Transcript Presentation Title (Remember to change in Notes/Handout Master!)

Birkbeck University of London
Business Workshop
Web Accessibility Tools and Assistive
Technology
© 2001-2007 Copyright Janet Billinge
Includes some slides adapted from Tips and tools
© Netskills, Quality Internet Training, University of Newcastle
Web Accessibility Tools and Assistive
Technology
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Tools to check accessibility
Assistive technologies
Alternative techniques
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Specific tools and browsers
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Alternatives to visual content
Keyboard as alternative to mouse event selector
IBM HPR
Vischeck
Bobby
JAWS
Lynx
Authoring tools
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Dreamweaver Accessibility checker
Tools to check accessibility
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Large number of accessibility testing tools exist
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Similarities
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Still need to know HTML
Limited: text descriptions?
Retest after page changes
Differences
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e.g. Bobby, Wave, A-prompt
Online/download utility
Evaluate/repair
Free/buy
A logo does not make your page accessible!
Assistive technologies
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Text-only browser
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HPR IBM Home Page Reader
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JAWS
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lynx.browser.org/
Simulation of Lynx www.delorie.com/web/lynxview.html
(www306.ibm.com/able/solution_offerings/hpr.html )
(www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_jaws.asp)
(www.hj.com/fs_downloads/jaws.asp 30 day evaluation version)
Browsers - using only keyboard and/or
ENTER and TAB to access content, using
user-defined stylesheet
Tools used in workshop
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Browser set with images off
Browser set to display grey scale
Browser set with JavaScript off
Vischeck – free colour blind simulation
www.vischeck.com/
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Dreamweaver MX 2004 Accessibility Checker
Bobby webxact.watchfire.com/
(free version only for testing single pages)
IBM ADesigner (accessibility checker for
visual disabilities
http://www.research.ibm.com/trl/projects/acc_tech/adesigner_e.htm)
Dreamweaver MX
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Can write xhtml/css to web standards
Set accessibility options in preferences for:
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forms, frames, media, images and tables
WYSIWYG prompts for tags and attributes
Can run Accessibility check using DW version
of WCAG to analyse and list warnings
Dynamic Page accessibility
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Server-side scripting
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Handled by server
Tailor output for user/device
Only output must be accessible
Potentially good for accessibility
Client-side scripting
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Will be inaccessible to some users
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Do not rely on mouse events
Do not redirect user
Alert user if opening new window or changing focus
Supplementary
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Browser detection and style sheets
Cookies: place holding, preserving style sheet selection
Summary
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Wide range of accessibility evaluation and
diagnostic tools
Accessibility checking is more than just Bobby
Be careful when using authoring tools as they
can easily produce non-accessible HTML
You must know HTML in order to make
accessible web pages (at the moment)!