CSUN 2010 Summary

My presentation for the 2010 CSUN Conference, “Ten Years of Web Content Accessibility Rules: Time for a Rethink?” is primarily concerned with whether or not the way we have encouraged/required the development of accessible sites in the past has been successful, and how we might improve the accessibility of the web in the future.
For more [...]

WCAG 2 - Don’t Panic

After nearly a year of deliberation, the Australian government has finally decided to move from using Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (WCAG 1.0) to WCAG 2.0 as the benchmark for website accessibility. On Wednesday February 24, The Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO) announced:
“Government agencies will transition to WCAG 2.0 over a four [...]

Freezer Ep 48: Whale Workshop

All day there had been a buzz at the Whale Watch Society workshop about the last session. Very few recognised the presenter’s name or photo in the program, but he was described as an expert in communication by aquatic mammals.
When Ralph Fly was introduced at the start of the final session, Sky Crystal was surprised [...]

Australia goes WCAG 2

On Tuesday 23 February the Minister for Finance, Lindsay Tanner, announced the Australian Government had endorsed WCAG 2.0.
The press release by Minister Tanner contained few details, but said all government websites would need to comply with WCAG 2.0 by 2015.
“These new standards will improve the ability of people with a broad range [...]

Government 2.0 Draft Report and Accessibility

While there are many things to praise in the Government 2.0 Taskforce Draft Report, ‘Engage: Getting on with Government 2.0‘, sadly I find it very light-on when it comes to the whole issue of social inclusion for people with disabilities.
How governments around the world balance the potential of web 2.0 with the reality of making [...]

Freezer Ep 47: Going Sailing

Every year, the old-money and new-money yachties put aside their schemes and scams, alliances and animosities, for one weekend. The RBT Ocean Classic was now an established part of the business calendar, where stockbrokers and loan sharks, property developers and company directors could go to sea for some serious competition and fun. The race always [...]

Social Inclusion for the Web

We no longer think it is acceptable to discriminate against people on grounds of gender or race and, as a community, we expect provision to be made for people with disabilities in public transport and building design. However, when it comes to making sure web content is accessible to all users of the web, including [...]

Freezer Ep 46: Final Practice

Each morning for the last month Dean had driven his daughter Jane to rowing practice, arriving at the sheds on the bank of the river just before dawn. And each morning, Abraham Goldsmith had been doing the same for his daughter Ruth, Jane’s partner in the double-sculls. While the sun came up and the girls [...]

Freezer Ep 45: Dean Signs

Time was running out for Ray Purvis. The survival of Purvis Holdings now depended on selling the land earmarked for the proposed shopping centre to the Kaytee Corporation of Japan, but not all the land was Ray’s to sell. Brimming with confidence, Purvis had assured the Japanese fishing entrepreneur he would overcome this problem in [...]

Freezer Ep 44: Kaytee Offer

At Purvis Holdings, the day of the Japanese finally arrived.
Alerted by security in the building foyer to the arrival of Mr Oshi from the Kaytee Corporation, Ray Purvis paced nervously in the reception area waiting for the lift. “Where’s the tree?” Purvis demanded of the receptionist, “I told you to get one of those banzi [...]