OpenWeb Group

OpenWeb is the work of Tristan Nitot a one-time Netscape employee and general accessibility/standards advocate. The site is a great accessibility resource that offers content based on your level of experience from beginner to expert (you colud use googles language tools to translate from french to english). Of the four Accessible sites I have reviewed it is certainly one of the best and most attractivly designed sites.

Analysis

TOP2 analysis for OpenWeb Group
Object Types	Items	Technical	Organisation	Purpose
T Things either physical or logical	HTML /XHTML	XHTML 1.0 Strict	Requires careful management of coding and authoring to account for validating parsers. This site includes multiple CSS for different client side devices.	To enable content to be read by multiple devices and users to choose how they display the content. The developers have a vision to support the "semantic web", or machine readable web.
	Animation and Graphic elements	Besides the banner image I was unable to find one image in this site at all... this is some feat for this kind of site!	No images.	Minimalsit design using images however, make the site appear as not a plain simple text driven site.
	Server Side and Client Side Scripting	JavaScript on the client side and PHP on the server side. Appears to be some XML in use too.	Requires understanding of JavaScript and PHP.	Provide functionality not found in HTML / XHTML. Very high end functionality around meaningful display of content to end users.
	CSS	Multiple linked CSS style sheets used and offered. PHP varaible is passed to select current CSS by the user.	Understand how to use CSS as a total layout tool. How to use PHP to apply special functionality server side.	Make site have aesthetic appeal and well designed but also offer a means for users to change appearance of site.
	Number of Pages	Approximately, 80 - 100 pages.	Publishing workflow must be established for articles and icorporated into the structure. Must research new and emerging issues/content on an continuous basis.	Offers services, features and articles to support the notion of designing for accessibility. The site has a unique method for customising the structure of the pages for four levels of users descision makers, beginners, experts and guru's.
	Colour Contrast	Colour palette or style guide that is suitable for those with vision impairedness.	Must consistently use the acknowledged style guide for all elements.	Promote the design to an inclusive audience, balancing the needs of the content equally.
	Text	Scalable text with CSS. Variable layout depending on style sheet that is chosen e.g., for PDA, for print etc.	Do not embed font tags to markup text, make sure that CSS classes are appropriate for what you want to display.	Provide text that can be changed in font style size and weight, proportionally. As well as changing the layout of the blocks of text.
	Navigation	Complicated structure based on magazine type structure with cover page, blurbs and then links to more detailed content. Has four differnt views of the content depending on the category of the user.	Maintain structure, fit content into muli-view categories as appropriate.	Allow for a easily interpreted by audience and maintainable site structure. Offer diffenrent views of content depending on level of expertise.
	Online Store	N/A	N/A	N/A
	User Customisation	Access key, table summary, caption elements added and extended alt tags, user can apply own CSS to the site by pull down menu.	Ability to consistently apply "special tags" as appropriate. High degree of training required. Complicated structure and sophisticated design is paramount.	Provide all functions and elements of the Web Access Guidelines plus push the degeree of sophistication to the extreme of the standards.
O Organisation's, groups, collectives	The Organisation	A concept site by a French group of advanced web programmers. Does not appear to have any commercial activities at all. It appears that the technical component of the site is either voluntary or an expressed interest.	Collective of reviewers and contributors linked by common cause to foster adoption and implementation of Accessibility for all web sites.	Foster adoption of Accessible standards and innovation for web sites.
	Target Audiences	Those interested in Accessibility.	Leverage from tight community and promotion of site as a prime example of an accessible site helps to increase awareness.	Expose product and genre to as wide an audience as possible.
	Other Sites	Provide links to external individuals, groups and organisation's.	Vet and validate the relevance of external sources of information.	Help users find out more about a particular article or reference.
	Web Developers	Contribute expertise to the knowledge pool.	Collection of like minded individuals and Organisation's that can promote and generate understanding of Accessibility.	Provide a medium (web) to promote and distribute advice and knowledge to the web community. Encourage adoption of standards and development of standards.
P People	Web master	Broad skill set to understand and implement CSS, PHP etc. and design style to content. Must be able to continuously push the envelop of possibilities in Accessible web design.	Must be able to ensure that all functions of the organisation are aware and can support the effort to design for accessibility. Able to establish network of developers and content providers.	Develop a innovative and attractive web site to foster the development of Accessible web sites.
	Site Developer	Specialised skills and knowledge of CSS, JS and XHTML as well as Accessibility standards.	Desire to pursue accessibility as an integration of the web site.	Effectively and efficiently develop a site that embodies principles of accessibility and looks and feels good.
	Content Authors	Provide content and product for inclusion in the site.	Keep a level of enthusiasm for the group of contributors. Keep promoting the site and its principles to a wider audience.	Provide support and examples for enthusiasts of accessibility within europe and globally.
	Users	Access information and articles on accessibility and inclusiveness.	Provide a means for enthusiasts to communicate to each other via a blog.	Accessible site that has appeal and quality content.

(Hillier M. 2003)