Can I borrow your eyes and devices, please?

[Polar Bear]

Works fine on Win 7 / Chrome here.

I wah raaht about that feint underlined text though...      

[neilrj]

Evenin',

If anyone can spare a few minutes for a bit of light proof-reading and/or cross browser/platform/device testing before bed time I'd be much obliged.

Mostly just checking pages aren't going wonky sort of thing and that the navigation works. It's pretty bare bones, so there shouldn't be too much awry - though there's always scope for css randomry!

The URL is http://manyandvaried.org.uk/

TIA, I'm off to post something about skills sharing elsewhere...

Looks fine on an Asus Nexus 7 on Tapatalk HD

[Tewdric]

Fine on iPad and mini iPad both running iOS 6.1.3.  No howlers noticed on brief read through.

[nikki]

Thanks again folks.
I've declared it adequately functioning and have officially launched the project, so you can stop testing now. Cheers. I appreciate all the helping hands.

White as a background colour with black text is possibly not great, a pale pastel colour can be better, OTOH users can change this in their browser but if it's an easy thing to change might be worth doing and just tones the site down.  I find by using own stylesheet many webpages don't display properly so...

I personally find the 'feint' underlined text in a serif font and in green has very poor contrast and thus is difficult to read.

So; simultaneously too contrasty and not contrasty enough! 

Sorry 'bout that PB. Just curious: do you ever apply your own css styles to web pages like wot barakta mentioned?

I know it's a thing - and I've been know to have to do it myself sometimes - but I have no idea to what extent it's done by non webby types.

I've had a prod at colours and think I'll leave them where they are now - otherwise it'll be never-ending!

For future projects though, does anyone know if there are such a thing as recommended colour combinations for suitable contrasty text/links/backgrounds? It's something I always end up going round and round in circles over.

[barakta]

I'll let PB talk from personal experience but rule of thumb I work on is as much contrast as possible without being black on white or light text on dark background.  Visually impaired people often like light text on dark but many dyslexics and those with visual stress (more numerous, perhaps less affected) find that painful "halation effect" which is rarely written about. 

A combo I have found often works well is pale yellow/green whatever background with black/DARK-blue text but that can be very boring after a while - I tend to stick to body text being black cos it's simplest and vary the BGcolor. 

Looking at your latest the yellow background to me is easier while still contrasty but possibly worsens the pale green problem PB's mentioning, can you darken the green links at all? (Is it darker now than before?). 

One issue is you'll rarely find a guide which is pan-impairment, they're all focussed on "dyslexia etc" or "visual impairment" and things get very one sided.  Even the dyslexia orgs are citing non evidence based bollocks as well (there's NO evidence for font face being non serif only for dyslexics it's highly suggestible and personalised - but there is evidence it's easier for visually impaired which is why I do it). 

Key things are
1) Text is resizeable with ctrl+scroll and isn't stupid small to begin with.
2) Contrast as above (sick of pale grey on white webpages!)
3) Avoid complex fonts for body text and if for main text be aware they can be hard to read.  I go for keep it simple. 
4) Avoid center/right align for body text *shudder* you need to give a decent strong margin somewhere, so people can find the text (esp if they're viewing at HUGE).
5) Minimise flashing/moving stuff - I'm ok with the top image on yours cos it doesn't move too much and can be user moved.

Do people want me to chuck my summary of text document accessibility somewhere on YACF?  I wrote one for a friend/work/me once and must be able to find it.

Do we want a web accessibility 101 session? I'm happy to create some examples and I have done that before.   I don't think we'd get rules, but we'd get a sense of better/worse?

[Polar Bear]

Hi nikki,

No I don't modify at all.   If it doesn't work out of the box then I tend to just not use that site.    The web is full of content...

Re the current incarnation:   The green contrast remains difficult not least because of the font style but also the orange lettering is slightly washing into the background for me.

