Seminar Page 7
Here are some tips for effectively understanding and implementing accessibility strategies.
There is no wake up call like viewing a Web page you have developed on a screen reader to understand the issues that visually impaired users might face. This is also true for using the Internet with a grayscale monitor, a small screen, no audio, slow bandwidth connection or other less than ideal conditions.
There are very few accessibility requirements which can be blindly applied without considering the context of the Web page. For a screen reader audience, a balance between too little information and too much redunancy should be maintained.
Code options can vary depending on the needs of the Web page. For instance, this site breaks many accessibility rules in order to demonstrate bad accessibility.
A Section 508 verification report can check for specific missing tags such as TITLE tags or ALT tags, but cannot check to make sure the context is correct. For instance, no checker can verify that the content of an ALT tag is meaningful, that color coding is supplemented by some other device or that Web sites are readable without stylesheets. It can only tell you to manually make sure these standards have been included.
See the Accessibility Testing page for details on additional checks.
Some of the newer accessibility tags and standards have been proposed, but do not have full support yet in screen readers. Before spending great time and effort implementing new tags, make sure that common screen readers such as Jaws or IBM Home Page Reader have implemented them recently. Otherwise, it may be more efficient to use some other accessibility strategy.
For instance screen readers may not support all the tags for complex tables. In that case, a series of simple tables may be more accessible to more users.
Some tags and recommendations are time consuming to implement, especially if a Web site needs to be retro-fitted for accessibility. However, having developers experience screen readers may give them a different perspective.
Accessibility is, unfortunately, a complex issue which does not always lend itself to simple answers. You may hear conflicting advice on how to best implement accessibility. Understanding the audience issues and your goals will hopefully provide you with sensible alternatives.
Evan after implementing all the recommended tags and strategies, some users may still encounter problems you were not aware of, either because of unique conditions or outdated browsers or equipment. These users still need accommodation.
Newer versions of HTML editors such as Dreamweaver include options which allow you to incorporate or check accessibility much more efficiently.
Browsers such as Opera include accessibility features, and plugins or "bookmarklets" can be installed for a number of browsers including Firefox and Internet Explorer for Windows.
Screen readers and browsers are continuously evolving. Old problems may be solved and new ones created. Evolving technologies will create new accessibility issues.
BUT, if you incorporate accessibility now, you will be better prepared for new developments in the future and less likely to need to make major changes.
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