Using an Access-Centered Design to Improve Accessibility: A Primer for Technical Communicators    

This article discusses accessibility barriers as defined by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and provides a basic primer on how technical communicators can remove these barriers during their Web design process and test to ensure the barriers were removed. The article focuses on 10 common barriers to a meaningful experience for people with disabilities, barriers that a technical communicator can consider when designing online information. Working on accessibility issues before online information goes live will help to reduce re-work and re-design and can save a lot of headaches for a technical communicator.

Roberts, Linda Enders. Technical Communication Online (2006). Articles>Web Design>Accessibility

Using Opera to Check for Accessibility

There are a lot of tools available to check your Web content for accessibility. Some tools are Web-based (such as WAVE 3.0). Other tools are stand-alone software products that you install on your hard drive. One tool that you may have overlooked is the Opera Web browser. Opera is not an accessibility validator—it's a Web browser—but it can act like an accessibility validator if you know how to use it that way. In fact, it's one of the best available. This article explains why.

WebAIM (2003). Articles>Web Design>Accessibility>Software

UVIP Web Test

A mailing list where web page developers can get assistance for having their web pages tested by visually impaired users.

Yahoo. Resources>Mailing Lists>Accessibility>Web Design

Il Vero Costo Dell'accessibilità Web

La realizzazione dei contenuti incide profondamente sul costo di un sito accessibile. L'uso di standard consolidati e di tutti i tag ed attributi dell'(X)Html accessibile la rende però una soluzione vantaggiosa, poiché ne riduce la successiva manutenzione e revisione.

Volpon, Antonio. FucinaWeb (2002). (Italian) Design>Web Design>Accessibility

The "Vision Thing"

It's important for Web designers to have a basic understanding of the mechanics of human visual perception. To the extent that your pages are 'easy on the eyes,' readers will find your site more inviting and more readable. Conversely, pages that visually overstimulate a reader are not only more difficult to read, but much more likely to result in eyestrain, fatigue, even headaches (none of which is particularly popular among readers).

Sullivan, Terry. All Things Web (1996). Design>Usability>Accessibility>Web Design

Visual vs. Cognitive Disabilities

Graphics are not directly accessible to people who are blind, yet graphics can be beneficial (in some cases necessary) to individuals with cognitive disabilities. Are these two disability types at odds with each other? How can Web developers reconcile the needs of these two very different audiences? Read more about the apparent conflicting interests in our feature article.

Bohman, Paul, Shane Anderson and Sachin Pavithran. WebAIM (2003). Design>Web Design>Accessibility>Visual

Visually Challenged Users and Need for a Universally Accessible Web Site

Visually impaired people suffer from no faults of their own. This is quite worthy of consideration that a little more efforts toward adoption of certain features in your web site can help them retrieve information in the desired manner. Their ease of accessibility to your web site will not go unrewarded; they can well augment your business interests by turning into your most valuable customers.

Azam, Rahbre. Amateur Writerz (2008). Articles>Web Design>Accessibility>Universal Usability

Voice-Enable Your Web Page with Multimodal 4.3.2

Become fluent in X+V, today's versatile Web markup language (WML). X+V, short for XHTML+Voice, is a Web markup language that is comprised of voice and visual elements used for developing multimodal applications. This article provides the novice developer of Multimodal X+V, Web pages, and handheld devices with a process for creating and testing an X+V application. This article uses the IBM® Multimodal Toolkit 4.3.2 running on WebSphere® Studio Site Developer (Site Developer) or on WebSphere Studio Application Developer (Application Developer) 5.1.2.

Celi, Miriam. IBM (2005). Articles>Web Design>Accessibility>Audio

Voluntary Product Accessibility Template

The purpose of the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template is to assist Federal contracting officials in making preliminary assessments regarding the availability of commercial Electronic and Information Technology products and services with features that support accessibility. It is assumed that offerers will provide additional contact information to facilitate more detailed inquiries.

Adobe (2002). Resources>Accessibility>Web Design

W głąb Dostępności

Niniejsza książka odpowiada na dwa pytania. Pierwsze brzmi: 'Dlaczego powinienem uczynić swoją stronę WWW bardziej dostępną?' Jeżeli nie masz strony w sieci, ta książka nie jest dla Ciebie. Drugie pytanie to 'Jak mogę uczynić moją stronę bardziej dostępną?' Jeżeli nie zostaniesz przekonany przez odpowiedź na pierwsze pytanie, nie będziesz zainteresowany odpowiedzią na drugie.

