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Accessibility

Can Your Page be Read by a Blind Person?

Your answer should be yes! Blind or disabled web users browse the web utilizing special software to accommodate their disability.

With just a few adjustments, your HTML code should be accessible.

  • Use headings, lists, table summaries and consistent page structure to make the page easier to scan.
  • Each link should make sense when the text is read.
  • Provide a text equivalent for non-text - "alt" for images. Make the "alt" tag statement brief and explanatory.

    Ex: <"img src="lake.gif" alt="White Rock Lake" height="140" width="50" />

  • Avoid strongly textured backgrounds.
  • Choose background and text colors that provides good contrast. Some color combinations make pages invisible for color-blind users.
  • Include text links when using image maps.
  • Summarize each table.
  • Title each frame to facilitate frame identification and navigation.
  • Provide alternatives to a high-tech pages that includes Java or DHTML.

Additional Information:

  • W3 Content Accessibility Guidelines
  • Ask Bobby: Accesibility Checker and Code Validator
  • Could Helen Keller Read Your Page?
  • Why is Accessibility so Important?
  • Accessibility: the Politics of Design
  • Accessibility Myths
  • Accessible Web Page Design: Links
  • All Things Web: Compatibility & Accessibility
  • Could Helen Keller Read Your Page?
  • WebAim: Creating Web Sites: Accessibility
  • Web-Savvy Accessibility Links

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©2001, Linda Baker ~ Last Updated: January 28, 2009