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Re: text-only version of web pages

for

From: Steve Green
Date: Jan 30, 2013 10:30AM

Your browser already provides all the tools you need to access well-designed websites. You can turn off images, in which case the alternate text will be displayed. You can turn off styles and apply whatever text and background colours you want. This will also convert the pages to fluid design so you can set any window width you want and the text will reflow and there will not be a horizontal scrollbar.

Unfortunately badly-designed websites will continue to give you a poor user experience. You may need different approaches for different websites, such as leaving styles turn on while setting the text and background colours you require. I have found that this works well on some websites and not others.

You should not be so dismissive of those of us who are fully-sighted. Many of us on this email list do a great deal of work with people with a wide range of visual impairments and we do have a good understanding of their needs. All too often they are not aware that the tools they need are already available or they do not know how to use them, which is not the fault of the website designers. Whilst I don't always agree with Patrick, he is highly experienced and deserves more respect.

Steve Green
Managing Director
Test Partners Ltd