Winners of the Jodi Awards 2009
I’ve had my work with 51degreesNorth, in producing accessible websites, publicly recoginsed when one of the websites I helped build, www.sallybooth.co.uk, was winner of the The Jodi Awards 2009 (Digital Access Online: Low Budget Award).
At the Victoria and Albert Museum’s prestigious Sackler Centre, Martha Lane Fox, the government’s Champion for Digital Inclusion, presented to Sally Booth the Jodi Awards For Excellence In Accessible Cultural Websites And Digital Media.
The Judges said: “Artist Sally Booth’s commitment to accessibility is exceptional. The website is easy to use, well colour contrasted, experiments with two types of verbal descriptions of her artwork and provides British Sign Language. The choice of colours, tone of language and font combine to give this site a warm feel – a rare quality in the world-wide-web. Her website was seen as a master class in minute attention to accessibility.”
Kevin Carey, Chairman of RNIB said: “It has been said since the beginning of the web that accessibility kills creativity in web design; I’m not surprised that it has taken a visually impaired person to discredit this proposition. In her work, Sally Booth demonstrates creative adventure with comprehensive accessibility.”
Sally said: “This was a creative and successful working collaboration with a company that truly engaged with my needs. They have developed a website that really used media as a vital catalyst, but have included solutions for the collection of disabled people who use the web. Not only that but they have built a site that is simple and easy to use and can inspire other artists and arts organisations.
Joe Stevens said: “I think it’s critically important for a small company such as ours to get this recognition. We feel if a small company such as ours can offer this service, which has an inbuilt commitment to accessible media and resources, it should be standard practice for larger companies.”
“The Jodi Awards celebrate practice that inspires locally, nationally or internationally,” said Matthew Cock, Chair of the Jodi Mattes Trust and Head of Web at the British Museum. “We welcome nominations from all kinds of projects, small and big, low-tech and hi-tech and for small and large audiences. What counts is the value of your project and the quality of your engagement with disabled people.”
