Web Accessibility
What is Accessibility?
Wiki defines web accessibility as:
…the practice of making websites usable by people of all abilities and disabilities. When sites are correctly designed, developed and edited, all users can have equal access to information and functionality… When sites are correctly built and maintained, all of these users can be accommodated while not impacting on the usability of the site for non-disabled users.
Section 508 Guidelines
Designers and developers should adhere as closely as possible to the guidelines established in the government’s 508 Law, which was “enacted to eliminate barriers in information technology.”
- Images & animations: Use the alt attribute to describe the function of each visual.
- Image maps: Use the client-side map and text for hotspots.
- Multimedia: Provide captioning and transcripts of audio, and descriptions of video.
- Hypertext links: Use text that makes sense when read out of context. For example, avoid "click here."
- Page organization: Use headings, lists, and consistent structure. Use CSS for layout and style where possible.
- Graphs & charts: Summarize or use the longdesc attribute.
- Scripts, applets, & plug-ins: Provide alternative content in case active features are inaccessible or unsupported.
- Frames: Use the noframes element and meaningful titles.
- Tables: Make line-by-line reading sensible. Summarize.
- Check your work. Validate. Use tools, checklist, and guidelines at W3C' Web Content Accessibility Guidelines site.
Further information on accessibility is available at these sites:
2.3 Use of color Summary: Color can enhance the usability as well help navigate through the application. 2.3.1 Color blindness and the web Nine percent of men and two percent of women have some form of color blindness or color confusion. Do not rely on color alone to provide critical cues. Example: “Click the blue link.” 2.3.2 Color customization and web safe colors Through system functionality or self-set style sheets users can often change their on-screen color palettes. Do not refer to parts of the screen by specific color, for instance, “Enter data that is required into the green box.” You cannot be sure that the box is green for everyone. As much as possible, use the pre-created styles and layouts provided in the framework of the GUI Resources page on Confluence Wiki. If customizing the color for a specific purpose, please try to use web-safe colors to allow for a relatively consistent color scheme across browsers, listed on Wiki’s Web Color page.