Additional Resources
A-Prompt
aprompt.snow.utoronto.ca/overview.htm
The A-Prompt toolkit is designed to make
the Internet more accessible by prompting HTML authors to write better
documents. It is not a complete program by itself but rather a module that is
embedded within an HTML editor program.
A-Prompt is currently a work in progress
and you may download the demo version and try it out.
They make the toolkit available to all
developers of HTML editors. Users may choose to implement some or all of the
toolkit. Or, users may wish to simply copy A-Prompt's ideas and create their own
implementation.
HTML editing programs integrate our
validator toolkit so that it becomes part of the editor. The editor will send
their validator module HTML elements as they are entered by the user. If the
module detects accessibility problems with the HTML element it will display a
'wizard' that prompts the user to create accessible HTML.
Bobby Worldwide
http://bobby.watchfire.com/bobby/html/en/index.jsp
BobbyTM is a comprehensive Web site
accessibility software tool designed to help expose barriers to accessibility
and encourage compliance with existing guidelines. Bobby was created in 1996 by
CAST, a not-for-profit research and
development organization whose goal is to expand opportunities for people with
disabilities through the innovative use of computer technology. Watchfire
acquired Bobby from CAST in July 2002. You may still use the free online
version, WebXACT to test individual pages.
CSS
Validator
jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/
If you are using Cascading Style Sheets
on your pages, you may want to use the W3C's CSS Validator service. You can run
it on a Web server, on the command line or use it in your new browser. If your
page passes the validation test you may opt to use the W3C's graphic to show
that the page is approved.
Dive Into Accessibility
30 days to a more accessible Web site
http://diveintoaccessibility.org/
This free online book is available in PDF or HTML format.
The Book addresses 2 questions:
- "Why should I make my Web site more accessible?"
- "How can I make my Web site more accessible?"
HTML Tidy
http://tidy.sourceforge.net/
When editing HTML it's easy to make
mistakes. Dave Raggett's HTML Tidy is a free utility cleaning up HTML code. It
also works on the sometimes hard to read markup generated by specialized HTML
editors and conversion tools and helps you identify where you need to pay
further attention on making your pages more accessible to people with
disabilities. It is able to fix up a range of problems and to bring to your
attention things that you need to work on yourself.
LIFT
from WebABLE
www.Webable.com
WebABLE is a Web site for
disability-related internet resources. WebABLE is a free site where you can
enter a URL (not a site) and it will check your site for "usability."
Just submit your Web page and select "GO". The program checks several
aspects including FONT elements, colors, frames, page downloading time, alt
tags, keywords and descriptions, and whether you are in compliance with HTML 4.0
standards. The report it generates assigns a usability rating for your page. The
ratings consist of excellent, good, fair, and poor. The program will not fix the
errors for you or link you to how to fix the problems. If you wish to have that
option, you can opt to purchase the full program for $199.
Lynx
Viewer
www.delorie.com/Web/lynxview.html
Lynx was a program that was used to surf
the Web before the introduction of graphical browsers (like Netscape and
Interent Explorer.). Lynx is still being used by those that may have slower
connections. Viewing your page with the Lynx Viewer allows you to see what the
Lynx users will see as well as helping you understand how a screen reader may
read your page. Delorie Software provides a number of free services to the Web
community to assist Web authors who wish to make their information available to
the largest audience. The LynxViewer provides alternate ways of viewing your
pages, so that you can ensure that your content is received properly.
Delorie
Software also has other services available for the Web author's use.
Netmechanic
www.netmechanic.com
Netmechanic allows you to submit a Web
page (not a site) and get a download time report (for various connections) and
also will test your HTML coding, spelling, and check links. Netmechanic will
allow you to submit a site and automatically will do periodic reviews of the
site for a fee. Netmechanic has a free sample section which is currently located
under the HTML Toolbox link. They also have a subscription service that you can
evaluate for your use. Netmechanic does not check for universal accessibility
errors, but it can be a good option for checking your code and links.
Screen
Reader software
If you would like to test your site using screen reader software, contact
UMaine Interim Web Master Christopher Smith at 581-3744 or
chris.smith@umit.maine.edu.
Vischeck
www.vischeck.com
Vischeck is a way of showing you what things look like
to someone who is color blind. You can try Vischeck online - either run Vischeck on your own image files or run Vischeck on a Web page. You can also
download programs to let you run it on your own computer.
W3C
HTML Validation Service
validator.w3.org
This service checks HTML documents for
conformance to W3C HTML and XHTML recommendations and other HTML standards.
After entering your URL, you have three options in which to choose from and then
select "Validate this page." The program will return a report with any
errors outlined. At the end of the report it will state whether your Web page
meets HTML requirements, if your code complies with the HTML standards odds are
much better that your page will be more accessible by current and future
browsers. If your page meets the requirements, you can choose to display the W3C
graphic.
WAVE 3.0 (beta) - Web Accessibility Validator
http://www.wave.Webaim.org
The WAVE was originally developed by Lenoard Kasday at
Pennsylvania's Initiative on Assistive Technology, a program of the Institute on
Disabilities at Temple University. Development on the current product continues
at WebAIM (Web Accessibility in Mind), a project at the Center for Persons with
Disabilities at Utah State University.
Checks Web site accessibility and provides recommendations
for corrective action. You may add a WAVE button to your browser tool bar
to check Web pages for accessibility whenever you'd like.
Webaim Simulations
http://www.Webaim.org/simulations/
Screen reader
Simulation - Experience a screen reader and learn how inaccessible
content affects screen reader users.
Low-vision Simulation
- View Web content through several types of vision disabilities. Learn how to
design content to best work with screen enlarging software.
Distractibility
Simulation - Experience the frustrations similar to what someone with a
cognitive disability may experience on the Web
WebTV
Viewer
http://developer.msntv.com/Tools/WebTVVwr.asp
The WebTV Viewer simulates the TV
browser on your personal computer. It can tell you if your Web content is
appropriate for the receiver. It has tools to show you how content is altered to
look the best on a television screen. There is a special window that shows how
tables and images are scaled, information that is not available on a standard
receiver. Currently the program is free, but you do have to agree to their
license agreement.
You will need to download the program to
your computer. After installing the program, and opening up the program, you
will need to enter your URL in the WebTV Viewer - Browser Window and hit enter.
The program will load your URL and let you see how your Web page will look to
those 1.1 million people using WebTV.
WebXACT
http://Webxact.watchfire.com/
WebXACT (Formerly Bobby) is a free online service that
lets you test single pages of Web content for
quality, accessibility, and
privacy issues.
Back to Creating
Accessible Web Sites
