Creating Accessible Images

Some people think that graphics are bad for accessibility. The truth is that graphics can be of great benefit to the accessibility of a Web page by providing illustrations, icons, animations, or other visual cues that aid comprehension for sighted individuals. Too often we forget that when we design for people with disabilities, we are not designing only for the blind. We must consider disabilities of all types. Graphics can be especially useful to individuals with certain reading disabilities, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorders, or cognitive disabilities.

WebAIM (2003). Design>Web Design>Accessibility

Creating Accessible JavaScript

JavaScript is available on the Web to allow programming type processes that are not allowed with static HTML. In most cases, JavaScript does not overtly affect accessibility. Most browsers and screen readers are capable of accessing JavaScript items. You should, however, teach that many people cannot or choose not to allow JavaScript within their Web browsers or assistive technologies. Important content or functionality should not rely on JavaScript alone. JavaScript should usually be used to supplement content.

WebAIM (2003). Design>Web Design>Accessibility>DHTML

Creating Accessible Tables

In practice, tables are perhaps most commonly used for page layout. Layout tables do not have logical headers that can be mapped to information within the table cells.

WebAIM (2005). Design>Web Design>Accessibility

Designing a Touch Screen Kiosk for Older Adults: A Case Study

An independent-living senior center recently approached us with a request to 'build a system that could track the fitness activity of their approximately 160 older residents.' The center houses a Fitness Club that offers seven different fitness classes, personal training, physical therapy, a pool, a spa, and access to a multitude of exercise equipment (i.e., stationary bikes, treadmills, and weights). At the time of the request, residents were signing their names and activities on a sheet of paper as they entered the Fitness Club. Occasionally, the sign-in sheets were summarized into monthly reports to show resident attendance by class and the type of equipment they were using.

Chaparro, Barbara S. and Laszlo Stumpfhauser. Usability News (2001). Articles>Web Design>Accessibility>Elderly

Designing an Accessible Web

For many Internet users, the full range of Web content is not accessible. This paper gives a quick overview of the subject of Web accessibility and calls for information designers to join the effort of making the web accessible to all users.

Gao, Wei. EServer (2001). Design>Accessibility>Web Design

Designing for Accessibility

Here are some useful tools for people designing accessible websites for the Federal government.

NOAA. Design>Web Design>Accessibility>Government

Designing for Accessibility

Any large audience for a Web site will include users who have physical challenges to accessing your content. Designing for accessibility means that you should be developing Web pages that will remain accessible despite any physical, sensory, and cognitive disabilities, work constraints, or technological barriers. Most mainstream Web sites are so heavily image- and media-intensive that they are not suitable for adaptive devices such as screen readers, voice browsers, and braille translators. Many of the guidelines necessary for developing accessible content naturally lend themselves to creating good design.

Sklar, Joel. Indus (2002). Design>Web Design>Accessibility

Designing for the Elderly

Does the research suggest that there are differences in younger and older users? What can we do to enable older adults to interact with our Web sites at the same level as younger adults?

Bailey, Robert. Web Usability (2001). Design>Web Design>Accessibility>Elderly

Designing More Usable Web Sites

This section of Designing a More Usable World is dedicated to cooperative efforts linked toward building a more usable Web for all. At the present time, there are a number of interlocking and interrelated efforts.

University of Wisconsin (2001). Resources>Usability>Accessibility>Web Design

Designing Pages Accessible to Limited Textual Comprehension Users

Many pages relating to web accessibility address the needs of web users who have sensory limitations -- the classic example of accessible web authoring is the proper use of the ALT attribute of the IMG (image) tag to provide a textual equivalent that benefits, among others, web users with visual impairments. Similarly, keyboard-accessible techniques can open up the World Wide Web to users who are unable to use a mouse or other 'traditional' input device due to motor or dexterity disabilities.

Bartlett, Kynn. Kynn (1999). Design>Web Design>Accessibility

Designing Universally Accessible WWW Resources for People with Disabilities

This course is designed for web content developers to learn about the disability access issues faced by people with disabilities in using the web and how web resources can be designed to improve accessibility. The course provides a foundation on how people with disabilities access information on the web using mainstream browsers and specialized assistive technologies like speech renderings. Participants will learn about the two main standards for web accessibility, the W3C Web Content Accessibility Standards and the Section 508 requirements for web materials. The strengths and weaknesses of different evaluation and repair tools will be presented to help participants understand how to use the available tools to evaluate and repair their web resources. Participants will learn about common HTML accessibility problems, and HTML and CSS techniques that can be used to improve accessibility. Captioning of multimedia materials is also covered for Microsoft Media Player, Real Player and Quicktime, and the accessibility of non-W3C technologies like PDF and Flash will also be discussed.

