Just to address a couple of common misconceptions here...
1. If you plan for accessibility from the start it will _not_ greatly
increase your development costs. The thing that costs the money is building
the site first and then trying to 'retro-fit'
2. Just because something is accessible it _really_ doesn't mean it has to
be ugly and boring! Accessibility is certainly not about 'killing ourselves
for 2% of our audience AT THE EXPENSE of the other 98%' - It's perfectly
possible to create very attractive sites that are completely accessible and
innovative - even Flash can be made accessible nowadays. Yes I agree, there
are too few good examples out there but that doesn't mean that it's
impossible or we shouldn't try.
This isn't about being negative - the site really does look great in IE 6,
why can't it look great for everyone else as well? It's perfectly possible,
it just requires a web designer with a touch of ingenuity...
(sorry about the pun, but it's been a long day!)
Cheers,
Paul
-----Original Message-----
From: Museums Computer Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of
Leonard Latiff
Sent: 15 June 2004 16:51
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Launch of www.ingenious.org.uk
I had a brief look and think it looks great. I agree with Paul. There are
access issues but think it would be unreasonable to say it fails because of
that. Making something that looks this good and is accessible in the same
way for everyone greatly increases development time which increases time and
so money. I am unsure what the development issues were here but feel that
whenever you go for something that is pleasing to the eye some access issues
are going to be compromised. That is a decision that has to be made by the
commissioning institution. This is especially the case when using Flash. I
would say that websites use Flash because it offers an aesthetic
functionality that would otherwise be unavailable or, once again, take
excessive development time. It's up, it looks good and now there is an
excellent foundation to build and improve on.
-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Ratcliffe [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 15 June 2004 15:36
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Launch of www.ingenious.org.uk
here we go again... Looks lovely in Internet Explorer 6 for PC but for
starters the 'Create' section looks terrible in Netscape 7 and is completely
unreadable in Opera. I haven't the time to start on the accessibility
issues - why doesn't everyone just read all the e-mails following the launch
of the Take One Picture site again...
Paul
-----Original Message-----
From: Museums Computer Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of
Ellis Mike
Sent: 15 June 2004 15:06
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Launch of www.ingenious.org.uk
Celebrating human ingenuity - Ingenious has arrived!
Wednesday 9th June marked the launch of www.ingenious.org.uk, a stunning
online resource including over 30,000 objects and pictures taken from the
Science Museum, the National Museum of Photography, Film & Television and
the National Railway Museum.
Celebrating and exploring the many feats of human ingenuity that have shaped
our lives, www.ingenious.org.uk is a fascinating and absorbing insight into
science and culture for everybody interested in human invention.
Ingenious.org.uk offers users:
> Read - In-depth articles across a range of subjects from 'The Nature And
History Of Addiction' to 'Is War The Mother Of Invention?
> Debate - Online discussions, including 'Should the state pay to make ugly
people beautiful?' led by comedian and actor, Mat Fraser.
> See - Access to over 30,000 images from NMSI collections - many are
previously unseen
> Create - Create your own image library and send e-cards
www.ingenious.org.uk is the result of an unprecedented collaboration between
the three museums that together form the National Museum of Science &
Industry (NMSI). The site has been backed with more than £1 million in
lottery good causes money from the New Opportunities Fund.
NMSI invites you to log on and browse the site...enjoy!
Regards
Mike Ellis
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Science Museum
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