Is Your Web Site Accessible?
Presented by Kynn Bartlett
<kynn@hwg.org>
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center's InterLab 99 Conference
Document Notes
Original format: Powerpoint presentation.
Streaming Media Version:
G2 Player,
Real 5.0 Player,
Information on RealVideo player (streaming media provided by SLAC)
Presented: 5 November 1999
This presentation was part of a panel consisting of Kynn Bartlett, Cynthia Waddell of the City of San Jose, and Kim Stephens of IBM, organized by Bebo White of SLAC. More details can be found on the InterLab site.
Presentation Archive:
Is Your Web Site Accesible?
Kynn Bartlett
HTML Writers Guild
What does "web accessibility" mean?
- No barriers to information access
- Close the gap of the "digital divide"
- Welcome everyone to your site
- You can use the latest, most advanced technology on your site!
Why make an accessible site?
- Legal and policy requirements
- Increases accessibility to everyone
- Site can be used by non-"standard" browsers
- Easier to search/find your site
Six Simple Ways to Improve Your Site's Accessibility
1. Use Bobby to Check for Accessibility Hurdles
- http://www.cast.org/bobby/
- Bobby is a Java program that evaluates your site and identifies potential problems you can correct
- Can be run locally (on an intranet or on a staging server) or over the web
2. Validate Your HTML
- http://validator.w3.org/
- HTML is designed to be backwards compatible and future accessible
- The W3C Validator can identify HTML problems
- "Tidy" can be used to automatically fix HTML problems.
3. Use A Better Web Editor
- There are no "great" authoring tools
- "Good" tools include HomeSite, Dreamweaver, and Hot Metal Pro
- Check your editor's output against Bobby, the HTML Validator, and Tidy
- Watch for the W3C's Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines and compliance reviews!
4. Test Your Site Thoroughly
- Ask disabled web users to do critiques
- "Disable" your browsers and try your site
- Install assistive web software used by people with disabilities, and test your site
5. Make Accessibility a Priority in the Web Management Process
- Set standards on how accessible pages on your site must be
- The W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines define "MUST", "SHOULD", and "MAY" priorities for web sites
- Educate your web users and authors
6. Learn More About Web Accessibility
- Web sites
- WebAble! -- A web site on access to the web by people with disabilities
- Mailing lists
- Conferences
- Builder.Com Live! -- features panel with K. Bartlett and B. White
- Tutorials and Online Classes
Three Accessibility Web Sites You Need to Know
W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
- http://www.w3.org/WAI/
- The World Wide Web Consortium's accessibility projects
- Creates standards for accessible web design, accessible web browsers, and accessible authoring tools
CAST's Bobby
- http://www.cast.org/bobby/
- The Center for Advanced Special Technology's web page evaluator
- An invaluable tool for identifying problems
HTML Writers Guild's AWARE Center
- http://access.idyllmtn.com/
- http://www.awarecenter.com/
- AWARE stands for Accessible Web Authoring Resources and Education
- Essays, links, and resources for web designers