Many website designers follow the advice from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Currently, WCAG version 2.0 is in the review stage and WCAG version 1.0 is also available.

They provide alternates for the presentation of non-textual content. Not everyone who accesses the Web can view images, Flash objects, and icons. This becomes an even more significant problem when an image is used as a navigational link. Some are accessing the internet through their mobile device such as a cellular phone. In the case of mobile devices, the screen is smaller plus the internet connection is slower. Then there are those who are accessing the internet through text-only character-based browsers or have their browser set to not load images automatically. And finally, alternate text is important for those who are blind or visually impaired because it can be interfaced with voice synthesizing technology whereas images cannot.

Accessible web content means using the highest possible contrast. Black text on a white background is always a safe way to provide accessible web content. Some website designers would prefer using light text on a dark background. That’s fine as long as you make sure the text is big enough and not too “bright”. Otherwise, if colored text is used, it should be presented on a background where high contrast is possible. Consider that some of your web users might be color blind.

Scrolling text should be avoided. This is because those with cognitive difficulties might have trouble reading text moving across the screen. Moving text also distracts from the message it is intended to present.

You should avoid using the HTML TABLE to construct to web pages. While this was the practice in the early days of web page design, accessibility standards today advise against it. Formatting of web pages should be handled in style sheet (CSS) instead. Using the TABLE construct to lay out a web page might work on a standard browser and screen but it can render a page with a confusing layout when displayed on a mobile device with its smaller display area. Tables should only be used for truly tabular information with their rows and columns labeled accordingly.

Users should always be given a contact number to call when having accessibility troubles. Your web designer may have done everything possible to ensure the highest accessibility but it is not uncommon that some details get overlooked. So providing this contact number will be the finishing detail to making sure everyone can access your website.

These are the basics that every web designer should know.

Wed like to share with you information about mortgage down payment requirements. Probably you know that under the term “mortgage down payment” we understand a peculiar sum of money deposited towards buying a new house or a flat. Actually the necessary down payment can be changed from 1 type of loan to the next one, and can depend greatly on credit history of a person who buys. But there is a list of requirements which every person should know. For example, if it is a conventional loan, then you should know that you have to have a minimum down payment from 5 to 20 percent; and if it is a VA loan, then there are no requirements etc.