Categories
analysis articles

Web Accessibility Articles not Accessible

Call me picky, but it sure bothers me when web page articles about web accessibility are not accessible themselves. Talk about bad credibility…

For example, the article Web Accessibility. . . Making your Pages Friendly to People with Disabilities is dreadful. Just by glancing at the main text, several issues are apparent:

  • Insufficient color contrast. That dark gray text on a black background just don’t work!
  • Text size is too small; text may be difficult to resize in some browsers. Absolute sizing (pixels) are used in the CSS instead of relative sizing (ems, percentage).
  • No sub headings in the content, and the content is not divided into “manageable groups”.
  • The links are not linked–just written out; and with obnoxious spaces also. For example: Academy of Web Specialists (http://www . onlinewebtraining.com / courses.html)

Actually, I think this article is just a bunch of advertising and SEO garbage. I left a comment saying so; let’s see if they approve it…

Categories
alt expert image

Alt text and linked images

Our friend Jared Smith at WebAIM has sparked some discussion from his post Alt text and linked images. Towards the end of the post, a question arises: does an image with a caption require an ALT attribute, even if the ALT attribute would contain the same text as the caption? I say yes! Another issue is HTML 5 working group’s proposal to make the alt attribute optional for images. I say no!

Categories
administrative

Web Axe podcasts now monthly

Due to personal and professional commitments, Web Axe podcasts will now be released once a month.

Categories
audio podcast

Podcast #59: Jeffrey Frey on Accessible Podcasts

Dennis speaks with Jeffrey Frey and discusses accessible podcasting, guidelines on audio/video web accessibility, and Jeff’s role at Rice University.

Jeff is the Web Services Manager for Enterprise Applications in the Information Technology Department at Rice University. He provides technology solutions for faculty, staff, and students on campus as well as teaches new technology courses at the School of Continuing Studies. He is available for podcasting consulting, is involved in the creation of podcasts for businesses and non-profits, and has owned a technical consulting company and an audio/video recording studio.

Download Web Axe Episode 59 (Jeffrey Frey on Accessible Podcasts)
[Transcript for podcast 59]

Links from Jeffrey Frey’s Blog

Transcription and other related services

From Tom Brinck

Like myself, Tom is from Michigan but now works and lives in the Bay Area in California.

Categories
articles testing

Outsourcing accessibility testing is essential

In his article Outsourcing accessibility testing is essential, web accessibility and usability professional Peter Abrahams discusses why testing a web site for accessibility by an external third party is a good idea.

Although the article is an obvious plug for a particular testing company, the point is quite valid. Testing for web accessibility is a critical step, and a company who specializes in that usually has the best resources to do the most complete job, including testing by people with a variety of disabilities.

Two related points made in the article are:

  • Specify that accessibility is essential in your requirements definition.
  • Once a site has gone into production it is advisable to re-test it on a regular basis to ensure the continued quality and accessibility.