Comments on: Raising the Standard

By: Colin Hall

Colin Hall — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 08:09:06 +0000

Accessibility has been an issue for many years now and I consistantly see more and more macromedia flash in web design. The only truly accessible site is one made of text, laid out in an orderly fashion. However, accessibility problems are not just confined to the web. I recently wrote to the BBC complaining about the quality of their live subtitle commentary of recent sporting events. The examples I quoted were blatant and dreadful and I offered some advice how they might improve their service. The reply I received, although being informative, was dismissive and in some points insultive, basically telling me how difficult the task was. My hearing has been degrading for many years and, until now, I beleived that other industries were putting as much effort into their accessibility as I do in mine. This is probably asking to much ?

If you would like to see the BBC emails please do not hesitate to contact me.

Best Regards

By: Dan Jellinek

Dan Jellinek — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:11:50 +0000

Well the ballpark figure will be somewhere between £50-£100 I believe, something of that order. I am arriving at this estimate just by having a poke around on the BSI website and looking at the sort of charges that are made for similar technical standards. There are some standards even cheaper than £50 but the more techie ones like this seem to be a bit higher. Ultimately the BSI decides what price will be set.

As I understand it there will definitely be a fee though – the PAS was only available for free download because all PAS activity is sponsored and then the PAS can be licensed by the sponsor for free availability (though oddly I think the BSI still sells them from their own website for people unaware they available free elsewhere! though I could be wrong about that).

Does that help or would you like me to try and press them for a more precise idea?
cheers,
Dan

By: Jeff Allen

Jeff Allen — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:35:42 +0000

Could you be a tad more specific with regards to the “price” mentioned in the paragraph above that read:

” As with all British Standards, the completed standard will be wholly owned by BSi, and therefore, unlike with the DRC-sponsored PAS78, there will be a price attached to it, Howell says. But it will be aimed at a fairly specialised, professional audience who should be able to afford the price, and the committee will also be likely to produce other more general materials that might be free, such as additional documentation and training.”

I’d really like to know what you’re looking at for a fee.