Transcript CSS, JavaScript, Plug-ins

V. Beyond HTML:
CSS, JavaScript, Plug-ins
A Web Accessibility Primer: Usability for Everyone Office of Web Communications
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
• CSS separates page appearance from page
structure and content. Advantages:
– Don’t have to code each bit of formatting separately
– Users can turn off your style and use their own instead
• Not hard to learn. CIT offers training.
JavaScript – barriers
• Can create barriers by:
– requiring mouse navigation
– hiding content from assistive
technologies
– reducing user control
– disorienting users
JavaScript – guidelines
• Stay keyboard accessible.
• Make content and function available to
assistive technologies (e.g., enlarging,
screen readers)
• Don’t override normal browser functionality.
• Provide accessible alternatives when your
scripts are not accessible.
Plug-ins
• Plug-in itself should work with assistive
technologies.
• Your content must be accessible. E.g.
synchronous captions and a transcript for a video.
• Don’t make key functions (e.g., navigation)
dependent on a plug-in.
• Provide link to where users can download plug-in.
VI. CommonSpot and BlackBoard
A Web Accessibility Primer: Usability for Everyone Office of Web Communications
CommonSpot
• Author mode not accessible. But authored pages
can be made accessible.
• Turn on accessibility modes in author mode.
• Make sure any downloadable files (e.g.,
PowerPoints, PDFs) are accessible.
BlackBoard
• Not as accessible as it could be. Other options are
under review.
• In the meantime, make sure any downloadable
files you create (e.g., PowerPoints, PDFs) are
accessible.
• If BlackBoard won’t meet your students’ needs,
consider using Cornell’s course site service to
create your own site instead.
VII. File Types:
Choosing and Converting
A Web Accessibility Primer: Usability for Everyone Office of Web Communications
Choosing and Converting File Types
• No magic bullet, no one right answer.
• Consider your audience needs, your skills, your
content, your budget.
• Consider providing more than one option (e.g.,
PDF and HTML version)
• Use accessible conversion tool to make Microsoft
Office files available as accessible HTML.