The UK responds to web accessibility problems - nothing short of amazing.
Shortly after the PAS 78 Guide was released by the British Standards Institution (BSI), a reference website was launched on March 16, 2006 that enables organizations to receive timely advice and instant user accessibility testing.
Usability Exchange was founded with the principle of allowing developer to receive instant access from disabled people. The developers will also have the ability to watch as users attempt to navigate the sites and access the information.
Typically, live user testing, especially with the broad range of disabilities has been expensive and hard to arrange. Usability Exchange has lessened the burden of developers, web managers and companies that have to comply with the UK accessibility laws and the PAS 78 recommendations (which include user testing).
Disables testers are encouraged to sign up, as testers are paid for their reviews. This provides a win-win for all involved, as developers can get near instant feedback and testing from a wide variety of users and AT. Testers receive a flexible income for helping others to understand better accessibility actual user feedback.
What an incredible idea, truly a pioneering concept that I hope will gain traction and continue to grow as a new online community of ideas and innovation. I hope that they can keep up with the demand, and I wonder if this is a UK-only service?
Hi Matt,
This is so creative and timely. According to their FAQ, it is only available in the UK for now, but it looks like they want to expand to global.
Comment by Kim (Cre8pc) — March 17, 2006 @ 10:29 pm