Accessibility is a big issue on the web, and rightly so. There are far too many web sites that might work well for those with perfect sight, hearing and mobility, but for others using them is a nightmare. A recent survey suggested that top UK retailers failed to meet basic web accessibility standards.
One UK business that is taking the challenge of web accessibility seriously is the Café Rouge restaurant chain, who have launched an attractive and functional website.
The site complies with Level A Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), endorsed by the Royal National Institute for the Blind. Of course there's always more that can be done to make web sites usable by as many people as possible, but this is a great start.
The agency who created the site, Magnitude, will be launching a similarly access-friendly site for Bella Italia next month.
In the past, sites conforming to standards were often very simplistic or visually unappealing, but the Café Rouge site proves that good visual design can coexist with standards of accessibility.
The site mentioned certainly DOES NOT comply with WAI single A.
it fails on at least two areas, on the homepage alone.
There is no replacement or alternative content for it's flash content. (just an instruction to install flash!)
There are missing alt attributes on images.
Must try harder.