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These accessibility and usability guidelines were written by the MS Society for the re-launch of the MS Society's website in 2001. It incorporates RNIB disability website guidance and takes account of the specific needs of PwMS (People with MS) and their friends and families.
Front or Splash Page shouldimage: a check box with a tick in it
Be uncluttered i.e. the front page should be clearly designed and well laid out for ease of access
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Use large buttons, using symbols and words
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Have a facility for increasing text size
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Not use photos in the front page design, as people with visual impairment find these difficult to see
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Page backgrounds are plain
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Design should not include patterns or texture
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Avoid causing the screen to flicker i.e. don't use animated images
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Use simple and straightforward language (e.g. Plain English) for writing the content on your pages
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Navigation should use a combination of symbols/icons and colour
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The contrast between the background and text is important; however strong background shading should be used sparingly
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Avoid italics and animated text - partially sighted people find this difficult to read
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Keyboard shortcuts need clear explanations
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Text alternatives are not necessary if all the above are followed; however people with severe disabilities prefer the option of text only alternatives
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Do not use yellow as this gives blurred vision to partially sighted people. Purple and pink are good accessible website colours and it is easier to see images and text with these colours
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Do not have too many contrasting colours
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A web site visitor can change the colour on their screen
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All Images should have ALT TEXT tags; these are words describing your images; this helps people viewing a text only version of the site
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Graphic links should always be accompanied by text alternatives
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Positive images of disability are important
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Pictures should not overload the page
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Links should have expressive text for people using text readers
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Graphic links should always be accompanied by text alternatives
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Use underlining for hyper links
only
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Link text should make sense when taken out of context e.g. "select this link" should be avoided
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Include non-link printable characters between links. A line break is not enough as these are removed by some text browsers e.g. a chance to talk /publications/ search
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