Legislation has been in force for several years now which requires website owners to ensure that their websites are accessible to the disabled, more particularly those with visual difficulties.

Most people think in terms of increasing text sizes or using browser colour settings to increase contrast between text and background, but there's rather more to it than that. Underlying code tags must be properly referenced so that a screen reader can differentiate between what is code and what is content.

When the Publicly Available Specification PAS 78 Guide to Good Practice in Commissioning Accessible Websites was published in March 2006, many web designers were annoyed that it cost £30 or more to buy it.

However, PAS 78 is now available for free download as a pdf file at the Disability Rights Commission website.

Only one copy can be downloaded per computer, and the terms and conditions stipulate that the file may not be shared on intranets or extranets, or sold on, or made available for download on other websites.

But making the publication freely available should hopefully ensure that it will now be far more widely read.

This item was first published on 9th October 2006.