University of Illinois (2002). Academic>Courses>Accessibility>Web Design

Designing Your Web Site for the Blind

Yet those of us who are fully sighted forget that as we make the Web our main information vehicle, we may be cutting out millions of customers or potential customers. And these millions (5 to 10 million in the U.S. alone, by some estimates) have every moral and legal right to have access to that information.

Ball, Guy. Boston Broadside (2001). Design>Web Design>Accessibility>Visual

Disabling Innovation

Setting legal standards for making websites 'accessible' to all won't help web designers, or users.

Perks, Martyn. Spiked Online (2004). Articles>Web Design>Accessibility>Usability

Dive Into Accessibility: 30 Days to a More Accessible Web Site

This book answers two questions. The first question is 'Why should I make my web site more accessible?' If you do not have a web site, this book is not for you. The second question is 'How can I make my web site more accessible?' If you are not convinced by the first answer, you will not be interested in the second.

Pilgrim, Mark. Dive Into Accessibility (2002). Books>Web Design>Accessibility

Do Accessible Web Sites Have to be Boring?

All too often, designers think that accessibility means boring. Forget about text-only versions. Be true to your design instincts. Find out why accessible Web sites can be just as exciting as any of the cutting edge sites out there. Or if you prefer, go ahead and make it boring. Either way, the site can be accessible. It's all up to you

WebAIM (2003). Design>Web Design>Accessibility

Draft 2 of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

It's time to take a look at the working draft of WCAG 2.0. You'll see a fresh approach to a formidable challenge.

McAlpine, Rachel. Quality Web Content (2005). Articles>Web Design>Accessibility>Standards

The DRC Blew It

Review of the DRC's report into web accessibility.

Moss, Trenton. Webcredible (2004). Design>Web Design>Accessibility>United Kingdom

DRC Briefing Report

A write-up of the first briefing from the DRC about a forthcoming formal investigation into the accessibility of 1,000 web sites in the UK.

Accessify (2003). Design>Web Design>Accessibility>United Kingdom

A Dyslexic Perspective on e-Content Accessibility

This paper gives the web developer an insight into the issues of web accessibility for users with Dyslexia (and/or other specific learning difficulties). This paper covers the four main areas of accessibility: presentation, content, structure and navigation. The material covered by this paper forms part of TechDis wider range of research into usability and accessibility issues of electronic educational content.

Rainger, Peter. TechDis (2003). Design>Web Design>Accessibility

E-Shop Accessibility: From Theory to Reality

This article will explain how it is possible to apply WCAG 1.0 (and also how to comply with the future WCAG 2.0 and ISO 9241-151) to create an accessible e-shop shopping-cart and backend management system, analyzing the problems and the proposed solutions.

Lemon, Gez. Juicy Studio (2007). Articles>Web Design>Accessibility>E Commerce

Effective Alt Text

Good alt text can be a useful tool for enhancing the web interface. It provides supporting information, helping users gain an understanding of the structure web pages and an insight into the behaviour of key controls and interactive elements. 'ALT' is a HTML tag. It adds a short line of text to an image, usually for descriptive purposes. If you are using a mouse and you 'hover” the pointer over an image on a web page, you will notice that a short line of text appears - this is the alt text. You should also see the alt text if you switch off the images on your browser - the images have been replaced by 'placeholders” and the same short line of text which appeared when you hovered the mouse over the image.

Quinn, Anthony. Frontend Infocentre (2001). Design>Web Design>Accessibility

Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards (Section 508)

The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) is issuing final accessibility standards for electronic and information technology covered by section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998. Section 508 requires the Access Board to publish standards setting forth a definition of electronic and information technology and the technical and functional performance criteria necessary for such technology to comply with section 508. Section 508 requires that when Federal agencies develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology, they shall ensure that the electronic and information technology allows Federal employees with disabilities to have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access to and use of information and data by Federal employees who are not individuals with disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency. Section 508 also requires that individuals with disabilities, who are members of the public seeking information or services from a Federal agency, have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to that provided to the public who are not individuals with disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency.

Access Board, The (2000). Resources>Web Design>Accessibility>Section 508

Evaluating Forms

To demonstrate an example of some accessibility issues in HTML Forms, the following content intentionally has accessibility errors.

Abou-Zahra, Shadi. W3C (2004). Articles>Web Design>Accessibility>Forms

Evaluating Web Sites for Accessibility

This document outlines approaches for preliminary review Web site accessibility, and for evaluation of conformance to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0. While it does not provide checkpoint-by-checkpoint testing techniques it does include general procedures and tips for evaluation during development of Web sites, and for monitoring of established Web sites. Other resources will be developed for in-depth compliance testing. The measures described here are intended to supplement an organization's existing procedures for content management and quality assurance on their Web sites. For information about why making Web sites accessible is important read the Introductions on the WAI Resources page.

W3C. Articles>Accessibility>Usability>Web Design