Website Accessibility Working Group

I'm starting to "do my bit" for Manchester Digital. We start with the first in what I hope will be a series of events to drive Greater Manchester forwards as a centre of excellence for standards based intelligent website delivery. We're great believers in inclusivity and website accessibility is so very key to how we drive the web as whole forward. Consequently, in conjunction with Manchester Digital and with the very valuable assistance of the Manchester Digital Development agency, we are launching the Accessibility Working Group. The press release is as follows:

Manchester Digital is very pleased to announce the first in a new series of events designed to establish Greater Manchester and the North West as a centre of Excellence for the Digital sector.

Understanding Website Accessibility requirements and legislation is increasingly a critical skill for any design professional. Any business within the UK has a legal obligation to ensure that their website is reasonably accessible to persons of varying disability. As around 1 in 10 persons in the UK has some form of disability, so ensuring a website is accessible has direct financial benefit.

Manchester Digital will launch the Accessibility Working Group (AWG) on the Wednesday 13th July at the Manchester Digital Development Agency premises. The aims of the AWG are to establish a forum where knowledge, experience and excellence in accessible website design, build, testing and marketing will be shared. The core premise is that the AWG will equip its members with the means to improve what they do and drive direct financial benefit for themselves.

The inaugural meeting will aim to establish a loose structure and identify an initial organising panel. The panel currently has 3 members:

Simon Wharton, Director of Manchester Digital (www.manchesterdigital.com), Manager Director of VirtuAffinity Ltd. (www.virtuaffinity.com)

Dr David Kreps, Manager Director of Fourquarters IS ltd www.fourquarters.biz

Alan Holding, Manchester Digital Development Agency (www.manchesterdda.com)

The Manchester Digital AWG is particularly interested in identifying members who have personal use for assistive technologies.

Anyone requiring further information or who wishes to register to attend she make contact with Simon Wharton via:

Telephone: 0870 757 4888

Email: AWG@virtuaffinity.com