Released on: 22, March 2006
, Author: DrivenQA
, Audience: Internet related
Publicly Available Specification (PAS 78) is a new guide forthose commissioning a website on the conventions and processes that ensureaccessibility for the disabled. The guide makes it clear that the websitecommissioner is solely responsible for accessibility, in accordance with the WorldWide Web Consortium (W3C) standards and the Disability Discrimination Act 1996.
The guidelines, if adopted on a large scale, will lead to a more accessible, moreinclusive and more usable internet. Sites that have been optimised for accessibilityare also much more user friendly and often more readable by search engines, makingfor higher search rankings.
The only drawback with PAS 78 is that some of the processes recommended could beseen as too much of an inconvenience to anyone commissioning a website. How manyonline start-up entrepreneurs for example, would easily be able to oversee thedevelopment of a test plan for usability? It is here that independent qualityassurance advice will prove to be invaluable.
Rosie Sherry of DrivenQA, a software and web testing company in Brighton has this tosay about the new guidelines:
 Accessibility testing is not a simple process and should only be carried out byprofessionals to ensure guidelines are upheld. QA professionals have aresponsibility to be involved from the beginning of the development process to helpsite owners avoid discrimination.Â
PAS 78 identifies the following key benefits of an accessible website
 Accessibility means exposure to broader audiences, and potentially an extra  80billion in spending power.
 Websites optimised for accessibility are also more usable for non-disabled users,making it easier for them to become customers.
 Where World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) accessibility guidelines are upheld, sitesare more easily viewed on handheld, mobile phone and interactive TV devices.
 Accessible content has a much higher visibility for search engines, which boostssearch engine rankings.
# # # # ENDS # # # #
www.drivenqa.com
DrivenQA
DrivenQA has been certified by the biggest names in software and developspartnerships to deliver the best QA services to its clients.
Based in Brighton and part of Driven Systems [www.getdriven.com], DrivenQA is headedby Rosie Sherry and her core team.
Source: Express-Press-Release.com
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