Hi Egg,

I understand your points and agree with you, that it's possible to cheat, but as I said before, not the W3C logo on a webpage is important, but to follow the motives behind the most important rules within the HTML specifications.

The problem is, we have to distinguish two steps in this discussion:

The first step is, to produce valid HTML code. It's necessary in my eyes and one should know the Web Standards and follow them, in this case the HTML and CSS specifications (the HTML and CSS validation services are a great help in order to achive this goal). As I said before, it's not always possible to code 100% valid HTML code, but you can see it in the source code, if someone knows something about valid HTML or not. Producing valid HTML code comes without additional costs for the customers.

The second step is, to produce accessibility websites. This is often more cost-intensive for the Web Companies (especially during the first project). A good knowledge of valid HTML code and valid stylesheets is the fundament of accessibility websites for all target audiences, regardless of any handicaps. If a Web Company wants to work for authorities in the year 2007, it's only possible by creating accessibility websites, because of the current regulations in most countries. Beside authorities there are a lot of big websites out there, who has to offer accessibility websites because of the public criticism of some non-profit organisations.

Quote Originally Posted by Egg Bramhill View Post
I could create my Flash sites with speech that says "For contact details" press 1, "for products press 2" etc. but who's going to pay for this extra development costs? The client ... no way.
That's one of the problems with using Flash for a full website (we already discussed this in the past). If you use Flash only for some advertisings or animations within your page and produce your websites with valid HTML and some of the most important accessibility rules instead, then there are no additional costs on your side necessary (the braille output or speech synthesizer is then able to understand your content and your navigation).

But that a full accessibility websites costs more than a simpler to produce website is no question and my customers know that. It depends on them, what they are able/willing to invest. I talk with them about the backgrounds of all this different approachs to produce a website and the advantages and disadvantages.

Personally, I should be happy if some of the Webdesigner/-developer/companies aren't able/willing to offer standard conform Websites. I'm in the Web business since the beginning of the World Wide Web and I'm thankful, that I was always in the position of being invited to learn and use the most important technologies in this business.

Remi