Jim Byrne leaves Glasgow Caledonian University - now providing Web accessibility services
Added on Thursday 24 Mar 2005
Jim Byrne leaves Glasgow Caledonian University - to provide accessibility web design, development and training services.
I have been working within Glasgow Caledonian University since 1996, running the Making Connections Unit as a non-profit organisation providing advice, support and services to organisations interested in publishing accessible information on the web. In the last year I have worked as the University Web Accessibility Project Manager, providing training and consultancy to the web team (and external organisations) and working towards ensuring university websites are accessible to student and staff.
However, all good things must come to an end, the University Web Team are now all 'web accessibility disciples' and I have decided it is time to move on. I have left the university and set up my own Web Consultancy to provide web design, web development and accessible web design training to organisations in the public and private sector. My sincere thanks to everyone in the University who has given me advice, bought me a coffee, and supported me in my endeavours to promote web accessibiltiy over the years.
I'm now in the market for consultancy jobs and contracts related to accessible web design and development - or if you prefer - just web design and development - but with the accessibility part thrown in as part of the package. I'd appreciate it if you keep my name in mind if you meet anyone who is thinking about web development or training - even if they have never heard of the term, web accessibility.
Th following information is my 'pitch for work' and information about the services and skills I can offer to organisations in the market for web design, web development and training. Contact me now if you would like to speak to me about any of the following.
Training
I can travel throughout the UK and Europe to provide training 'in-house'.
Introductory courses
- The easy way to learning and understand HTML to create accessible web pages.
- The easy way to learn and understand Cascading Style Sheets for flexible presentation of web content.
- Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and UK websites seminar. A half-day seminar exploring your obligations in relation to the DDA (and SENDA if you are within the education sector).
The following courses are suitable to technical and non-technical individuals.
- Introduction to accessible web design - a one day introductory course.
- Accessible Web Design in practice. A comprehensive 2 day course that gives a solid grounding in the skills and 'mindset' required to create and manage accessible websites. This course has proved very popular in the past and the feedback has always be excellent.
Customised training
I can create training courses customised to your needs. If the exmaple above are not what you are looking for please get in touch to discuss how I can create a course to meet your requirements.
I have over a decade of experience providing training to local government, higher education, and the voluntary sector. I have also provided training to private sector companies and corporate organisations. Feedback has always been extremely positive.
Web Accessibility Services
Alternative approaches to Website Accessibility Auditing
In my experience just commissioning an accessibility audit isn't always the best approach, as developers need to have the skills and motivation to follow up on any recommendations. It's easy to put the report on a shelf somewhere and forget about it.
An alternative approach I have used successfully in the past is to combine a half-day training with a half-day 'live access audit', testing your site against W3C WCAG guidelines with the web team and managers present for discussion and questions. This can be enjoyable as well as educational and a very effective way of getting developers on board.
With this unique 'live audit' service you get instant feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of your site - so it is a more 'immediate' and memorable way to test and improve your site. This approach helps me to differentiate myself from other organisations providing web accessibility auditing services. In a 'live audit' there is nowhere for the auditor to hide. Auditing a site in-house, and discussing it with web developers means you have to be confident you know what you are talking about.
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p>The above approach can be combined with the more traditional accessibility audit and reporting; providing you with a 30 to 50 page report with screen shots, code examples, and recommendations.
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Examples of issues addressed when auditing a website
- Colour and colour contrast (e.g., checking for colour blindness access, visual impairment)
- The unit of measurement used to set the size of text.
- The font used for text on the site.
- Labeling for non-text content.
- Whether the HTML is coded correctly.
- Accessibility of forms.
- Consistency and usability of site navigation.
- The accessibility of any Javascript used.
- The flexibility of the design, checking whether it will work on all browsers.
- Accessibility of link text.
- Accessibility to people with different impairments.
The foregoing is not an exhaustive list, but it gives an idea of the range of work undertaken.
Working with your team
I can work collaboratively with your existing developer or undertake periodic audits and reports after work has been done. For example: to help ensure that the 'front-end' of you web based organisation database is accessible. This would include ensuring that search and report forms are accessible to screen reader users or people with a motor impairment. Also that the database design can be used by someone who has Dyslexia - (as they may need to change contrast to suit their own needs). Website design will meet the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines to an agreed level.
I can provide advice and support to your team by passing on knowledge and techniques relating to accessible website design (and the W3C Guidelines). This can be done informally or formally as part of a training course. The aim is to ensure that issues are discovered early in a project, so that they do not need to be re-visited at a later date.
The service can be customising to meet your needs
You may want to arrange different pieces of work as distinct jobs for an agreed price, or prefer ongoing work at an hourly rate, or agree a certain number of hours over a set period of time.
Accessible Content Management System (CMS)
My accessible CMS, QnECMs (Quick & Easy Content Management System), as used on this site, the Guild of Accessible Web Designers website and many others, is now available for sale at http://www.qnecms.co.uk It is suitable for small businesses, individuals and colleges and it's main strength, apart from having an accessible standards based administration interface - is that it is easy to use.
It is also affordable, and it can be re-branded for developers to offer to their own clients.
That's all for now - thanks.
Jim Byrne
Contact me now if you would like to speak to me about any of the above.