How to tell if a companycan produce accessible

web sitesSandy Feldman

Inclusive Media and Design

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (the AODA)

Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind

- Leviticus 19:14

“a complex phenomenon, reflecting an interaction between features of

a person’s body and features of the society in which he or she lives”

- World Health Organization

“Light bulbs are assistive technology for the vision dependent”

-Tom Dekker

“Best viewed in Netscape 2”

The World Wide Web Consortium (w3) sets standards for the Web

1997The w3 established the

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Working Group

“Anyone over 5'8" is wasting material”

-Frank Lloyd Wright, 1867 –1959

AODA Time Line

Summary of the key dates:2012 – Phase in begins2013 – public sector organizations

(hospitals, municipalities, colleges and universities) comply

2013 and 2015 – private and non-profit organizations required to comply

The tools to pick the team

POUR

PerceivableOperable UnderstandableRobust

PERCEIVABLE

they’ve got to know it’s there

OPERABLE

it’s got to work

UNDERSTANDABLE

it has to make sense

ROBUST

it can’t fall apart under pressure

5 easy tests for web site accessibility

The first two tests are easy to do using your regular browser.

1. The tab test

2. Links that make sense out of context

The next three tests will need free web based utilities

3. Headings create structure

4. Semantic code

5. Valid code

• No code errors• Makes sense without

added styles• Works without a mouse• Structured by headings• Has meaningful link text

Test pages in your browser and using free web based utilities

SUMMARY

Thank You.

Sandy Feldmansandyfeldman@inclusiveme

dia.ca