As part of the AGI project process, you're asked to get your
website critiqued.  Unlike some of the other parts of the
project, this isn't something that's "turned in" to the
coordinators or posted publically; in fact, we don't even
check if you do this or not.  This is because the critique
is for your benefit, and is intended to make your web pages
better, and help you consider some issues about your web
design that you may not notice, from being too close to the
matter.

The preferred and recommended way to get your web pages
critiqued is via the Guild's HWG-Critique mailing list.  This
is an excellent resource for any web design efforts, because
you can gain feedback from a variety of helpful and
experienced people -- and that's what the Guild's all about
anyway, right?  For more information you should read:

     http://www.hwg.org/lists/hwg-critique/

That also tells how to subscribe to the list; you should sub-
scribe before sending a critique request to the list.  On
HWG-Critique, you get the best results if you are clear about
what you're interested in hearing about, and what your site
is designed to do; Fred Barnett has written a template which
should be in your mailbox now, that can serve as an excellent
introduction to your critique request.  Feel free to use or
modify that template to fit your needs.

I should point out that there's a further advantage to posting
your critique request on HWG-Critique; namely, it will expose
a larger audience (those people on -critique now) to the issue
of accessibility in web design.  All of us on the AGI project
list(s) have signed up because, for whatever reason, we think
accessible web design is worth thinking about -- but not everyone
has thought about it that much!  So, by requesting a critique
on the HWG-Critique list, you're ambassadors to the rest of the
Guild on accessibility. :)

However, if you don't feel like posting your critique there, for
whatever reason (maybe you're shy?), you don't have to; nobody
is going to descend on you and take away your Guild t-shirt if
you don't do it. :)  Other options include posting your critique
request to the agi-talk list, privately to people you know who
may have time to give an objective look at a site, or elsewhere.
The main goal is to get a warm body besides yourself looking at
the page, and doing stuff like turning off image loading or
custom colors or whatever, viewing the source, running it through
Bobby, and basically prodding at the site to see if it "works".

Remember to thank anyone who helps you with advice -- even if it
seems somewhat "harsh" or critical at first glance.  It's possible
you may have done something "wrong" that needs fixing, or at least
should give some thought to the issues raised.  All well-meaning
advice is useful in some way, even if you end up considering it
but not agreeing with it!

One last question some of you may have is:

"What if my site's already done?"  I know many of you are eager,
enthusiastic, and willing to go forward on accessibility retrofits,
and that's fine!  If you're done, you're done -- the goal of the
project is not to hold back whatever you're working on, really!

I suggest that even if you're finished, you go ahead and request
a critique; consider it a "pre-evaluation" to allow you to see if
what you've done works, and add any other features you may have
missed the first time around.

Any questions on critiques can be directed to either Fred or
myself.  Enjoy!