21 May 2007

User agents have a responsibility to design their products with accessibility in mind, the co-Lead of the Accessibility Task Force has claimed.

Writing for the Web Standards Project, Patrick H Lauke said that while web authors should always design inclusively, a shared responsibility exists.

"Any effort on the part of web authors to add accessibility features is rendered useless if browsers and assistive technologies don’t take advantage of them," explained Mr Lauke.

The expert added that the World Wide Web Consortium's User Agency Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 provide a "good starting point" for agents seeking advice on accessible design.

Contained within the standards is advice on various elements of design, including style sheets, keyboard navigation and text scale, said Mr Lauke.

The web expert also holds the post of Web Editor at the University of Salford in addition to his role with the Accessibility Task Force - a body that works to promote the importance of accessibility among vendors and companies.

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