The Internet is opening doors to information resources in ways
that our world never imagined possible. Unfortunately, its doors don't always
meet accessibility standards and people with disabilities are being shut off
from educational, social, and vocational opportunities.
Because designing an accessible Web site requires special techniques
and considerations, the lack of accessibility features in a site is usually
not a sign of indifference to these issues, but rather a simple lack of awareness
on how to design with accessibility in mind.
Ramp Up to Access is committed to demystifying the accessible
design process. The following resources will help designers understand the considerations
that need to be made when designing for accessibility.
Here are the agreed-upon rules to follow for creating accessible Web pages,
from the World Wide Web Consortium, which provides standards for the Web.
W3C's nitty-gritty of how to accomplish accessible Web content, complete with
examples and tips on testing, and an index of elements and attributes. A list
of resources and services, such as Bobby, is also included here.
The 3 Feb 2000 press release announcing guidelines as a W3C Recommendation;
the release helps explain in layperson terms what the guidelines do and the
importance of standardizing accessibility considerations in authoring software.
This site is from the Virtual Volunteering Project at the Charles A. Dana Center
at UT Austin—practical information about how to make your Web site accessible.
Enlightening information about how age affects eyesight, especially as it
relates to providing information on the Web
Information about color blindness for designers.
The TRACE center at the University of Wisconsin provides a useful site of resources
on universal design issues.
A newsletter published by the National Center for the Dissemination of Disability
Research. Look for Vol 3, No. 3, which focuses on Internet accessibility.
The section on typical design flaws makes the page worth a look.
An important page on typography and legibility within the respected Yale Style
Guide for the Web; a good resource for design principles for the Web as well
as for other uses.
This site offers clear, basic explanation of the principles of accessibility
on the Web, with practical solutions.
A Web writer's organization—policy for creating accessible Web pages,
based on the W3C standards. The guidelines are clearly stated and the implementation
recommendations are straightforward.
Practical advice for making Web pages more accessible, from the usability guru
Jacob Nielsen.
This page highlights the accessibility features of Cascading Style Sheets,
a mechanism for making Web pages accessible for the increasing number of Web-enabled
devices and assistive readers.
IBM Special Needs Systems and Sun Microsystems' accessibility group have joined
forces to design and build next-generation accessibility into Java.
Microsoft has a substantial Web presence for accessibility. As a company, they
have also invested a lot of resources in making their products accessible. They
have a person assigned to each product whose job it is to make sure the product
meets accessibility standards.
Bobby is a Web-based portal that analyzes Web sites for accessibility issues.
CAST offers Bobby as a free public service in order to further its mission to
expand opportunities for people with disabilities through the innovative uses
of computer technology.