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Other priority 1 and 2 concerns of the WAI checklist rely on thinking about design carefully. Content and StructureThe most important starting place for all design is to recognize the content of your page. What is the actual information you are trying to communicate? Is there a logical structure to that information? If you can answer those questions you will have no problem making the page accessible. If a particular "look" of the page is your most important feature, you may need to think more about your project. Unit 4 notes about logical tags stressed how they differ from tags used for visual layout. Accessibility is one reason the distinction matters. Do not use tags like <blockquote> to get the appearance of an indent, for example. Screen readers may indicate the material is a quotation when it is not. Unit 5 notes about links explained the importance of naming your links to indicate their destination. A list of highlighted text for links should make sense. Most java scripts and applets will not work with screen readers. Make sure your page communicates in its stripped-down version before adding deluxe features. |
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Consistency and ClarityYour page should not be like one of those computer games where people wander around trying to discover their way through a maze. Have a consistent design on page after page.The navigation bars, main text and banners should be in the same place on every page. This not only helps people with "cognitive disabilities"; it also gives your site an identity ("brand recognition") and lets your viewers go quickly through your pages to find what they want. The WAI techniques document includes very good suggestions for clear writing. Recall your experience listening to the screen reader and magine how important clear writing is for those who hear your page this way. Give up Some ControlWith java script, meta tag tricks and animation, web designers may imagine they can control all aspects of display. Do not do that to your audience. Let your viewer control how quickly he or she advances screens rather than setting up an automatic "slide show" to change screen every ten seconds. If you use an animated gif, either have it stop after a few cute moves, or give the viewer a way to turn it off. |
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ColorLook critically at colors you use. Is there any feature on your page that relies solely on color? If so, add text or texture for the significant proportion of the population who are color blind. Is there good contrast between text and background? Are links highlighted adequately? Will your chosen colors make viewers wish they were color blind? Continue to Notes on "Tryouts">> Other comment notes for this unit: |
Copyright by dwang, 1999. All rights reserved.
