For example, in the Fiction Cafe, the form used for ordering a book is separated from information about the book. Effective Web site design relies upon the developer being aware of browser capabilities. It is complex enough to create a site which works well with both Explorer and Navigator, but when designing for visually impaired users the developer also has to take into account the impact of many other specialist software and hardware browsing solutions. Knowing what they are, and designing a site compatible with them all, is not easy. This may not render your site inaccessible, but it may make it less convenient for others to access.
Horizontal rules are a good example.
We have had very favourable feedback about the accessibility of the Fiction Cafe, from users of different access technologies, both hardware and software. Maintaining accessibility is, however, an ongoing process and we are still receiving suggestions and acting upon them. Our experiences so far have given us the confidence to extend our digital library services. Our catalogue will be available over the Web by the end of 1999, and we are also working on expanding our innovative browsing services through the use of new software which will enable visually impaired adults to choose books according to their own personal preferences. The process of developing an accessible Web site in collaboration with our users has taught us a great deal which will feed into the design of user interfaces for all of these projects.