Traffic Online Media Solutions Accessibility Policy

This term refers to the production practice of building web sites made useable by individuals of all abilities and disabilities. To compound this initiative a steadily growing number of countries around the world are starting to implement legislation which directly addresses the need for websites and other forms of communication channels to be accessible for individuals with disabilities, or either list a broader range of general requirements for individuals with disabilities not to be discriminated against.

How we work with web accessibility guidelines

The genetic make-up of all sites created by Traffic Online Media Solutions inherently takes user accessibility into account and is implemented by requirement in the early stages of design and development and never as an afterthought.

In regards to the production of your website the following considerations are always taken into account and include:

• Visual impairment, blindness, low vision and colour blindness.
• Auditory impairment: Deafness or individuals who are hard of hearing.
• Motor functions or Mobility Impairment: Loss of muscle control, impaired hand use, joint functions or amputation.
• Seizures: Epileptic seizures often caused by rapid animation or flashing effects.
• Cognitive impairment: Learning disabilities or development disabilities.

When the above issues are addressed in our web builds we aim to adhere to most WCAG-recommended guidelines. However there are also many factors that can contribute to websites built on your behalf not fully meeting accessibility recommendations.

A few examples can be listed as:

• Video production displayed on your website which has been rendered by a third party outside of Traffic's recommendations.
• Flash animation that contains visual effects deemed to be appropriate by the client, but do not take into account visual and auditory impairments.
• Thin production budgets and clients demand to go 'live' with out appropriate accessibility quality assessments.
• Design elements within the website heavily dictated by the client.

WACG as an organisation is characterised by a bias towards "paced" development so it can more easily keep up with transformational technologies that dictate how users consume content on the Internet. Their guidelines are abided where possible but quite often developments take place too fast for the WACG to keep up with. This is common topic of conversation within the team at Traffic; to what extent can we stick to WACG in a digital world that is constantly metamorphosing. However our main goal is justified by an internal policy that aims to contribute to making the web more available and enjoyable for all users, regardless of their abilities.
Link: http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/