What exactly do we mean by ‘accessibility’? It’s not easy to define, since the term can cover many areas and aspects of a resource or product. But when it comes to web sites, “web accessibility means that people with disabilities can use the web”. (definition courtesy of the
W3C Web Accessibility Initiative). Simple as that. So then why is it so difficult, seemingly, for developers to create a web site that can be accessed by everyone, regardless of whether they have a disability or not?
To be fair, it’s not always the developer’s fault. There are times when their hands are tied, even though they may have the best intentions at heart, by budget constraints – or by a customer who is not willing to pay a little extra money for features that will make their website more accessible. There is also the lack of tools in their working environment which would enable them to fully test a web site (the cost of these tools is not inconsiderable). The aforementioned problems and hindrances can all add up to the development of a product that does not meet accessibility standards.
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Data is at the heart of every online publishing application. Ensuring that data is accurately and comprehensively marked up is the key to providing a good online experience for those searching and viewing your content.
The following is a small collection of tips for making sure your XML data is in tip-top condition.
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What’s an LMS? Depends who you ask. If I’m talking to my online publishing friends it’s a Library Management System, but my e-learning friends think it’s something different altogether. Similar, but different. You can’t help noticing that people who work in closely related digital industries don’t seem to swap notes much before generating new TLA’s (that’s Three Letter Acronyms to you). 