Accessibil-IT News
Accessibil-IT Launches Phase One of Website Refresh
As part of the ongoing commitment to accessibility and delivering leading edge navigation for users of adaptive technologies, Accessibil-IT has completed its first phase of a collaborative effort with the Treasury Board Secretariat of the Government of Canada on the Web Experience Toolkit (WET) which includes "Ready-made tools and solutions for building innovative websites that are accessible, usable and interoperable."
Over the coming weeks, http://www.accessibilit.com will continue to add new content following its website refresh from a static HTML4 website into a dynamic HTML5/CSS3 based website that is designed to comply with WCAG 2.0 AA and WAI-ARIA standards for accessibility and usability.
In addition, http://www.accessibilit.com will add dynamic functionality such as a number of widgets, and a new Content Management System that will continue to expand the accessibility and usability of the rest of the HTML5/CSS3 website.
Rather than developing our new site behind closed doors, new features will be added as they are developed to showcase the ongoing evolution of the site. Also follow the Accessibil-IT Inc. Twitter feed for updates leading to the official relaunch of http://www.accessibilit.com
Stay tuned, and if you have any questions or comments in the meantime, please feel free to let us know at info at accessibilit dot com.
Partnering Design and Accessibility
RGD is pleased to welcome Accessibil-IT Inc. as its official Accessibility Partner. Committed to ensuring messages reach the intended target audience regardless of their ability, Accessibil-IT complements RGD’s initiative to ensure all graphic design is made more accessible. The partnership will not only help RGD to learn and promote accessible design practices, but will help the membership and industry as a whole to do the same.
“Accessibil-IT advocates that creative design does not need to be impeded to achieve accessibility,” says Wendy Lockyer, Owner and Principal, Accessibil-IT. “We commend RGD on their leadership in implementing accessible communications, and look forward to working with them and their members to achieve accessibility goals.”
As part of the newfound partnership, Accessibil-IT will make a special presentation at RGD’s annual DesignThinkers conference in November. Design & Accessibility: Ebony and Ivory will provide information and tips on designing the perfect creative to reach the broadest possible audience, and on enabling persons with disabilities to access and navigate messages the way they were intended. For more information on DesignThinkers and this presentation, visit http://www.designthinkers.com
“Across Ontario there is a growing urgency to achieve accessibility in every graphic design project, “ says Lionel Gadoury R.G.D., president of RGD. “To help us reach our widest possible audience, RGD is pleased to welcome Accessibil-IT Inc. as our new Accessibility Partner. We're confident that this relationship will not only help to ensure our PDF documents and presentations are accessible, but that our members will be encouraged to do the same.”
Since September 2009, RGD Ontario has been working in partnership with The EnAbling Change Partnership Program to educate graphic design professionals on accessible design and to provide them with information, tools and training required to help them design accessibly. Deliverables of this project include professional development events, a dedicated and interactive website (http://www.rgd-accessibledesign.com), as well as a best practices handbook also to be launched at DesignThinkers 2010.
To find out how to make your communications accessible, contact Accessibil-IT at 905-491-6875 or info@accessibilit.com
To find out more about becoming an RGD sponsor, contact Hilary Ashworth, Executive Director of RGD Ontario, at 416.367.8819 ext 23 or hilary@rgdontario.com