| In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was | | | | content type, language, etc.)?20. Have you |
| passed by Congress. The law was designed to | | | | provided summaries for all the tables on your |
| protect people with disabilities from being | | | | site?Here are some simple steps you can take |
| discriminated against, because of a physical or | | | | that don't require much work or technical |
| mental disability. The act was put into place to | | | | ability:Graphs and Charts:When working with |
| help guarantee equal opportunity for people with | | | | graphs and charts, make sure you've provided |
| disabilities in any public area - and it covers | | | | enough information that any graphs or charts |
| regulations for employment, transportation, state | | | | aren't needed to understand the article, but are |
| and local government services, | | | | just supplements to it. You can also use the "alt" |
| telecommunications, etc.But what about your | | | | tag to provide information about them.Image |
| Website? Have you done all you can, to assure | | | | Maps:Provide alternative text anywhere that the |
| that your Website is accessible?Here is a checklist | | | | user must click on your Website, so that if |
| you can use, to determine if your Website is as | | | | they've turned off the graphics, or can't view |
| accessible as it could be. (Note: These actions | | | | them, they can still understand what your site is |
| vary from fairly simple to complex, and this list is | | | | about and can navigate around it. (Note: This |
| not meant to be considered the only options or | | | | method still doesn't work with all browsers, but at |
| actions you can take to make your site more | | | | least you're trying!)Tables:When working with |
| accessible).1. Have you provided a text equivalent | | | | headers, use the "th" attribute so that users with |
| for every non-text element on your site? | | | | a visual impairment can hear the table headers |
| Non-text elements include: images, graphical | | | | from their screen reader.Hypertext Links:When |
| representations of text (including symbols), | | | | using hypertext links, use text that will make |
| animations (including animated GIFs), image map | | | | sense when a screen reader reads allowed to a |
| areas, programmatic objects and applets, ASCII | | | | visually impaired user.Bold FaceWhen writing your |
| art, scripts, spacers, frames, images used for list | | | | sales copy, use the "em" instead of the "b" tag. |
| bullets, buttons, sounds (whether automatic or by | | | | By using the emphasis tag, a screen reader's tone |
| user interaction), video, audio tracks of video and | | | | will change, adding emphasis to what is on the |
| stand alone audio files.2. Have you ensured that | | | | screen. If you use a bold tag, the screen reader |
| any information conveyed with color is also | | | | can't recognize the change, and all of the copy will |
| available without it?3. Are changes in the natural | | | | be read in the same tone.Multimedia (Video, |
| language of all pages on your Website and any | | | | applets, and Plug-ins):Try and provide alternatives |
| text equivalents (such as captions) clearly | | | | when using multimedia. If you're using streaming |
| identified?4. Are all documents on your Website | | | | video for example, which has sounds or dialog, |
| organized so that they can be read without style | | | | your two best options would be to either provide |
| sheets?5. Do you update all equivalents for | | | | closed-captioning for the video or provide a text |
| dynamic content every time you update the | | | | version for the dialogue. (This actually helps |
| dynamic content itself?6. Have you eliminated any | | | | non-visually impaired viewers who have dial up |
| special effects from your Website that cause the | | | | instead of DSL, or for the times when the |
| screen to flicker?7. Are you using clear and simple | | | | amateur video sound quality is poor.When you use |
| language in all content placed on your Website?8. | | | | applets or plug-ins, look for alternative methods of |
| If you use images and image maps, are you | | | | presenting information such as text links, without |
| providing redundant text links for each active | | | | relying on the applet or plug-in for navigating |
| region of your server-side image map?9. If you | | | | around your Webpages.So, how do you know if |
| use images and image maps, are you providing | | | | your Website meets the accessibility |
| client-side image maps (instead of server-side) | | | | guidelines?You can use the Bobby Program. |
| whenever possible?10. When using data tables, | | | | "Bobby" is a free Java-based program that |
| have you identified the row and column | | | | searches through your Website to check its |
| headers?11. If you use frames, have you titled | | | | accessibility. Although it can't analyze page |
| each frame to make it easier for users to | | | | content, it can analyze coding and the readability |
| navigate your site and identify the frames?12. | | | | of your Website.If you're interested in finding out |
| When using applets and scripts, have you made | | | | how accessible your Website is already considered |
| sure that the pages are useable when all | | | | to be, you can go to: is a free online service that |
| programmatic objects are not supported, or | | | | lets you test single pages of web content for |
| turned off? (If that isn't possible, have you | | | | quality, accessibility, and privacy issues.If you're |
| provided the information on an alternative | | | | interested in learning more about web accessibility, |
| accessible page?)13. When using multimedia, have | | | | or you know someone who needs information or |
| you provided an auditory description of the most | | | | access to resources for a disability, you can get |
| important visual information on a multimedia | | | | more information from the following links: |
| presentation?14. When using any time-based | | | | AWARE: Accessible Web Authoring Resources & |
| multimedia presentation (such as a movie or | | | | Education |
| animation), have you synchronized the equivalent | | | | Bobby Version 3.2 |
| alternatives such as captions or auditory | | | | CSS2 Tutorial |
| descriptions of the visual track to the | | | | IBM Accessibility Center |
| presentation?15. Have you made sure that the | | | | IBM: Java Accessibility YOUR Website Accessible? |
| background and foreground colors on your | | | | |
| Website have enough contrast so that when | | | | (Website Accessibility Initiative) |
| someone with a color deficit looks at it (or your | | | | Willis is the webmaster of and the publisher of |
| Website is viewed with a black and white screen) | | | | "The Genuine Truth" newsletter. "The Genuine |
| they can still read it clearly?16. Have you clearly | | | | Truth" |
| identified the target of each link?17. Have you | | | | newsletter is full of freebies,articles and reviews |
| provided a place to get information about your | | | | of the hottest products. If you are tired of |
| site, either through the use of a site map, or table | | | | spending money on bad products then you need |
| of contents?18. Have you clearly identified the | | | | "The Genuine Truth". Join us today and let me |
| primary language of your Website?19. Have you | | | | spend my money to test these products so you |
| provided information so that users can choose | | | | don't have to. |
| how they want to receive documents - by | | | | |