Building Accessible Websites Series

Introduction to Web Accessibility

Presented by Alan Parks

For the University of Vermont UCEDD

Building Accessible Websites Series

Agenda

• What makes a website accessible?

• Who benefits?

• What are the resources to help make my site accessible?

• How do I validate my site?

Building Accessible Websites Series

What makes a website accessible?

• Accessible webs are designed and written in ways that assure that all users can access and benefit from the content.

• Common features of accessible webs include: – “alt tags” for all non-text items– Appropriate uses of color; color never conveys

content– Tables with content formatted for understandability– Appropriate, alternate representations for PDFs,

videos, audio, etc.

• See UMaine’s Helpsite for details

Building Accessible Websites Series

Who benefits?

• All users benefit, especially…

• …those who are Deaf, blind, have vision impairments;

• …those who have learning disabilities;

• …those whose native language is different from that of the website;

• …those using palm technology.

• Who else?

Building Accessible Websites Series

What resources are available?

• UMaine’s Web Accessibility Helpsite - www.umaine.edu/weboffice/accessibility/creating.htm.

• HiSoft’s AccVerify is one example of user validation and repair software: http://www.hisoftware.com/support/mm-demos.htm

Building Accessible Websites Series

How do I validate my site?

• AccVerify - validate your entire site locally or on the server

• Cynthiasays – www.cynthiasays.com; one server page per minute

• AIS Toolbar –www.visionaustralia.org/info.aspx?page=621; IE/Windows only

• Checky Toolbar – checky.sourceforge.net/extension.html; Firefox/Mac-Windows

Thank you!