[thelist] Site Check: Is it accessible?

[Donna Jones]

> One of the reasons I mentioned that I have a bit of difficulty when there is
> low contrast between foreground text and background images is because
> accessibility isn't just about the blind and how they use JAWS or Fangs but
> also about people who have sight but problems with their sight such as poor
> vision (requiring larger text), color-blindness and in my case, a problem
> with contrasts (I don't know if there is a name for this, I have never had
> it evaluated). Therefore, a valid, semantic HTML page could be rendered
> inaccessible for some depending on how the CSS was crafted. JAWS and Fang
> users wouldn't have a problem so running those applications would not find
> CSS-created color-contrast issues.

Yes, I hope you didn't think I was negating your comment about contrast. 
  There are a "whole heap" of issues that Jaws and Fangs don't address. 
  One of my main ones is keyboard accessibility, mobility issues.  I 
don't have mobility issues but i'm a big "keyboard" fan and think that 
using the keyboard can help avoid carpal tunnel and such, so its all 
connected in my mind.

Accessibility is fascinating, at least to me, and "it" does go on and on.

cheers
Donna


> 
> Jules
> 
> On 01/12/06, Donna Jones <donnajjones at gwi.net> wrote:
> 
>>Hi Stephen:  A great tool I use a lot is Fangs
>>http://sourceforge.net/projects/fangs  extension for firefox/mozilla.
>>it emulates a screen reader and prints out what a user would hear.  not
>>as good as using Jaws, of course, but can help.
>>
>>other people have mentioned some things.  what i noticed is the lack of
>>headings.  one of the ways that people use Jaws is to scan the page and
>>getting all the headings is a big part of that.  You've used an image,
>>e.g. for your h1 but there is no text there for a screen reader to read.
>>  there are image replacement techniques which can take care of this.
>>here's one article,
>>
>>http://www.digital-web.com/articles/in_defense_of_fahrner_image_replacement/
>>bit a search would get you many more.  I have Andy Budd's book, CSS
>>Mastery, and been using that as my source recently and going from there.
>>
>>best
>>Donna
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Stephen Rider wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Quick check of an existing site.  Simply put, is this site something
>>>I can legitimately describe as "handicapped accessible"?  Fully so?
>>>Partially?
>>>
>>><http://www.realtymort.com/>
>>>
>>>Thanks much,
>>>
>>>Stephen Rider
>>
>>--
>>Donna Jones
>>Portland, Maine
>>207 772 0266
>>http://www.westendwebs.com/
>>--
>>
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> 
> 
> 
> 

-- 
Donna Jones
Portland, Maine
207 772 0266
http://www.westendwebs.com/