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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.
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articles

Lessons from Eye-Tracking Studies

Many excellent web design and coding tips are presented in this article summing up eye-tracking studies: Scientific Web Design: 23 Actionable Lessons from Eye-Tracking Studies. It’s good to see that many of this points are directly related to web accessibility guidelines and web standards.

7. Type size influences viewing behavior.
10. Shorter paragraphs perform better than long ones.
15. Bigger images get more attention.
19. Lists hold reader attention longer.

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articles business expert

Business Reasons for Web Accessibility

In my article Business Reasons for Web Accessibility (posted under Web Axe’s sponsor company, CheckEngine USA) I provide several reasons why an accessible web site is good for business (namely, the bottom line—finances). Points for web accessibility benefiting business include:

  • Increases Potential Market Share
  • Lighter Code Saves Bandwidth
  • No Alternative Formats Needed
  • Increases Positive Image
  • Avoid Lawsuits
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articles javascript

Email Spambot Buster

Web Axe host Dennis Lembree has published an article describing an accessible method of coding email addresses on web pages which blocks spammers, the Email Spambot Buster. Sample code is provided. The technique implements progressive enhancement and unobtrusive JavaScript. JavaScript-enabled browsers display a “normal” email link and other browsers display the email using “email munging”.

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articles

Web Accessibility Myths

In the article Web Accessibility Myths, common misunderstandings of accessible web sites are addressed and rebutted. Be it a poorly marked-up article, the content has some great points including:

  • Creating a separate text-only equivalent can lead to a number of problems.
  • To develop an accessible website from scratch will cost virtually the same as to develop a website that isn’t accessible.
  • Web accessibility actually places very few restrictions on website design.
  • Blind and disabled people benefit from the Internet perhaps more than anyone else.