Dean Forest Webs

Websites for small businesses

W3C compliancy

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is an international consortium where Member organizations, a full-time staff, and the public work together to develop Web standards. W3C's mission is: To lead the World Wide Web to its full potential by developing protocols and guidelines that ensure long-term growth for the Web.

W3C primarily pursues its mission through the creation of Web standards and guidelines. Since 1994, W3C has published more than ninety such standards, called W3C Recommendations. W3C also engages in education and outreach, develops software, and serves as an open forum for discussion about the Web. In order for the Web to reach its full potential, the most fundamental Web technologies must be compatible with one another and allow any hardware and software used to access the Web to work together. W3C refers to this goal as “Web interoperability.” By publishing open (non-proprietary) standards for Web languages and protocols, W3C seeks to avoid market fragmentation and thus Web fragmentation.

Note: for users dealing with UK government and local government bodies it is becoming the norm for these bodies to deal with W3C internet companies. You are strongly recommended to ensure your site is W3C designed and tested.

 

W3C compliancy

This page is intended to give you a brief idea of W3C compliancy guidelines. For full details follow the links.

This should help you decide if you need a compliant website or not.

Other guidelines are

  • Who are your customers. If disabled people, particularly visual and hearing impaired, are likely to use your site, then you must follow W3C.
  • Are you dealing with organisations that, either now or in the future, will insist on your site being W3C compliant e.g. government departments and local authorities.
  • If you are dealing with any business in the United States it is against the law not to be compliant, indeed you also have to abide by Section 508 requirements peculiar to the US.

There is no advantage to be gained going for a cheaper website now only to find you need to upgrade. with the extra costs, time and design involved you will be paying twice.

This site is an example of a fully W3C compliant website that also meets all accessibility links requirement ( Cynthia tested) and in addition also meets US standard Section 508.