The W3C has finally released the final version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. Announced in a press release this morning Australian time, W3C Web Standard Defines Accessibility for Next Generation Web, the W3C states that, This new standard from the W3C’s Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) will advance accessibility across the full range…
It has always struck me as a little contradictory that while one of the government’s primary goals is to build citizen awareness of various services, issues, initiatives and opportunities, at the same time many government communications and publications (than need to be) are protected under rigid copyright disclaimers. I’ve even seen situations where government agencies…
For the last ten years I’ve been making use of Adobe Flash (formerly Macromedia Flash) within websites to provide rich content features and applications unattainable with HTML. Unfortunately I still get asked the same questions about Flash, regarding accessibility, file size and how many users have the technology. I’d like to put these to bed….
Forbes magazine has asked whether IT departments are their own worst enemies, in an article, The un-marketing of IT, citing examples such as, Promoting e-mail use but limiting inbox storage and file attachment sizes. Touting the Internet as a data goldmine, then blocking people from visiting so-called non-business sites. Providing people with a PC as…
Thank goodness that another Australian institute has taken the step to start placing a pictorial history of Australia up in Flickr. As reported in the Sydney Morning Herald in the article, Australian history gets Flickr treatment, the State Library of NSW has begun loading its photo collection into the online image library. It can require…
Research since 1997 has indicated that the ‘fold’ in webpages (the bottom of the first visible screen of a webpage) is no longer a hard barrier for people. However the myth of the fold still persists in many web designs.Boxes and arrows has hosted an excellent article by Milissa Tarquini, Blasting the Myth of the…
Further to my post, Australian Human Rights Commission prepared to name and shame government publishers failing online accessibility, the Human Rights Commission has now launched a website that lists government agencies failing to meet their legal obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. The site, named Webwatch is visible in the Human Right Commission’s site.The…
According to the NextGov article Air Force opens bidding for virtual air base, the US Air Force is preparing to launch a virtual air base where airmen will attend courses in a 3D virtual world.Simulators have long been used in training pilots and astronauts, due to the fatal consequences of mistakes by novices. This air…
On Friday the Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Graeme Innes, at the Australian Human Rights Commission released a media statement, Climate change secretariat excludes people with disabilities, indicating the Commmision was prepared to ‘out’ government publishers who did not meet Australia’s mandatory accessibility requirements for online material. “I recently said that, if things did not start to…
Forrester Research has released a report critiquing the navigation of the websites of John McCain and Barack Obama, claiming that both fail basic navigation tests by potential voters. Nextgov reported in the article, Web sites of both presidential candidates fail to connect with users, that, Forrester used five criteria in its evaluation: clear labels and…
This archive mirrors the original eGov AU blog — Craig’s professional commentary on AI, digital government and technology in public life, running since 2006.
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