Make web pages accessible to handicapped users

It is a good idea to make your web pages accessible to handicapped people, even if this is not your primary target audience, because the guidelines listed below have beneficient side effect that will improve the usability to other users as well. Another interesting side effect comes from the observation that the kind of barriers that prevent blind people from reading your pages also prevent search engines from reading your text. In other words, a page that is accessible to blind people is also more likely to be found by a search engine.

Some guidelines from the Web Accessibility Initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium:

Text format

Don't use graphics for making text. Don't make ASCII art. Avoid file formats that can't easily be converted to plain text, such as .pdf files.

Images and animations

Use the alt attribute to describe the function of each visual element.

Image maps

Use 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 Style sheets for layout and style where possible.

Graphs and charts

Summarize or use the longdesc attribute.

Scripts, applets, and plug-ins

Provide alternative content in case active features are inaccessible or unsupported.

Frames

Make a <noframes> alternative and meaningful frame titles.

Tables

Make line-by-line reading sensible. Summarize.

Check your work

Use the checklist at www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/ and the Bobby test at www.cast.org/bobby/.

See also the general page on accessibility.

This page was last modified 2008-Dec-08