What’s happening…Happy New Year!

It’s sometimes difficult getting back into the swing of things after the holidays, but we’ve managed and everyone is looking forward to an exciting 2009.

The Wired Solutions Team has decided to kick off 2009 with a new website. It’s important to keep the company image fresh, and updated. The site's complex database was engineered to allow even the non-geeks to make changes to the website with ease. Check it out at www.wiredsolutions.ca

It’s already been an exciting year with the launch of the Town of Amherstburg's Website. “It was an exciting project and we look forward to a continued partnership with the town” said Project Manager, Stacey Hayes. We also launched the Valente Development site in early January. The site includes a delicate touch of Flash and a slick image display feature.

The Wired Solutions team is sad to announce that co-worker Kelly Wanklin (“The Kelly”) will be leaving the team and heading out west to live in Alberta this January. We will miss him and his superior coffee making skills, but wish him all the best.

A Word on Accessibility

When most people think of making a space accessible, they think of wheel chair ramps, handicapped bathrooms and maybe even braille signage. But, have you ever considered how accessible your website is? Or wonder how your website functions for a person who is blind? An important part of accessibility, in today’s world, is making sure your website is designed so that all users can have equal access to information and functionality.

Website accessibility aims to address needs for the visually impaired, those with motor difficulty, hearing impairments, seizures, and cognitive or intellectual disabilities. People with disabilities can use assistive technologies to help them browse the web, and read your website. These technologies include screen readers, speech recognition software, braille terminals, and screen magnification.

Web designers and developers today use a variety of techniques so that their websites meet the minimum Priority 1 Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). For example, simply adding descriptive 'alt' tags to images, using colour with size and pattern to convey information, creatively using symbolic icons, and avoiding flashing images or text, are just a few simple things that all designers should be doing to meet minimum code.

Lesson Learned!

Remember that your website is seen by people from all walks of life. From the first stages of identifying your target market to testing and Quality Assurance, think about accessibility through-out the process. Whether you use a content management system, hire a web development team, or design your own website, making sure information is equally accessible should always be on your to do list.