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Design & Access Policy

1. red badge is committed to the concepts of Accessibility and Compliance with Web Standards.
2. A red badge site will validate against a published Doctype. In most cases this will be HTML 4.01 Strict.
   • Compliance with a published Doctype is guaranteed: if you find an error, it will be fixed, free of charge
   • Some sites may be designed to XHTML 1.0 Transitional or XHTML 1.0 Strict
3. A red badge site will comply with at least Level 2 of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0.
   • Strict compliance with level 3 in some cases can be a matter of judgement based on the particular circumstances of the site in question
   • Level 2 compliance is guaranteed: if you find an error it will be fixed, free of charge
   • Most sites will actually comply to level 3. The compliance of externally-acquired scripts and applications cannot be guaranteed
4. Javascript: no red badge site will rely on javascript for any core functionality, and where client-side scripting is used, an accessible alternative will always be provided.
5. No red badge site will make use of "frames", an outdated technology with severe usability and accessibility problems.
6. All red badge sites will use structural HTML for markup and CSS (style sheets) for design and layout, allowing users to apply their own styles and layouts if required.
7. Flash: red badge doesn't do Flash - it has inherent accessibility problems (though these can be overcome with the latest version), and often, for accessibility reasons would require a second version of the same web site. If you do want a Flash web site - please ask someone else!
8. Any errors or improvements affecting the accessibility of any red badge site will be implemented free of charge.

Test your site

You can tet your own (or any) site with a number of online accessibility checkers, such as Cynthia Says, Access Valet and Bobby. These automated checkers will test your site against the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and/or the US Americans with Disabilities Act' Section 508 guidelines. The reports they produce are, however, somewhat technical.

Accessibility audit

Does your existing web site comply with the law? Are you putting barriers in the way of some of your visitors? red badge can audit your site and let you know how you measure up.