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Accessibility information page
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Navigation begins here
Home (1)|Tutorial|
1. Introduction|
2. Definitions|
5. Structure|
6. Navigation|
7. Appearance|
8. Content|
9. Data|
10. Multimedia|
11. Evaluation|
Accessibility Basics
The W3C has published a summary of their guidelines for creating accessible websites called Quick Tips to Make Accessible Web Sites, which is reproduced on this page with links to examples and explanations on this site. A complete version of their Web Accessibility Guidelines, Version 1.0 can be found on the W3C website (www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/full-checklist.html).
Separating Content from Presentation
A fundamental principle of accessible website design is the separation of content from presentation. This is accomplished by using HTML code to create the structure of a document, and using other tools, such as cascading style sheets, to control appearance. By doing this, you give control of the appearance of the site to the person or assistive technology viewing it, so it can be presented in a meaningful way.
The emergence of Flash has somewhat complicated matters since sites designed entirely with Flash have to address both content and presentation, but this basic principle is still useful for planning and designing sites.
The next section of this tutorial addresses website structure.
Making Accessibility Usable
Making a site accessible doesn't end, of course, with making it Section 508 or WCAG Priority One compliant. One also has to ensure that the site is usable for someone utilizing adaptive technology. In general, one should provide additional information about images, links, tables, frames, and so forth, only when it will be useful and relevant.
A good example of what not to do appears on Jim Thatcher's website.
W3C Quick Tips Guide
Images and Animations
Use the Alt attribute to describe the function of each visual.
Image Maps
Use the client-side map element and text for hotspots.
Multimedia
Provide captioning and transcripts of audio, and descriptions of video.
Hypertext links
Use text that makes sense when read out of context. For example, avoid "click here."
Page Organization
Use headings, lists, and consistent structure. Use Cascading Style Sheets for layout and style where possible.
Graphs & Charts
Summarize or use the Long desc attribute.
Scripts, applets, & plug-ins
Provide alternative content in case active features are inaccessible or unsupported.
Frames
Use the No frames element and meaningful titles.
Tables
Make line-by-line reading sensible. Summarize.
Check Your Work
Validate. Use tools, checklist, and guidelines at the W3C website (www.w3.org/TR/WCAG).
