Historical record
An early accessibility-checking project
Gareth Slinn began working on accessibility tools in the early 2000s. Hermish was his first automated web-accessibility checking project and formed part of the practical experience behind the later CheckMeister service.
The surviving website record and screenshot date from 2004. At that time, it was common for accessibility-checking services to produce achievement badges that site owners could display. Hermish belongs to that period of web-accessibility history and is now obsolete.
Historical material, not current guidance
Hermish is preserved for context only. Automated tools can identify some technical issues, but their results cannot establish that a website, product or journey is accessible or conformant. Current evaluation should combine automated checks with expert review, manual testing and appropriate involvement of disabled people.
From Hermish to CheckMeister
CheckMeister followed Hermish and continued the exploration of automated accessibility evaluation. Both projects are now archived. Their history is distinct from COGAI's present work in cognitive accessibility, education, research and organisational capability.
This record retains the project's place in that longer development history without presenting its old tests, badges or conclusions as contemporary accessibility advice.