Web Accessibility Tip: Consistent Navigation and Identification

Consistency is important for web site accessibility and usability. WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 3.2.3 (Level AA) requires that navigation elements that are repeated on web pages do not change order across pages. Success Criterion 3.2.4 (Level AA) requires that elements that have the same functionality across multiple web pages be consistently identified. For example, a search box at the top of the site should always appear in the same place and be labeled the same way.

Web Accessibility Tip: Large Clickable Targets

Some mouse users have may have difficulty with fine motor control, so it is important that clickable targets be sufficiently large. Radio buttons and checkboxes should include properly-associated labels (using the element). Small icons or text, such as previous/next arrows or superscript links for footnotes, should be sufficiently large or combined with adjacent text into a single link.

Web Accessibility Tip: Do Not Require Unnecessary Form Data

One of the keys to creating highly accessible forms is to avoid as many errors as possible before the form is submitted. Ensure that forms are as simple and intuitive as possible, and don't require that a field be filled out if the content is not necessary (e.g., a telephone number to subscribe to an email discussion list). Errors can also be prevented by allowing informatoin to be entered in a number of logical formats. For example, allow a telephone number to be formatted: (123)456-7890, 123-456-7890, 123.456.7890, or 1234567890, as long as ten numerals are present. This data can easily be reformatted using scripting or database languages for further usage.

Web Accessibility Tip: Accessibility User Testing

Instead of conducting accessibility testing with users with disabilities (asking users to identify accessibility issues), it is almost always more effective to do usability testing (asking users to evaluate overall usability) with users with disabilities. While accessibility testing can be used to identify instances of accessibility – poor alt text here and a missing label there, fixing all significant instances of inaccessibility and non-compliance still might result in a poor experience for users with disabilities. Basic user testing that includes users with disabilities has a focus on the broader user experience with a site, yet still can identify specific accessibility issues. User testing with individuals with disabilities should be part of a broader testing plan that involves compliance checklists, automated tests, manual testing, and assistive technology testing.

Web Accessibility Tip: WCAG 2.0 and Reading Level

It is always a good idea to make content as readable and understandable as is suitable for the audience. For complex content (defined as that which requires a reading ability more advanced than the lower secondary education level), WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 3.1.5 (Level AAA) requires that a more simplified and readable version of the content be provided. Much content cannot be made perfectly understandable at these levels (consider a college-level chemistry class, for example), thus it's a Level AAA success criterion. Regardless of the limitations for some content, for a page to be optimally accessible, it should be written so as to be easily readable and understandable to the target audience.

Web Accessibly Tip: Link Type Indicators

It is a good idea to inform users when a link goes to non-HTML content (such as a PDF file or Word document). It can be frustrating to activate a link and then realize that the link requires an external program or viewer. An icon (with appropriate alternative text) or text, such as "(PDF)", is sufficient. Because screen reader users commonly navigate by links, it is vital that the link type indicator icon or text be placed within the link, otherwise this information is readily available to sighted users, but not presented in the context of the link for screen reader users.

Web Accessibility Tip: Text Readability

Keep the following guidelines in mind for displaying text:

• Avoid very small text. This not only impacts some users with low vision, but many users with cognitive disabilities as well.
• While serif fonts (e.g., Times) are more readable when printed, both serif and sans-serif fonts are appropriate when displaying body text onscreen, as long as the font is clean and readable.
• Underlined text should be avoided, except to designate links.
• Minimize the number of different fonts used on a page. Two to three fonts is optimal.
• ALL CAPS should be used minimally. It is more difficult to read and is often interpreted as "shouting". Additionally, screen readers may read all-caps text letter by letter (like an acronym) rather than as full words.

Web Accessibility Tip: Use True Text

True text has several advantages over graphical text and should be used whenever possible. True text is easier to read, especially if it is enlarged. The user can more easily customize the appearance of the text to make it more readable (changing color, size, font, etc.). File size is typically smaller for true text and it can be translated into other languages.

WCAG 2.0 Level AA requires that if the same presentation can be accomplished using true text, then you must use true text rather than an image of text. Level AAA requires that text cannot generally be used within images at all.

Web Accessibility Tip: Voice Control Software and Image Alternative Text

To activate links on a page, users of voice control software, such as Dragon NaturallySpeaking, speak the visible link text. When an image is linked, the alternative text of that image can be spoken to activate that link. When an image presents graphical text, the alternative text of the image should match the visible text to ensure voice control software users can easily activate that link.

Evaluating Alternative Text

When evaluating the alternative text of images, remember that the alternative text (whether in the image's alt attribute or in adjacent text) should convey the content and function of an image. Asking the question, "If the image could not be used, what text would replace the image?" is often a good way to determine appropriate alternative text. First, view the alternative text along with the image. Is the alternative text equivalent to the content of the image? Second, disable images and view the alternative text in place of the image and consider if the alternative text makes sense in its context and reading position within the page.

Evaluating Web Accessibility with WAVE

WAVE is a free web accessibility evaluation tool found at http://wave.webaim.org/. Rather than providing a complex technical report, WAVE shows the original web page with embedded icons and indicators that reveal the accessibility of that page. This presentation facilitates manual evaluation of web accessibility. A Firefoxtoolbar version of WAVE allows evaluation of webcontent directly within the browser - thus allowing sensitive, password protected, dynamic, or intranet pages to be easily evaluated. Because WAVE performs evaluation after page styles (CSS) has been applied and (in the toolbar) after scripting has been processed, WAVE provides a very accurate representation of true end user accessibility.

