Resources referenced throughout this document:
Web Accessibility: How to Apply Accessibility to Sites Old and New, by Michael G. Paciello, April 6, 2001
WebAIM - Web Accessibility in Mind
Jim Thatcher - Accessibility Consulting
1. Give your site a check-up.
Look for these potential problem areas. Do your pages include:
- Graphics of any kind? This would include photographs, charts, images including stylized text, etc.
- Colors, including background color and/or colored text?
- Portable Document Format (PDF) files?
- Tables, including data tables or tables used for layout?
- Audio, either as streaming media or background sound?
- Video?
- Frames?
- Image maps?
- Forms?
- Java scripts?
2. Address accessibility problems in the applicable areas.
- Graphics. Add ALT text to all essential graphics that convey
meaning. Remember to add “” (null text) to spacer.gif files.
Thatcher: Alternative Content for Graphics, WebAIM: Creating Accessible Images - PDF files. Is the PDF format essential, or can HTML work
just as well?
WebAIM: Adobe Acrobat Accessibility Techniques, Adobe: How to Create Accessible Adobe PDF Files Booklet - Color. Improve color contrast. Remember that 1 out of
20 people have a form of color blindness!
Thatcher: Special Cases - Tables. Add table headers for data tables. Carefully evaluate
the reading order of cells in your table. (The WAVE tool from WebAIM will
number table cells to identify the reading order.)
WebAIM: Create Accessible Tables, Thatcher: Accessible Tables - Audio and Video. Add text transcripts for streaming audio
or video. Text transcripts are helpful in many ways to everyone.
Thatcher: Audio and Multimedia Content, WebAIM: Captions - Frames. WebAIM: Creating Accessible Frames
- Image Maps. Image maps can cause accessibility problems
for both the visually- and mobility-impaired.
Thatcher: Image Maps - Forms. These easy modifications will streamline use for
everyone.
WebAIM: Create Accessible Forms, Thatcher: Accessible Forms - Scripts. Can you navigate your site using only the keyboard?
Make sure all information is accessible without using a mouse.
Thatcher: Scripts and Applets, WebAIM: Creating Accessible Java Script
3. Review your navigation bar and add a “skip to content” link.
Thatcher: Accessible Navigation4. Check your site with evaluation tools.
- Change preferences in your browser to restrict script execution and not
display images. Browse your site—are there any surprises?
- Netscape: Edit-->Preferences-->Privacy and Security-->Images
- check
- Image Acceptance Policy = Do not load any images
- Animated images should loop = Never
- Internet Explorer: Tools-->Internet Options-->Advanced
- uncheck:
- Play animations in web pages
- Play sounds in web pages
- Play videos in web pages
- Show pictures
- Netscape: Edit-->Preferences-->Privacy and Security-->Images
- check
- View using a text-only browser, such as Lynx or Opera. Choose one or more
of the following options:
- Download and install the Lynx browser
- Visit the Delorie site to view your page as it would appear in the Lynx browser.
- Download and install Opera
- Use the Vischeck color blindness simulator to see how your pages look to individuals with three types of color blindness.
- Choose one or more of the following automated accessibility evaluators:
- Cynthia Says
- WAVE
- LIFT. See the “Free Accessibility Test” section in the left margin.
- Bobby. Accessibility problems are separated into Priority 1, Priority 2, and Priority 3 errors. Note that pages may be checked for meeting either Section 508 or WCAG 1.0 guidelines for accessibility.
- A-Prompt. Unlike other options listed here, A-Prompt is a downloadable program that will actually make suggested repairs to your web pages to correct identified accessibility problems.
- Use a screen reader to listen to your page. Choose from one of the
following options:
- Schedule a visit to the Student Disability Resource Center to use a computer equipped with JAWS, a popular screen reading program.
- Download and install IBM HomePage Reader for a free 30-day trial. (Windows only)
- Download and install demo version of JAWS (Windows only)
- Download and install demo version of Connect Outloud (Windows only)