tools – Accessible Techcomm

Internet Accessibility / Usability Resources A-E

Cynthia A Lockley on 31 Jan 201426 May 2016

Last updated: May 26, 2016

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3M Office Ergonomics Audit A simple self-assessment of your own workplace. (.pdf)
6 Surprising Bad Practices That Hurt Dyslexic Users Web accessibility doesn't only extend to color blind users, but dyslexic users too.
AbilityNet is a UK charity helping disabled adults and children use computers and the Internet by adapting and adjusting their technology.
Accessible Techcomm All about accessibility and technical communication
Accessify tools, wizards, articles and tutorials on Web Accessibility for the conscientious web developer
Accessible Web Design online course offered by the International Webmasters Association
Accessible Web Site Design bulleted list of standards in designing Web pages
Alertbox: Current Issues in Web Usability Bi-weekly column by Dr. Jakob Nielsen, principal, Nielsen Norman Group
“ALPHABET SOUP: A web designer's journey to standards and accessibility by Randal Rust
Apple® Accessibility Features Vision built into all Macintosh computers provides adjustable keyboard, an ergonomic mouse, CloseView screen magnification software, Easy Access system software (StickyKeys, SlowKeys, MouseKeys), electronic documentation, key-repeat disable, text-to-speech synthesis and voice recognition (PlainTalk), sticky mouse, and visual alert cues. The VoiceOver spoken English interface for Mac OS X is a fully integrated, built-in screen reader technology providing access to the Macintosh through speech, audible cues, and keyboard navigation.
Apple Mac OS X Accessibility Features OS 10.4 brings universal accessibility to the fore and allows users plenty of scope for controlling the Mac's core applications.
BBC: My Web, My Way [Archived site—no longer maintained.] aims to help people with the tools and understanding that will enable them to make the most of the world-wide web (not just bbc.co.uk), whatever their ability or disability. The site provides advice and help to all those people who would benefit from making changes to their browser, operating system, or computer to be able to view the Web in a more accessible way. The site is not only for those with disabilities (visual, hearing, motor, cognitive or learning impairments) but also, for example, for those people with minor vision impairments who would not consider themselves to have a disability. The site is maintained through a partnership between bbc.co.uk and AbilityNet, a leading UK computing and disability charity. It is based on AbilityNet's original "My Computer, My Way" site.
Cognitive Disabilities Part 1: We Still Know Too Little, and We Do Even Less
Cognitive Disabilities Part 2: Conceptualizing Design Considerations
Creating accessible content: 10 tips for web writers
- Download the PDF Creating accessible content: 10 tips for web writers (.pdf)
HiSoftware Compliance Sheriff Accessibility Module (AccRepair) quality and accessibility testing and repair solution
Seven Accessibility Mistakes, Part 1 in Web Design from Digital Web Magazine mistakes 1–3
Seven Accessibility Mistakes, Part 2 in Web Design from Digital Web Magazine mistakes 4–7
CSS Zen Garden demonstrates the power and flexibility of CSS for formatting the visual presentation of web pages.
Deque Systems accessibility products and services and a "Guide to Digital Accessibility"
Designing with Web Standards the Daily Report from Jeffrey Zeldman, provides Web design news and information.
Divya Manian Web Development archives of her writing from 2007 to today. Divya is a product manager at Adobe and is or has been a contributor on HTML5 Please / HTML5 Boilerplate / W3Fools / Move the web forward.
Enabling Accessibility in Flex applications [United Kingdom]
Ergonomics at Loughborough [United Kingdom]

Internet Accessibility / Usability Resources F-W

Cynthia A Lockley on 1 Jan 201427 May 2016

Last updated: May 27, 2016

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Fahrner Image Replacement (FIR) FIR is a standards-compliant technique that uses stylesheets and ordinary HTML to provide a visible image, usually consisting of text. The CSS specifies that the image will display in most cases; if it should not display for some reason, the underlying structural HTML markup is supposed to take its place… Because it does not nest an image inside a heading, FIR is at least superficially better for accessibility.
Flash accessibility
- Adobe Accessibility Resource Center. Need your Web site Section 508 compliant? Get information and tools to make your web pages accessible, including the ability to test your Acrobat, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash, and Shockwave files.
- Can Flash be made accessible? Yes: JK Rowling Flash website – Case study – Web Access Centre (.pdf)
  
