Dennis and Ross review web sites which should be great in web accessibility, but fail badly. The hosts provide a lot of constructive criticism, including many fixes that can be done in a minimal amount of time. Issues are also good to discuss as a reminder for our own work.

Download Web Axe Episode 76 (Web Accessibility Disasters)

[transcript of podcast 76]

Chatter

• Web Design Sketchbook give-away
• Dennis presented on Accessible Twitter at the Accessing Higher Ground conference
• TEDxDetroit – technology, education and design
• Excited about WordPress 2.9!

Articles

• W3C WAI: Web Design and Applications > Accessibility: the what, why & how of web accessibility (new site design also)
• Thoughts around universal access on mobile from Accessibility 2.0
• Universities reject Kindle DX as a textbook replacement
• Ebook Accessibility Issues Trouble OverDrive and Adobe
• Accessible Tabs in the new Yahoo Homepage – recreated with YUI3 and WAI-ARIA
• Dolphin Computer Access makes eBooks accessible

Web Site Disasters

Digitalaccessibiliy

Company targeting Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)

The Good

• Almost all of the text is marked up in HTML rather than image, flash or other media.
• Simple, clean design.

The Bad

• No ALT text on main banner.
• Font size tool (triple whammy).
• Underlines not links; links not underlined.
• Headings not marked up appropriately.
• Menu missing
  • List not a list (see Compliance page).
  • Inline / intrusive JavaScript.

  Job Accommodation Network (JAN)

  A service provided by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). JAN’s mission is to facilitate the employment and retention of workers with disabilities by providing employers, employment providers, people with disabilities, and family members with information on job accommodations, entrepreneurship, and related subjects.

  The Good

  • Textual navigation; no Javascript based navigation.
  • Has proper ALT text on pictures and JAN and ODEP logos.

  The Bad

  • No heading tags; some marked up with bold tag.
  • There is a summary on layout table (double whammy).
  • No skip nav or skip to link provided.
  • Inline javascript. Example:
  • Non-breaking spacing used for layout.

  The Rose Project

  Mission is to provide maternal and child healthcare to the economically poor people of Malawi, with particular reference to HIV treatment and care.

  One of nine listed for Most Accessible Website in the Irish Web Awards?

  The Good

  • XHTML; semantic, clean mark-up
  • Using headings
  • Language is defined (xml:lang=”en”)
  • SWFobject.js for unobtrusive flash embedding

  The Bad

  • When JavaScript is unavailable, Flash replacement image has broken links and placeholder text.
  • Skip links – Skip link doesn’t work?
  • ‘Find out about ways to give’ button.
  • logo missing alt text for tag line.
  • H1 headings should be H2 (such as Featured Project).
  • Some links that should be underlined, are not.
  • Use of tags not recommended.
  • Links lack the default focus effect and outline removed!
    DO NOT do this:

  :focus {
  outline-color:-moz-use-text-color;
  outline-style:none;
  outline-width:0;
  }