Web Accessibility Tip: Low Vision Custom Color Settings

Some users with low vision can see content more easily if the default colors are inverted (white text on a black background), customized user styles are applied (blue text on a yellow background, for example), or a custom color scheme is used. This can be done using the operating system, with screen magnification software, or with user style sheets in a web browser. To ensure web accessibility for these users, make sure your page colors have sufficient contrast, that color is not used as the only means of conveying information or meaning, and that colors are specified for page elements (typically using CSS to at least define the page foreground and background colors).

Accessibility, Compliance, and Discrimination

Accessibility is about the user experience. Because a web site can always be more accessible, accessibility is best viewed as being a continuum. Web accessibility guidelines and standards (such as Section 508 and WCAG) provide useful measures along that continuum. Discrimination laws (such as the Americans with Disabilities Act or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act), however, generally do not define web accessibility, but instead clarify that web sites should not discriminate based on disability. Because standards and guidelines do not address all aspects of web accessibility, it is possible for a site to comply with a set of guidelines, yet remain very inaccessible to some users and potentially discriminatory. This is particularly true with very minimal standards such as Section 508. For these reasons, it is best to get a true understanding of accessibility and how end users access and use the web. Standards and guidelines should be used as tools and measures of accessibility, but the ultimate goal should not merely be compliance, but to provide an efficient, friendly, and accessible user experience regardless of disability.

Web Accessibility: Contrast

This is part of a continuing series of web accessibility tips for IT personnel, web managers and web development groups. These tips can be used to review current website accessibility and to utilize in developing new websites with the hope of improving web accessibility for everyone.

Determining whether there is enough color contrast between text and background can be difficult. WCAG 2.0 has contrast guidelines at both level AA and level AAA and a complex formula for determining a contrast ratio. Large text (over 14 point bold) requires slightly less contrast than 'normal' text.There are many tools, such as WebAIM's color contrast checker that can generate this contrast ratio and give immediate feedback whether the contrast is sufficient. Simply enter a foreground and background color to see the results. Users of the Firefox web browser can use the Colorzilla add-on too easily select color values from within the web page.

Web Accessibility: Text Size and Zoom

This is part of a continuing series of web accessibility tips for IT personnel, web managers and web development groups. These tips can be used to review current website accessibility and to utilize in developing new websites with the hope of improving web accessibility for everyone.

Content must remain readable and understandable when text size or page zoom is set to at least 200% or twice the default size. While it is optimal to decrease the likelihood of horizontal scrollbars or changes in visual design or document layout at these settings, readability and understandability are most critical to accessibility. This can be tested by selecting Control + (or Command + on a Mac) in your web browser or by increasing the text size under the View menu.

Web Accessibility: Robustness

This is part of a continuing series of web accessibility tips for IT personnel, web managers and web development groups. These tips can be used to review current website accessibility and to utilize in developing new websites with the hope of improving web accessibility for everyone.

Robustness addresses the technology implications of accessibility. It requires following web standards (e.g., valid HTML and CSS), creating content/functionality that works across various user agents (web browsers and assistive technologies), ensuring compatibility with various hardware (such as mobile devices), and considering present, future, and older technologies. While it does not mean that a web site must be compatible with all present, future, or former technologies, it does suggest that consideration be given to ensure accessibility to the broadest range of technologies feasible.

Web Accessibility: Cognitive Disabilities

This is part of a continuing series of web accessibility tips for IT personnel, web managers and web development groups. These tips can be used to review current website accessibility and to utilize in developing new websites with the hope of improving web accessibility for everyone.

The number of people with cognitive disabilities is greater than the number people with all other disabilities combined. Cognitive disabilities are complex and vary greatly. Recommendations for those with cognitive disabilities share much overlap with general usability recommendations, however, the impact of poor usability and understandability can have a much more significant impact on those with cognitive disabilities. Care should be taken to ensure optimal functionality and understandability of web content by those with cognitive or learning disabilities.

Web Accessibility: Alternative Versions

This is part of a continuing series of web accessibility tips for IT personnel, web managers and web development groups. These tips can be used to review current website accessibility and to utilize in developing new websites with the hope of improving web accessibility for everyone.

Building one version of a site that is highly accessible is the best approach to accessibility. Providing alternative versions or directing users to accessible or mobile versions of a site can be interpreted a segregation and separation, particularly if the content and functionality is not similar or equivalent to the main site. Statistics show that screen reader users are not likely to use this content anyway. A good site has full accessibility built in naturally, thus removing the need for alternative versions.

Web Accessibility Wednesday: Skip Link

This is part of a continuing series of web accessibility tips for IT personnel, web managers and web development groups. These tips can be used to review current website accessibility and to utilize in developing new websites with the hope of improving web accessibility for everyone.

"Skip to main content" or "skip navigation" links provide a mechanism for keyboard users to jump over repetitive navigation directly to the main content of a page. These links must be one of the first links on a page and must be visually apparent in order to provide quick access to the main content for keyboard users, including screen reader users. They can be intrusive to visual design. However, because "skip" links are really only useful to keyboard users, they can be
ATAP Web Accessibility Tips Page 11
hidden from view until they receive keyboard focus, at which point they are presented visually and prevalently within the page - thus maintaining high utility to both sighted and blind keyboard users, but having no impact on other users - they probably won't even know that the link exists.
Read more about hiding "skip" links visually.

Web Accessibility Wednesday: Error Prevention, Validation and Recovery

This is part of a continuing series of web accessibility tips for IT personnel, web managers and web development groups. These tips can be used to review current website accessibility and to utilize in developing new websites with the hope of improving web accessibility for everyone.

Form error prevention, validation, and recovery techniques can have a significant impact on site usability and accessibility. Forms should be easy to understand, to complete and to submit. If there are problems with a form submission (e.g., the user did not complete a required form field), you should:
1. Alert the user to the presence of the error in an apparent and accessible manner
2. Allow the user to easily access the form elements that need to be modified
3. Allow resubmission and revalidation of the form