What is Web Accessibility?What does an
"accessible Web site" mean?
Universal access to communication and
information services is seen by many as an essential human right.
Those who work with new media technologies must strive to create
products that meet the needs of an increasingly diverse environment.
Physical, technical, economic, and social factors must all be
considered. Universally accessible sites, for example:
- provide alternate descriptions of
graphical elements,
- provide headers for columns and
rows in tables that contain data,
- use identifying language for
links,
- have high contrast between
background and text,
- meet
Section 508 Standards
Click here
for 16 guidelines to
help you create an accessible Web site.
Why is accessibility necessary?
Accessibility allows your information to be
available to all users.
What does the University of Maine Require?
Who Benefits from Universal
Design?
Universal Design addresses the needs
of more than just those with disabilities or with sensory
impairments. ALL users benefit from sites created with Universal
Design.
Universal Design addresses
the needs of more than just those with disabilities or with
sensory impairments. ALL users benefit from sites
created with University Design. You, as the developer
benefit when all users can access your site.
Some people with
visual impairments use specialized
software to access and operate their computers. Called
"screen readers," such software reads the elements on the
screen, window or Web browser to the user. For a screen
reader to be effective, text descriptions of graphical
elements are needed.
Audio is inaccessible to
deaf users, so text is needed. Users who
are deaf depend on Web designers to provide captioned text
that is synchronized with audio clips on the Web site. In
addition, most users will appreciate being able to read the
text of audio elements.
Users with
learning disabilities sometimes have difficulty
accessing Web sites that are cluttered or disorganized. All
users will benefit from well designed sites.
Many Internet users have
older computers or slow Internet
connections. If your audience includes schools, libraries,
rural areas, international users, or the economically
challenged, then your Web site visitors may have barriers
that limit access to your site. Such users are denied the
benefit of Web pages that must be viewed with the latest
browsers or require the fastest Internet connection speeds.
Do accessible sites
have a special look?
No. Accessible sites may appear the
same as non-accessible sites to the sighted user.
How do I begin?
A. At a minimum, your Web site should
meet Section 508 approval. To determine if your site meets
that level, download and install the HiSoft AccVerify
software, or go to
http://Webxact.watchfire.com/
Note:
You can check a page at a time using Watchfire WebXACT, or
purchase the Watchfire® Bobby™ software to check your entire site.) To
be "Bobby Approved," a page must pass all of the "U.S.
Section 508" accessibility checkpoints established by the WAI. For more information on the report, please read "Viewing
Scan Results." You can also check a page at a time
at:
www.cynthiasays.com.
B. See
http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/full-checklist.html to
view "Checklist of Checkpoints for Web Content Accessibility
Guidelines 1." This site shows the checkpoints for each
priority level.
C. If you need to make changes to your
site, you can use AccVerify and the UMaine guidelines below, Bobby’s help files, or the W3C’s help files.
D. 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.
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