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

W3C/WAI「ウェブ･コンテンツ･アクセシビリティ･ガイドライン 1.0」

W3Cが勧告として公開している「Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0」をソシオメディア監修「ウェブ・アクセシビリティ〜すべての人に優しいウェブ・デザイン」（アスキー）にて日本語訳したもの。

Sociomedia (2003). (Japanese) Design>Web Design>Accessibility

WAVE 3.0 Accessibility Tool

A tool for checking the accessibility of any website URL.

WAVE (2004). Resources>Web Design>Accessibility>Software

WCAG 2.0 Baseline Concept

In order to encourage vendors of non-W3C technologies to include accessibility features in their technologies, and in recognition of emerging technologies that are beneficial for the Web, WCAG 2.0 is technology neutral. Rather than list each technology that the guidelines cover, WCAG 2.0 introduces the concept of a baseline. This post attempts to explain what is meant by this baseline concept.

Lemon, Gez. Juicy Studio (2006). Design>Web Design>Accessibility>Standards

WCAG 2.0: The New W3C Accessibility Guidelines Evaluated

WCAG 2.0, the second version of the W3C's accessibility guidelines are soon to be released - find out what accessibility experts at Webcredible think of these new guidelines.

Moss, Trenton. Webcredible (2006). Design>Web Design>Accessibility

Web Accessibility

Accessible Web design eliminates barriers for people who have disabilities such as: visual, hearing, cognitive, learning, and mobility.

ALLTech (2004). Design>Web Design>Accessibility

Web Accessibility and the DDA  

There are many legal issues currently raised by the growth in e-commerce and e-learning, but one of the least discussed is that of Web accessibility. As a result of the increased use of proprietary technologies and a failure to follow guidelines when designing Web sites a large percentage of the Internet remains inaccessible to many parts of the disabled community. As a result, the effect has been to exclude a significant section of the population from fully benefiting and participating in the increased use and reliance on e-commerce and e-learning. The purpose of this paper is to explore, in light of events and experiences elsewhere in the world, whether and to what extent the disability rights legislation in the UK might apply in such a scenario. It also considers the effect of the recent Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 on the previously excluded area of education.

Sloan, Martin. JILT (2003). Design>Accessibility>Web Design>United Kingdom

Web Accessibility and the Law in the UK: Is Your Website Legal?

Under the Disability Discrimination Act websites have to be accessible to disabled people. Read about your obligations.

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

Web Accessibility and UK Law: Telling It Like It Is

Debunks four myths about web accessibility and the law for those involved in the design and development of UK-based websites.

Moss, Trenton. List Apart, A (2004). Design>Web Design>Accessibility>United Kingdom

Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools: Overview

Web accessibility evaluation tools are software programs or online services that help determine if a Web site meets accessibility guidelines. While Web accessibility evaluation tools can significantly reduce the time and effort to evaluate Web sites, no tool can automatically determine the accessibility of Web sites.

Abou-Zahra, Shadi. W3C. Design>Web Design>Accessibility>Software

Web Accessibility for People With Disabilities: An Introduction for Web Developers    

This article presents an overview of the topic of web access for people with disabilities. First, we describe the four basic disabilities and explain the benefits of making sites accessible, as well as the reasons that more sites are not accessible. We review the relevant laws regarding web access, and we then discuss efforts being made by vendors and professional organizations, especially Microsoft and the World Wide Web Consortium, to encourage accessibility. Finally, we describe major resources that web developers might consult to assist them in making their sites accessible to people with disabilities.

Carter, Jeff and Mike Markel. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication (2001). Design>Accessibility>Web Design

Web Accessibility for Screen Magnifier Users

Discover how to improve both usability and accessibility for screen magnifier users using the Internet.

Moss, Trenton. Webcredible (2005). Design>Web Design>Accessibility

Web Accessibility for Section 508

The legislation referred to as "Section 508" is actually an amendment to the Workforce Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The amendment was signed into law by President Clinton on August 7, 1998. Section 508 requires that electronic and information technology that is developed by or purchased by the Federal Agencies be accessible by people with disabilities.

Thatcher, Jim. JimThatcher.com (2004). Articles>Web Design>Accessibility>Section 508

Web Accessibility Icons and Graphics

How can you display that your site is accessible? Why would you want to? These questions are answered.

Bartlett, Kynn. HTML Writers Guild (1999). Design>Web Design>Accessibility

The Web Accessibility Initiative  

Gillen explains the Web Accessibility Initiative, a coalition of groups that work to advance the cause of accessibility on the Web.

Gillen, Lori. Intercom (2004). Articles>Web Design>Accessibility

Web Accessibility... Making Your Pages Friendly to People with Disabilities

Did you know that nearly 20 percent of all Web users have some form of disability?

Nobles, Robin. Nine Yards (2003). Design>Web Design>Accessibility