  The J.K. Rowling accessible website was launched in July 2005 and is recognised as one of the most advanced and accessible Rich Media experiences, pioneering new accessibility features for disabled, blind and partially sighted internet users.
- Can Flash be considered accessible? – from accessible.ie, "An Irish Perspective on Accessibility and Usability"
Flickering content or high contrast oscillating patterns may trigger Photosensitive Epilepsy, an article from Juicy Studio about the need to avoid flickering Web content, using photosensitive epilepsy as the basis for discussion.
Floatutorial Maxdesign's step-by-step guide shows how to float elements such as images, drop caps, and next and back buttons to create image galleries, inline lists, and multicolumn layouts.
How People with Disabilities Use the Web provides scenarios and descriptions for how different types of disabilities affect Web use.
IBM Accessibility Center Contains information on how to make websites accessible as well as build accessible software.
Of particular interest is Understanding Disability Issues When Designing Web Sites.
International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) is dedicated to the concept of accessibility for all participants. We recognize that our work promoting the development of an accessibility profession can never be complete unless all people can engage in education, networking and certification opportunities. We will work both to deliver accessible information and services and to continually improve in areas where new accessibility barriers are identified.
Jim Thatcher accessibility consulting
Juicy Studio promotes best practices for making Web site accessible for all.
Knowbility supports the independence of children and adults with disabilities by promoting the use and improving the availability of accessible information technology.
Making Information Accessible, the SAIF Standards for Disability Information and Advice Provision in Scotland. [UK]
Motor Disabilities techniques and concepts
Nielsen Norman Group Report Beyond ALT Text: Making the Web Easy to Use for Users With Disabilities 75 Best Practices for Design of Websites and Intranets, Based on Usability Studies with People Who Use Assistive Technology.
Microsoft Accessibility Center. Includes accessibility information for developers.
Quick Tips for Web Accessibility
"Research-Based Web Design & Usability Guidelines", 2006 edition. Also available in PDF format (157.4 MB .pdf)
Resources for the Hearing Impaired FREE…add a signer module to your software, a math test, and other educational learning modules. "Learning in Motion is proud to pioneer the research and development of educational software. By-products of our development role are modules of code and functionality we're happy to share. Sample our tools for deaf and hard-of-hearing. These free tools and resources are available for projects or personal use."
SSB Technologies, Inc.
Side by Side WCAG vs. 508 comparison
Technology and Information Accessibility from American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
The Paciello Group accessible interface design help for government agencies, technology vendors, e-commerce corporations, and educational institutions
Universal Design Education Online.
U.S. Government Website Accessibility Guidelines. This is an annotated table created to assist NASA webmasters in the goal of making all Government websites accessible to persons with disabilities.
Validating an entire site: Installing the W3C HTML Validator on MAc OS X
W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
WAI-ARIA Web Accessibility Initiative – Accessible Rich Internet Applications
WAI Magazine Short summaries about accessibility tools for Web developers.
Watchfire WebXM™ online Web analysis
Web Accessibility in Mind (WebAIM) has excellent information for the Web designer for accessible sites. The site provides tools and items to consider when designing for the following disability types:
- Auditory
- Cognitive
- Motor
- Seizure
- Visual
Wired Seniors: A fervent few, inspired by family ties, by Susannah Fox, et al. A Pew report, 9 September 2001, found that four million Americans aged 65 and over were online, sending e-mail to family members and surfing for important information. Demographics research report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project. By now, that number has increased significantly.
- PDF version of the complete report (.pdf)
World Usability Day: 3 November
World Wide Web Usability issue International Journal of Human-Computer Studies (IJHCS) (1997) 47(1) 1-222 [United Kingdom]
Word to HTML conversion tools
- Accessible Web Publishing Wizard for Microsoft® Office offers tools to convert Word to HTML and to convert PowerPoint to HTML
- CZ Document Converter

New WebAIM Color Contrast Checker

Cynthia A Lockley on 24 Jan 20095 Mar 2015

Last updated: March 5, 2015

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Jared Smith has provided a new tool based on many color checkers available that offers the ability to lighten and darken your color combinations slightly to find acceptable contrast levels. This new tool is at https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/

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