ONS launches personal inflation rate calculator

You need the Adobe SVG plugin to get it to work.

Or Firefox or Opera.

I've already done everything they said.

Daytona

Don't work on my Text/speech system using IE either. DDA violation?

Tiddy Ogg.

"Tiddy Ogg" wrote

Are you suggesting that your Text/speech system or IE is in violation of DDA? :-(

I'm sure you know what I meant, and government sites are the first ones to be targeted by disabled rights campaigners.

Tiddy Ogg.

Out of interest does your text/speech software handle Java ?

Daytona

"Tiddy Ogg" wrote

Yes, of course, but I'm trying to make a valid point...

When a Text/Speech system doesn't work with a particular website, that just means that the two pieces of software are not compatible with each other. There are thus two ways to get it to work - either change the website or change the Text/Speech system. Your comments seem to ignore the second possibility - is there any reason for this?

"Tiddy Ogg" wrote

Do they also target the vendors of the Text/speech systems, to try to get them to improve *their* systems (to be more compatible with available websites) ?

If the website complied with the W3C accessibility guidelines, there would presumably be no need to change the software.

When you have text displayed as graphics, which is the case here, it is very difficult for text/speech systems to interpret it.

Exactly so. And it's not at all happy with Java, no.

Tiddy Ogg.

"Jonathan Bryce" wrote

As a matter of interest, are those just "best-practice guidelines", or do they have force of law?

"Jonathan Bryce" wrote

But equally, if the Text/Speech systems were more advanced, then there would presumably be no need to change *all* the websites that are currently incompatible!

"Jonathan Bryce" wrote

So, a failing of the Text/Speech systems is considered to require changes to *other* people's systems? Hilarious!

Why aren't the Text/Speech system vendors brought to task to improve their software - is it just the excuse that "it is very difficult"? C'mon - this is the 21st Century - OCR systems have already come a long way. The London congestion charging system can "read" car registrations from graphics; computer systems can even now recognise people's faces!

Tim, if you knew what they charge now, for these "screen readers" and had to buy one, you'd much prefer it if software developers were made to learn their jobs and make these sites accessible. If this concept is taken on board at the commencement of the project it is no problem to do. This is a government site and should abide by the government's own legislation. For a business, deliberately telling many potential customers to go to hell would not seem good practice.

Tiddy Ogg.

"Tiddy Ogg" wrote:

No, I th> If this concept is taken on board at the

Are you suggesting that all website designers should always design to the "lowest common denominator", ie that it should be compatible with the most basic Text/Speech system available?

What if I wrote & sold (very cheaply!) a "screen reader" which > This is a government site and should abide

Which says what, exactly? Does it say that all websites should be compatible with *all* Text/Speech systems?

"Tiddy Ogg" wrote:

Exactly - but that's a commercial decision that they seem to be happy with...

Tim your arguments are of the form: Why should drivers have to obey speed limits, it's up to pedestrians to get out of the way, or at least wear suitable protective clothing, which, unfortunately, would be so heavy that they'd be unable to move.. The law says provision must be made for accessibility. The weasel word "reasonable" is probably included, so you can understand webcam sites not to comply, but if the banks and retailers can comply, it's surely not much to expect the government, who created the law, to obey its own legislation.

Tiddy Ogg.

"Tiddy Ogg" wrote

Not at all. I haven't suggested anywhere that anyone should break the law!

"Tiddy Ogg" wrote

Fair enough. But does the law say how effective the Text/Speech systems need to be? And as I've already asked before, does the law say that all websites need to be compatible with all Text/Speech systems?

That site from what I hear is compatible with none. Someone else pointed you to the WAI guidelines. All the information is out there for cowboy web designers to construct sites accessibly. The government have no excuse. The latest version of the highest priced screen reader can't read it.

Tiddy Ogg.

"Tiddy Ogg" wrote

Which still won't be breaking the law, if the law doesn't say that it has to be compatible with at least one.

How many times do I need to ask what the law actually says on the subject? Do you know what it says? It is not clear to me whether the site is actually illegal, or not.

"Tiddy Ogg" wrote

Again, presumably these are just "guidelines"? I did ask before whether they have the force of law, and again no-one answered.

"Tiddy Ogg" wrote

Of course. They *could* just always make plain-text-only websites -- those would be very accessible, wouldn't they? But perhaps they want to give able-sighted visitors a better experience.

If the accessibility software (aka "screen readers") kept up with the advances of web designers, then there'd be no problem. Why blame just the web designers? It's the screen reader vendors' faults too!

"Tiddy Ogg" wrote

Do they need one?

"Tiddy Ogg" wrote

Perhaps it should be improved?

Daytona writes

Interesting, but I already knew that as a retired pensioner my inflation rate is higher than a high-earning employed person, because a higher proportion of my income is spent on heating/lighting/Council Tax/Water Rate etc etc...

Mine is about 4.7%, even though I have spent spend quite a lot on electrical stuff.

I've ended up DIY as the calculator wouldn't work in either Firefox of IE.

The ONS suggested personal inflation rate is 6.8%

The ONS weightings do not reflect my own.

The other major ommisions/inaccuracies are that credit card balance transfer discount deals save me 20% of my mortgage interest on my BTL property and the rent on my PPR has not increased for 7 years. The small ground rent I pay has decreased

This brings my inflation rate down to 1.7%

Daytona