I much prefer pale lettering on dark backgrounds but life isn't that simple.   I mostly use black on white though dark blue on white or yellow works well too.   Serif fonts can  give me trouble but I believe that is largely due to my nystagmus.   

I recall working with the web accessibility team at ***** a few years back.   The lead designer kept telling me what worked best for me as a visually-impaired person and I kept telling him that in fact he was very very wrong.   the problem is that so-called experts often decide what is best without actually taking the time and effort to ask those actually afflicted.   

I fully appreciate that it is difficult to adapt for every individual's 'perfect' needs so I'm not going to get hot under the collar - I save that for stupid commercial and public service sites.   

That's a good rule of thumb Barakta - I also find that the relative 'thickness of the nib' so-to-speak is important.       

[Biggsy]

I like the new cream background.  It's similar to what I set my default Windows background to (though I let websites override it).  It gives a softer contrast than black on white while still being aesthetically pleasing.  Doesn't show up dirt as much either.  Websites do get dirty, don't they? 

I think everyone nowdays should have extra versions of their sites for mobile phones and visually impaired people, but I don't suppose you'd fancy the extra work, Nikki.

[fuaran]

I think everyone nowdays should have extra versions of their sites for mobile phones and visually impaired people, but I don't suppose you'd fancy the extra work, Nikki.

Its based on Wordpress, so there are a variety of mobile themes and plugins available, which shouldn't be much extra work. Though I've not tried them, so I don't know which ones are any good. Maybe something like this: http://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-mobile-pack/

[neilrj]

Do people want me to chuck my summary of text document accessibility somewhere on YACF?  I wrote one for a friend/work/me once and must be able to find it.

Do we want a web accessibility 101 session? I'm happy to create some examples and I have done that before.   I don't think we'd get rules, but we'd get a sense of better/worse?

Yes please!

[nikki]

can you darken the green links at all? (Is it darker now than before?). 

Yes, the link colour is darker now. I don't want to go any darker because I'll lose the colour distinction between link and normal text.

Do people want me to chuck my summary of text document accessibility somewhere on YACF?  I wrote one for a friend/work/me once and must be able to find it.

Dear $DEITY yes, especially if it's got an official-looking header and has in big f-off writing somewhere that centred text is a bad idea unless you've got a really very compelling reason to do so.

Perhaps put it in Comic Sans so it's easier to understand? 

No-one ever believes me when I say it (centred text, not Comic Sans), so anything I can point at would be greatly appreciated!

Do we want a web accessibility 101 session? I'm happy to create some examples and I have done that before.   I don't think we'd get rules, but we'd get a sense of better/worse?

At the Jamboree? Sure, so long as that doesn't result in an exhausted barakta.
Anytime else? Yes, also interested.

Doesn't show up dirt as much either.  Websites do get dirty, don't they? 

*scratches head* Yes, I remember hearing something somewhere about dirty websites. Must be that.

I think everyone nowdays should have extra versions of their sites for mobile phones and visually impaired people

It would be easier if there was a standardised mobile device and a standardised visually impaired person!

Its based on Wordpress, so there are a variety of mobile themes and plugins available, which shouldn't be much extra work.

Whenever I post on here it always ends up with me having to cycle 60 miles in the dark on no sleep, or lug my camping gear across counties, or...   

Though I've not tried them, so I don't know which ones are any good. Maybe something like this: http://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-mobile-pack/

I know that more often than not I find mobile versions more problematic than zooming and scrolling. I think this is why I've not really investigated. You're right about WordPress plugins and one potentially being very easy to implement. Thanks for the link, I'll have a look.


And thanks for the additional feedback too, PB.


What I really want is some sort of expanded version of http://www.dasplankton.de/ContrastA/
1.  Select a colour for your background - that's lovely, here's the colour space for your text.
2. Choose a text colour from within that - beautiful, here are the options for link text that contrast enough with the background and the regular text.
3. Sorted.

It'd probably give us black text on white with blue links like in the olden days.