Tag: Guidelines

Brower Wars (Part 1)

Posted by admin – July 30, 2010

Let the wars begin in today’s article we are going to look at the different web browsers available and what this means for accessibility.

To start off I thought we would look at what the Top 5 Web Browsers by Usage in April 2009 were:

1. Internet Explorer

2. FireFox

3. Chrome

4. Safari

5. Opera

If you are interested you can check out a Complete list of Web Browsers available at Wikipedia.

For those who are interested in understanding the differences between the different web browsers available today and the different features they currently offer check out the Comparison of web browsers article on Wikipedia.

So now we know what Web Browsers exist and what the difference are we will look at why this important in terms of accessibility.

A Key reason to make sure site is accessible is that with over 100 different Web Browsers available today you want to make sure your web site will work is most if not ALL of these browsers to give you largest possible audience for your web site.

So how do I make sure my web site will work in all these browsers? This is quite simple to make sure your web site will work in as many web browsers as possible and reach the largest number of visitors possible you need to make sure it complies with as many of the 12 Guidelines set out in the web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 as possible you can view the guidelines at http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/ .

Stay Tuned for Part 2 of Browsers Wars in Early August 2010.

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Easy To Understand Guidelines

Posted by admin – April 22, 2010

his summary is should only be used as a guide and has being rewritten in order to try and simply the guidelines and does not include substantial amounts of information as in the original document produced by Word Wide Web Consortium View The Original Document Now

Guideline 1: Where there are non-text objects in your web page make sure you provide a Text or audio equivalent e.g. Provide alt tags for images, Input fields (Form Boxes), Applet, and Flash.

Guideline 2: Do not have a web site that relies on color or has poor contrast between links, text and background. To test simply lower the screen resolution on your computer to 800 by 600 at 256 colors.

Guideline 3: By not using markup or Style sheets properly you make your web site very difficult for people using specialized software to navigate or understand. Where possible style sheet should be used to control layout and formatting. By doing this you make it easier for people using specialized software to navigate your site as formatting can be controlled using the browser.

Guideline 4: State natural language of document in the header so people screen reader or synthesizers can access the web easily and understand what the software is telling them. This can be done by placing a simple tag in the HTML header.

Guideline 5: Tables should not be used to layout web sites and only information that is truly suitable for tables should be placed in a table. When tables are used they should have the proper markup used as some screen readers and specialized software will not be able interpret the information properly.

Guideline 6: When using JAVA, Flash or other new web technologies ensure that there is a text equivalent for people who have these features turned off or appropriate software to support them uninstalled.

Guideline 7: Ensure that timed, scrolling or auto updating content can be stopped so that people using screen readers are able to have the content interpreted by the screen reader.

Guideline 8: Where imbedded content is used ensure the GUI (Graphical User Interface) of the object is accessible this can be tested by using the keyboard to access the object.

Guideline 9: Allow for users to be able interact with your web site using any number of input devices (Keyboard, mouse, voice, and more)

Guideline 10: Use solutions that are compatible with older web browser and older screen readers.

Guideline 11: “Use W3C technologies (according to specification) and follow accessibility guidelines. Where it is not possible to use a W3C technology, or doing so results in material that does not transform gracefully, provide an alternative version of the content that is accessible.” The above was obtained from the W3C Web Site.

Guideline 12: Provide information and the layout and context of your web site. e.g. Title Frames and pages appropriately, Do not provide large slabs of information where possible, label form controls.

Guideline 13: Provide simple and clear navigation including a navigation bar and a sitemap, site search facility to increase the chances of your site visitors finding what they are looking for.

Guideline 14: Provide clear and simple content (correct spelling and grammar) and avoid using industry specific technical terms.

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WCAG 2.0

Posted by admin – February 9, 2010

Welcome to the first in a series of articles which will explore the WCAG 2.0.

Over the next month we will be look at each of the points in details and explore what this means for your web site.

Below is a outline of World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 (Sourced from http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/)

* 1 Perceivable
o 1.1 Provide text alternatives for any non-text content so that it can be changed into other forms people need, such as large print, braille, speech, symbols or simpler language.
o 1.2 Provide alternatives for time-based media.
o 1.3 Create content that can be presented in different ways (for example simpler layout) without losing information or structure.
o 1.4 Make it easier for users to see and hear content including separating foreground from background.
* 2 Operable
o 2.1 Make all functionality available from a keyboard.
o 2.2 Provide users enough time to read and use content.
o 2.3 Do not design content in a way that is known to cause seizures.
o 2.4 Provide ways to help users navigate, find content, and determine where they are.
* 3 Understandable
o 3.1 Make text content readable and understandable.
o 3.2 Make Web pages appear and operate in predictable ways.
o 3.3 Help users avoid and correct mistakes.
* 4 Robust
o 4.1 Maximize compatibility with current and future user agents, including assistive technologies.

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