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Info Sheet: Web Accessibility Starter Guide

Standards

• Check if you department/organization has existing web standards
• Check your page for valid HTML 4.01
• http://validator.w3.org/
• Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, �1194.22
• http://webaim.org/standards/508/checklist
• World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), Priority 1, 2, and 3
• http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/full-checklist.html
• Accessibility standards are separate from Web standards, as they are functional requirements
• Usability and accessibility standards overlap and are identical many times
• Usability Heuristics (shortcuts) for good design
• http://www.useit.com/papers/heuristic/heuristic_list.html

Components to Assess

• Frames

In general, we discourage the use of frames, whenever possible

http://webaim.org/techniques/frames/

• Forms

Proper use of LABEL tags is of utmost importance

http://webaim.org/techniques/forms/

• Images

Images are fine, just do not rely on them heavily to convey information

http://webaim.org/techniques/images/

• Tables

Tables are great, but we discourage their use for formatting purposes

http://webaim.org/techniques/tables/

• Multimedia

Includes video, sound, and rich text, such as PDF documents. Provide alternative means to also convey the information

http://webaim.org/techniques/

(under �Rich Media�/Multimedia�)

• Scripts

We strongly discourage the use of scripts (such as mouseovers) whenever possible : http://webaim.org/techniques/javascript/

• Presentation
• Styles
• http://webaim.org/techniques/css/
• Use of Tables
• http://webaim.org/techniques/tables/
• Semantics (Heading Levels)
• http://webaim.org/techniques/structure/
• Link Text
• Make sure link text is descriptive (do not use words like �Click here�)
• http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/www/click.html

• Navigation
• Shortcuts
• Use �Skip Navigation� whenever possible
• http://jarmin.com/demos/access/skipinfo.html
• Heading Levels
• Headings can also be used as navigational aids
• http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/struct/global.html#edef-H1
• Descriptive Links
• Do not use terms such as �click here�
• http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/www/click.html
• Keyboard Access
• Make sure all interactive elements do not require a mouse to be functional
• http://webaim.org/techniques/keyboard/

Accessible University

A mock university site developed by the DBTAC project to illustrate concepts in accessible design, from accessible components, navigation, structure, and examples, such as accessible JavaScript

Great Lakes ADA & IT Center Website (http://www.adagreatlakes.org )

Can be used for reference on how to use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) for layout instead of tables, an example of �skip navigation� links, use of page heading levels, as well as other techniques.