Sitemeter Updates Website but is it Accessible to Disabled

Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2009/01/02 - Updated: 2024/08/28
Publication Type: Informative
Topic: Website Accessibility - Publications List

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main

Synopsis: Well known statistics website Sitemeter updated its website to a format using flash technology but is it accessible to people with disabilities. Many Flash applications introduce the ability to offer advanced functionality to a website, this is fine for those not sight impaired, however users with disabilities often appreciate simplicity, and being able to navigate a process with less hassle and fewer bells and whistles.

Introduction

Disabled World would be interested to hear from vision impaired persons who use Sitemeter on their blog or website in regards to how their screen readers handle the new Sitemeter statistic displays.

Main Item

Sitemeter is one of the most popular website statistic programs used by nearly a million webmasters, bloggers and website owners, including our own website, Disabled World. The limited version, or free sitemeter website statistics program, allows webmasters to add a small piece of code to a website or blog to measure website statistics such as where their "hits" or traffic is coming from, what pages and how many a visitor views on the site, plus many other interesting and valuable pieces of information to any site owner.

Prior to last weekend, Sitemeter information was output to a static page where statistics could be read quickly and easily, even by the vision impaired using screen readers such as Jaws. After the Sitemeter website update the statistics and most of the website is in the Flash format.

According to the Macromedia website, who own and develop the Flash Player, "Adobe Flash Player is the standard for delivering high-impact, rich Web content. Designs, animation, and application user interfaces are deployed immediately across all browsers and platforms, attracting and engaging users with a rich Web experience."

Flash designs tend to be highly visual, but users who cannot see or who have low vision need a textual alternative that describes what the visuals mean for the application. Because Flash has been inaccessible to many screen-readers until recently, users with disabilities will have to make sense of an unfamiliar environment that behaves differently than a static Web page.

Many Flash applications introduce the ability to offer advanced functionality to a website, this is fine for those not sight impaired, however users with disabilities often appreciate simplicity, and being able to navigate a process with less hassle and fewer bells and whistles.

Disabled World would be interested to hear from vision impaired persons who use Sitemeter on their blog or website in regards to how their screen readers handle the new Sitemeter statistic displays.

UPDATE: Sitemeter seems to be having problems. As of the evening of 14/9/2008 Sitemeter has reverted back to their old website format and method of displaying website statistics. Sitemeter reports "Based on some performance issues we were experiencing along with feedback from the community it appears we have pushed our new site live prematurely."

Author Credentials: Ian was born and grew up in Australia. Since then, he has traveled and lived in numerous locations and currently resides in Montreal, Canada. Ian is the founder, a writer, and editor in chief for Disabled World. Ian believes in the Social Model of Disability, a belief developed by disabled people in the 1970s. The social model changes the focus away from people's impairments and towards removing barriers that disabled people face daily. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and achievements, check out his bio.