Net standards

"Net standards are a common basis... the cornerstone for websites, which makes browsers and other software understand the same basic vocabulary".
Eric Meyer

Net standards were designed to:

• provide the maximum advantage to as many Internet users as possible
• ensure the maximum "durability" of a web document
• provide websites accessible to a larger group of users and Internet devices
• keep proper function when faced with further progress in the market of browsers and new communication devices connected to the Internet

Net standards stand for:

• faster file download times,
• the code is accessible to a wider range of users and devices,
• customising websites by the users,
• easily implemented version for printing,
• cheaper hosting,
• higher rank in search engines,
• faster and more effective maintenance,
• better competitiveness.

We all benefit from the net standards.

Accessibility

Web accessibility issues are basically the capability of viewing a website with non-typical browsers (text, smart phones or PDA) or, for instance - the blind people. We need to answer the question: is the user able to navigate my website in any situation? If the answer is yes, then the website is fully accessible.

Why is it advisable to have an easily accessible website?:

• It makes your website available to a wider audience (blind people, motorial or cognitively impaired)
• It makes your website available to a wider range of devices ("hand held" computers, self-voicing software (Screen Reader), and text browsers, search engines)

Usability

Usability is the extent to which the project meets the requirements and preferences of the customers, facilitating faster acquaintance with the interface as well as usage and performing tasks. Usability should also be judged by the owner of the website himself - is it worth updating and editing. Usability is also the proper architecture of information, navigation system and searching. Information architecture provides rules for designing, which facilitates making the information complete and providing it to the users.

W3C Standards

An Englishman Tim Berners-Lee - the creator of "the World Wide Web", did not only invent the first browser, but also the first server and key protocols to be applied on the net in their current form - the URL address, HTTP transmission protocol and HTML. He currently works at the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium), which establishes Internet standards and is run by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. W3C and other organisations for Internet standards facilitated technologies used for creating and interpreting the content of websites. Below we present all their suggestions.

A website that meets the standards shall be:

1. Perceivable. The whole content of a website must be presented in a form that is readable and easily interpreted by anyone.
2. Easy to use. The elements of the interface can be used by everyone.
3. Easy to navigate. The presence of elements that facilitate navigation and orientating in its content.
4. Comprehensible. One must make the content of a website and its navigation as easily understandable for the visitors as possible.
5. Reliable. That means using technologies that maximize the possibilities for the website to co-operate with the currently available as well as future browsers, additional supporting techniques and other software.

http://www.w3.org

Section 508

W roku 1990 Kongres uchwali³ The American Disabilities Act (ADA) natomiast w roku 1998, wprowadzi³ the Rehabilitation Act zmuszaj±cy Agencje Federalne do uczynienia publikacji elektronicznych dostêpnych dla osób upo¶ledzonych. Jest to Sekcja 508 ADA (poprawka z 1998 roku) - zawiera ona analogiczne (choæ nie to¿same) do WCAG zasady dotycz±ce projektowania dostêpnych stron WWW, nale¿±cych do instytucji federalnych; za ustalanie i trzymanie siê standardów w tej dziedzinie odpowiada Architectural and Transportation Barrier Compliance Board.

European Union Regulation

W Uni Europejskiej jest 37 millionów ludzi niepo³nosprawnych, a liczba starszych ludzi wci±¿ wzrasta. Niedostosowane strony internetowe stanowi± dla nich wszytkich barierê nie do przebycia. Wiêkszo¶æ z nich mo¿e bæ jednak prosto usuniêta je¶li strony www bêd± projektowane zgodnie ze standardami sieciowymi. Dyrektywy i rozporz±dzenia unijne po¶wiêcaj± du¿o uwagi kwestii uczestnictwa osób niepe³nosprawnych we wspó³czesnym spo³eczeñstwie informacyjnym. Zainteresowanie t± problematyk± znalaz³o te¿ odbicie w kilku planach i inicjatywach unijnych: Plan eEuropa 2002, 2005, Plan eEuropa+, Information Society Technologies Programme (1999-2002), Design for All itd... Wszystkie standardy UE oparte s± o WAI oraz WCAG.

UE websites about accessibility