing a user interface design department.

Don't Judge a Form by its Cover
Source: Formulate Information Design, 27 August 2008
 
The saying "don't judge a book by its cover" reminds us that looks are deceptive. It turns out that this idiom applies to forms too.