Web Accessibility Information Links

The following is a compilation of resources about Web accessibility, including guidelines, reference materials, accessibility tools, training courses and materials, general resources, and commercial initiatives that Trace Center staff have found particularly useful.

Guidelines

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 explain how to make Web content accessible to people with disabilities. The guidelines are intended for all Web content developers.
- Techniques for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 is the gateway to a series of related documents that provide techniques for satisfying the requirements defined in Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0. It covers core techniques as well as HTML and CSS specific techniques.
- Errata in Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 lists corrected information in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines since it was published in 1999.
- Checklist for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 provides a list of all checkpoints from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0, organized by concept, as a checklist for Web content developers.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 is in development by the Web Accessibility Initiative’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group. It incorporates feedback received from WCAG 1.0, and is an attempt to write checkpoints that may be applied to a wider range of technologies and that may be understood by a more varied audience.
User Agent Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 provide guidance for designing user agents that lower barriers to Web accessibility for people with disabilities. User agents include HTML browsers and other types of software that retrieve and render Web content.
Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 provide guidelines for Web authoring tool developers. Its purpose is two-fold: to assist developers in designing authoring tools that produce accessible Web content and to assist developers in creating an accessible authoring interface.
Section 508 Technical Standards related to Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications
Accessible Digital Media - Design Guidelines for Electronic Publications, Multimedia and the Web includes guidelines related to a variety of digital publishing formats including e-books, software, Web sites, multimedia and learning management systems.

See other resources related to Section 508 in "Selected Resources on Regulation."

Reference Materials from the Web Accessibility Initiative

WAI Quick Tips Reference Card is an introduction to the key concepts of accessible web design, including information for ordering credit card size "Quick Tips" cards.
Getting Started: Making a Web Site Accessible is a good "first stop" resource for learning about Web accessibility, with links to many additional resources.
Essential Components of Web Accessibility explains how the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines work with the other WAI guidelines (the User Agent Accessibility Guidelines and the Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines) and with assistive technologies to provide access to the Web by people with disabilities.
How People with Disabilities Use the Web provides an introduction to use of the Web by people with disabilities. It illustrates some of their requirements when using Web sites and Web-based applications, and provides supporting information for the guidelines and technical work of the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI).
Alternative Web Browsing offers a collection of pointers to information demonstration versions of alternative browsing methods used by people with disabilities, including a list of screen readers with links to manufacturer’s information on each one.
Auxiliary Benefits of Accessible Web Design is a draft resource document designed to assist in the preparation of a business case for the implementation of Web accessibility.
Evaluating Web Sites for Accessibility outlines approaches for preliminary review of Web site accessibility and for evaluation of conformance to WCAG 1.0.
Inaccessibility of CAPTCHA: Alternatives to Visual Turing Tests on the Web is an in-depth review of how requests for visual verification of a bitmapped image pose problems for those who are blind, have low vision or have a learning disability such as dyslexia. The note examines ways for systems to test for human users while preserving access for users with disabilities.

Web Accessibility Tools

Evaluation, Repair, and Transformation Tools for Web Accessibility is a comprehensive list of web accessibility tools available to Web designers from the W3C/WAI.
Web Accessibility Tools Consortium (WAT-C) provides a collection of free tools to assist both developers and designers in the development and testing of accessible web content.
A-Prompt (Accessibility Prompt) is a software tool designed to improve the usability of HTML documents by evaluating Web pages for accessibility barriers and then providing developers with a fast and easy way to make the necessary repairs. It is available from the University of Toronto’s Adaptive Technology Resource Centre.
WAVE helps you check if your page is accessible to people with disabilities. It is available through sponsorship from Pennsylvania's Initiative on Assistive Technology (PIAT) and WebAIM.
Media Access Generator (MAGpie) is an authoring environment for multimedia specialists, publishing companies or service providers who want to add captions, subtitles and audio descriptions to their work. It is available from CPB/WGBH National Center on Accessible Media.
Colour Contrast Analyser Firefox Extension and Luminosity Contrast Ratio Analyser are tools from Juicy Studio that reveal the color contrast of all elements in the DOM.
Luminosity Contrast Ratio Analyser is primarily a tool for checking foreground & background colour combinations to determine if they provide good colour visibility. It also contains functionality to create simulations of certain visual conditions such as colour blindness. The Luminosity Contrast Ratio Analyser was developed by JUn of Wrong HTML in collaboration with Steve Faulkner of Vision Australia.
Trace Center Photosensitive Epilepsy Analysis Tool (PEAT) is a tool to help Web developers to identify potentially seizure inducing material.

Web Accessibility Training Courses and Materials

Information Technology Technical Assistance and Training Center (ITTATC) has a free, online training course on Web accessibility.
Section 508 Universe currently includes an online course to train Webmasters how to develop Web pages that meet the 508 standards for Web pages.
WebAIM Tutorials provide specific examples for implementation of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
EASI Barrier-free Web Design Workshops focus on web design issues relevant to accessibility and are offered at beginner and advanced levels.
University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign and Great Lakes ADA and Accessible IT Center provide a non-credit course for Web content developers titled "Designing Universally Accessible WWW Resources for People with Disabilities," taught on the Web.
UI Access provides Web accessibility training via public workshops in various locations around the U.S., and can also provide in-house training.
W3C WCAG Curriculum highlights one guideline and has a link to a page with one or more "checkpoints" that an author will consider when ensuring the accessibility of a page design.
The W3C's Web Accessibility Training Overview outlines strategies and resources that can be useful in preparing training sessions on Web accessibility.
Three videos developed by the Trace Center and the University of Wisconsin-Madison are available for download or purchase. They include "Introduction to the Screen Reader," "Screen Readers and the Web," and "Screen Magnification and the Web."

General Web Access Resources

W3C Web Accessibility Initiative provides comprehensive resources, as well as information about ongoing working and interest groups.
UI Access is a resource for universal interface design and usable accessibility information. It includes a comprehensive listing of resources and offers monthly email updates.
Designing More Usable Web Sites is the Trace Center’s collection of information related to Web accessibility.
Web Accessibility in Mind (WebAIM) works to improve accessibility to online learning opportunities for all people.
University of Texas at Austin Accessibility Institute focuses on making the Web more usable for everyone through research, education, advocacy, consulting and training.
Accessible Web Authoring Resources and Education Center (AWARE) is part of the HTML Writer's Guild and serves as a central resource for web authors for learning about Web accessibility.
Jim Thatcher provides training, and other resources on Web accessibility.
CPB/WGBH National Center for Accessible Media provides training, consulting, and resources on Web accessibility.
Web Accessibility for All is a project of the University of Wisconsin Center on Education and Work that offers online tutorials and other information for making Web sites accessible.
Accessify.com lists tools, wizards, articles and tutorials on web accessibility for the conscientious web developer. The site also includes a forum for discussion of accessibility issues.