Accessible Web Design in Practice Training Course
Added on Thursday 30 Sep 2004
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p>There are still a few places left on the next Making Connections Unit, Accessible Web Design in Practice training course on the 28th and 29th of October. This a 2 day course being run in Glasgow Caledonian University Library in the Centre of Glasgow; the venue is close to both main Glasgow bus and train stations. Register your interest in the course by filling in the booking form.
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About the course
This course is not about creating unattractive 'text only' pages; accessible design is about designing for disabled people and non-disabled people. The training combines off-line discussion and learning, with online experience and examples - including hands-on experience of surfing websites with text browser, a screen reader and using the keyboard only.
Hands-on activities include using online checking tools to check the validity and accessibility of websites - and interpreting the results. The first day of the course builds an understanding of what is meant by accessible web design, and give a 'framework for thinking' - that provides a context for the topics covered in day two. I consider this an important aspect of the course; but it is not addressed, as far as I am aware, on any of the other accessible web design courses.
This first day also gives and understanding of what HTML is, how it should be used, and makes makes it accessible or not accessible. The training is aimed at helping publishers manage their web content in a more efficient and flexible manner; accessible web design is about more than learning individual HTML techniques (although you learn the techniques as well). Accessible web design is about understanding how to manage and publish web content in the most flexible way - cutting down the work web publishers have to do to reach their widest possible audience.
The second days is more 'topic' based, i.e. how do you make PDFs, web text, forms accessible, making pages accessible for people with particular impairments, and so on. The course is taught in a very 'interactive' manner - questions and discussion are the basis of the learning - with frequent reviews of what has been learned.
In addition to the training itself, all course participants will take away extensive notes and articles for all of the topics (listed on the course outline at http://www.mcu.org.uk/services/training.html) for both days.
About The Making Connections Unit
The Making Connections Unit, set up by Jim Byrne and David Donald in 1996, has been a pioneer in the area of Internet accessibility. It is based in Glasgow Caledonian University and provides web accessibility consultancy and services to nation and local government, as well as the voluntary sector, not for profit and private sector.
About your tutor Jim Byrne
Jim is a recognised expert in the field of accessible web design and has a thorough awareness of practice and policy issues. A former Disability Information and Training Officer, he has extensive experience delivering staff development and training programmes within the public, private and voluntary sector. He has written and spoken widely on the subject of accessible Web design, including publications for The Scottish Accessible Information Forum, and articles for The Times Higher Education supplement and a host of online magazines. He has also spoken about the subject of accessible web design on radio and television. In 2001 he was identified as one of Scotland's 'movers and shakers in e-commerce in Scotland' for his work in the area of Web accessibility (NB Magazine, June, 2001). Jim has been using and programming computers on a daily basis since 1979, and learning about how to design accessible websites since 1996.
Register for the course now at http://www.mcu.org.uk/services/bookingform.html
Please don't hesitate to get back in touch if you would like further information about the course.
Please pass this information on to other people you know who are interested in accessible web design.