While it's true that IE can be made to ignore font sizes specified on web sites, the means of doing so is not going to be readily apparent to most users, and it is somewhat of a blunt instrument -- after all why should a visitor have to change the global settings of their browser just to visit _one_ site? The fixed-font-feature is specific to IE, but that is a browser used by more than 80% of the audience, so it shouldn't be ignored -- particularly when it is so easy to code correctly to avoid the 'bug/feature'. You should also take into account that many visitors, even if they know _how_ to change these settings, may be using machines where they cannot do so, and where they have no choice of alternative browser -- for example people using locked-down PCs at work, in schools or in libraries. Firefox is my browser of choice at home, but I can't use it at work where we have to use IE.

I'll admit that the original criticism may have seemed a little harsh, but I feel that it was quite deserved, particularly since they had the cheek to call the quite inaccessible HTML version the 'Accessible site' (though the site in question is very far from being alone in its faults). Four or five years ago I would merely have suggested making the necessary changes to enhance accessibility, but today there really is no good excuse for not doing things in the right way in the first place. It doesn't involve any extra effort. I see that the designers of the site were also responsible for the Lewis & Clark site which (undeservedly IMO given its complete inaccessibility) won an award at the Museums & the Web conference in 2004, which just goes to show. Perhaps the other entrants had similar faults and didn't look as good. I do find it strange at a time when we are all trying to remove barriers to wider public access to our exhibitions and our collections that some museums are producing web sites that deliberately put additional barriers in place.

I don't think anything I said was impractical with regard to producing an accessible site:

1. Follow the specifications
2. Validate to check your code
3. Understand and meet the requirements of the appropriate level of accessibility (simple/basic/easy to achieve mostly by following (1) above)

And if you think I was harsh, you can't imagine the treatment this site would have received on any usenet web authoring group ;-)

Best wishes

Pete
-- 
Peter M Gray
Museums Officer






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