the Bridging Gap
Accessible Web Page Design Marcia Minear October 9, 2003
hat i s accessi bi l i t y and who needs W it? hy W shoul d you car e? eb? How do di sabl ed peopl e see t he W hat can desi gner s do t o ensur e W accessi bi l i t y? her or W e can you l ear n m e?
Accessi bi l i t y
Accessi bl e desi gn m eans m ng aki ser vi ces and i nf or m i on at avai l abl e t o peopl e wi t h di sabi l i t i es. Accessi bl e web desi gn r equi r es t hat you under st and how peopl e wi t h di sabi l i t i es get i nf or m i on f r om t he W l d W de at or i W eb. Accessi bl e desi gn benef i t s al l .
W Needs Accessi bl e ho W Si t es? eb
Peopl e wi t h si ght i m r m s pai ent Peopl e wi t h m l i t y i m r m s obi pai ent Ol der user s Those who pr ef er t ext br owser Pal m Pi l ot user s Peopl e who access t he W f r om W eb ebenabl ed cel l phones por Those who exper i ence t em ar y or si t uat i onal i m r m s pai ent
W Bot her ? hy
Peopl e wi t h di sabi l i t i es r epr esent a si gni f i cant por t i on of t he popul at i on I t ' s good busi ness I t ' s t he l aw I t wi l l i ncr ease your vi si bi l i t y on t he W eb I t wi l l deepen your under st andi ng of " desi gn" I t wi l l enhance t he usabi l i t y of your si t e
e Access ser vi ces f r om hom at ` Read' i nf or m i on usi ng assi st i ve t echnol ogi es m I ncr ease com uni cat i on wi t h si ght ed wor l d m Bui l d com uni t i es f or suppor t and connect i on
The Pr om se of t he W i eb t o t he Di sabl ed Com uni t y m
Scr een Reader s
I nt er pr et t he code age Read al oud l i nks, t ext , i m t ags s Fi nd and access f or m at Read i nf or m i on f r om dat a t abl es Depend on t he desi gner t o f or m code cor r ect l y at
Fun wi t h JAW S
http://www.iastate.edu
But f or m any di sabl ed user s
http://my.rmwc.edu/portal/main.html http://thegilmore.com
The Pr obl em wi t h m I ages
The <alt> t ag
ages m ust i ncl ude an al t t ag Al l i m The al t t ag shoul d convey t he pur pose of t he i m age e ages shoul d i ncl ude an em y pt Som i m al t t ag, <alt=""> Long descr i pt i ons can be added by usi ng t he <longdesc> t ag
The Code
<img src="sunset.gif" width="400" height="300" border="0" alt="Sunset over San Francisco Bay" /> The scr een r eader says: I m age Sunset over San Fr anci sco Bay
Usi ng Tabl es f or Layout
Avoi d nest ed t abl es Use onl y t he basi c and unador ned codi ng f or l ayout t abl es <t abl e><t abl e>, <t r ><t r >, and <t d> <t d> ust m ake sense Cont ent of t abl e m when l i near i zed
Tabl es M ust M ake Sense when Li near i zed
FIRST SECOND THIRD You can t est t he or der i nf or m i on wi l l at be r ead f r om your t abl e by usi ng t he TAB key. ht t p: / / www. i ast at e. edu FOURTH FIFTH
Desi gni ng f or Accessi bi l i t y
I ncl ude al t t ags f or ever y im age on page Thi nk about t he or der t hat i nf or m i on i s ar r anged on t he at pag...