The web is not only an essential resource for getting information, but also for providing information and interacting with others. It's important that the web be accessible to provide equal access and opportunity to those with a disability. In the simplest terms, web accessibility means that people with disabilities can use the Web.
Web accessibility includes all disabilities that impact access to the Web including:
- Visual
- Auditory
- Physical
- Cognitive
- Neurological
This 2-part workshop will discuss the importance of accessibility, show which web design patterns cause accessibility issues, demonstrate how simple coding bad habits can negatively impact the experience of people using assistive technologies, and show the variety of tools available to test accessibility on today's websites.
Resources for Developing a Web Accessibility Business Case for Your Organization provides case studies showing the positive business benefits of accessibility. This page is an example of negative consequences of not making your website accessible.
This video is part of a series that works hand-in-hand with Inclusive: A Microsoft Design Toolkit. The intent is to support designers and developers to innovate in a way that puts humans first, on a universal scale.
Many times focusing on standards and guidelines puts the focus on the technical aspects of accessibility, and the human interaction aspect is lost. This problem can be avoided by adopting the broader definition of accessibility as a guiding principle. Instead of focusing only on the technical aspects of accessibility, it is important to recognize that usability is also an important aspect of accessibility. Consciously addressing ‘usable accessibility’ helps clarify the difference between what meets minimum accessibility standards and what is usable by people with disabilities.
Designing for inclusivity not only opens up products and experiences to more people with a wider range of abilities, it also reflects how people really are.
The ADA Home Page provides access to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations for businesses and State and local governments, technical assistance materials, ADA Standards for Accessible Design, links to Federal agencies with ADA responsibilities and information, updates on new ADA requirements, streaming video, information about Department of Justice ADA settlement agreements, consent decrees, and enforcement activities and access to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) ADA material
This page is the first of five web pages covering the social, technical, financial, and legal and policy factors in the business case for Web accessibility. Each page presents different aspects of Web accessibility along with guidance on developing a customized business case.
Nothing. Done.Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just say accessibility costs nothing?
The proposed new standard for Section 508 is expected to require conformance to the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA. But what does this mean? This page poses some specific questions about WCAG 2.0 conformance and provides basic answers to help understand WCAG 2.0 conformance requirements.
Website accessibility regulations delayed until 2018 but businesses should not table the issue until then
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) yet again delayed the anticipated rulemaking for website accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The guidelines are now expected sometime in 2018 (delayed from the most recent expected date of April 2016). But, as I will discuss below, that does not mean that businesses transacting business with the public through websites and mobile applications should ignore web-based accessibility entirely until 2018.
- Perceivable
- Operable
- Understandable
- Robust
This page provides a paraphrased summary of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. (edited)
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is developed through the W3C process in cooperation with individuals and organizations around the world, with a goal of proving a single shared standard for web content accessibility that meets the needs of individuals, organizations, and governments internationally.
A customizable quick reference to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 requirements (success criteria) and techniques.
Techniques and Failures for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0
A guide to understanding and implementing Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0
In this final rule, the Access Board is updating its existing Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards under section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, (“508 Standards”), as well as our Telecommunications Act Accessibility Guidelines under Section 255 of the Communications Act of 1934 (“255 Guidelines”).
Web accessibility evaluation tools are software programs or online services that help you determine if web content meets accessibility guidelines. This page provides a list of evaluation tools that you can filter to find ones that match your particular needs.
HTML_CodeSniffer is a client-side script that checks HTML source code and detects violations of a defined coding standard. HTML_CodeSniffer is written entirely in JavaScript, does not require any server-side processing and can be extended by developers to enforce custom coding standards by creating your own "sniffs".
The WAVE Chrome extension allows you to evaluate web content for accessibility issues directly within Chrome. Because the extension runs entirely within your web browser, no information is sent to the WAVE server.
aXe is a free, open-source accessibility testing tool that runs right in your web browser.
WAVE is developed and made available as a free community service by WebAIM. Originally launched in 2001, WAVE has been used to evaluate the accessibility of millions of web pages.
Simply select or enter a foreground and background color in RGB hexadecimal format (e.g., #fd3 or #f7da39). Select the lighten and darken options to modify the colors slightly. You can use the color picker to change colors or change luminosity.
Just a Google search 🤗
VoiceOver does more than tell you what’s happening on your Mac. It helps you make things happen. It gives you auditory descriptions of each onscreen element and provides helpful hints along the way — whether you prefer using gestures, a keyboard, or a braille display. And it supports more than 30 languages, including multiple voice options.
ChromeVox is a screen reader for Chrome which brings the speed, versatility, and security of Chrome to visually impaired users.
JAWS, Job Access With Speech, is the world's most popular screen reader, developed for computer users whose vision loss prevents them from seeing screen content or navigating with a mouse. JAWS provides speech and Braille output for the most popular computer applications on your PC.
ZoomText is the world’s leading magnification and screen reading software for the visually impaired, helping countless individuals stay employed and in touch with the world.
In December 2008 through January 2009, WebAIM conducted a survey of preferences of screen reader users. We received 1121 valid responses to the screen reader survey.
Window-Eyes is nothing less than the most stable, secure and customizable screen reader available on the market today. Featuring comprehensive support for computers running Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2012, Window-Eyes enables individuals who are blind or visually impaired to be completely independent on a PC and be more successful and productive at school and in the workplace.
NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access) is a free “screen reader” which enables blind and vision impaired people to use computers. It reads the text on the screen in a computerised voice. You can control what is read to you by moving the cursor to the relevant area of text with a mouse or the arrows on your keyboard.
Right-click on a page and select 'Experience Colour Blindness' from the context menu.
Color Oracle is a free color blindness simulator for Window, Mac and Linux. It takes the guesswork out of designing for color blindness by showing you in real time what people with common color vision impairments will see.
Our team members have extensive accessibility knowledge and expertise, and are recognized for their work and contribution to the accessibility community, regularly writing for notable industry publications – including Netmag, SitePoint, A List Apart, Boxes and Arrows, and UX magazine – and speaking on the topic of accessibility, usability and web technologies at international conferences such as W3Conf, Paris Web, Generate, EdgeConf, Making Web, and CSUN.
SSB BART Group (SSB, for short) is a digital accessibility firm. SSB sees access to digital technology as a profound enabling force in the lives of individuals with disabilities. We seek to create a world where all digital systems can readily be made accessible to users with disabilities.
WebAIM (Web Accessibility In Mind) has provided comprehensive web accessibility solutions since 1999. These years of experience have made WebAIM one of the leading providers of web accessibility expertise internationally. WebAIM is a non-profit organization based at the Center for Persons with Disabilities at Utah State University.
An unstoppable force for change and thought-leader in an industry regarded for saying "No", I'd rather lead by example in saying "Yes, and here's how...". I seek to offer solutions to complex problems relating to universal usability. Together we can meet both our goals: your business goals and my goals to lead the way in accessible user experience. I have over a decade experience in doing IT consulting for the biggest companies in the world and biggest agencies in the US Government. Widely regarded as a pragmatic solution-finder, my work is cited in nearly a dozen books and used on curricula in Human-Computer Interaction across the globe. I lead by doing, I teach from experience, and I succeed by facilitating others' success. When others say "That can't be done" I show them how.