Accessible Web Content for Instruction: Principles 10 July 2007

Accessible Web Content for Instruction – Visual Grammar and Meaning Goals Learn readily achievable methods to produce accessible documents that can be produced on any color printer. (Scope) Learn the visual language of documents and how to express it so machines can read it. (Structure) Apply the principles of accessible web design and 508 disability law to instructional materials. (Ethics & Law)

POUR * Perceivable Operable Understandable Robust *The POUR concept as developed by the Web Accessibility Initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium during the needs assessment phase for the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0Web Accessibility InitiativeWorld Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0

Perceivable Use of color to convey meaning: see old and new (h4) “TEXTBOOKS”oldnew Section 508 § (c) Web pages shall be designed so that all information conveyed with color is also available without color, for example from context or markup. Inline List Structures: see old and new (h2) “ACCOMODATION”oldnew Alternative Text: see Jewett & Dick (2006), “Functional dependencies, subkeys, and lossless join decomposition” (h2) Jewett & Dick Section 508 § (a) A text equivalent for every non-text element shall be provided (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc", or in element content).

Operable How do people read a web page? Interaction Methods Users should be able to find, navigate through, and interact with web content. Proper semantic structure will ensure that users can effectively interact with your web content. Correctly placed headings will divide your document into logical sections that are easy for anyone to navigate.

Operable View a web page document outline in Firefox 1.Load old into the Firefox browserold Firefox menu bar choose: Tools->Web Developer ->Information-> Document Outline 2.Load new into FireFox browsernew 3.The HTML headings present in new.html create a page that is sectioned into logical chunks. A screen reader can list the headings and will allow the user to navigate to any section easily. This is equivalent to a sighted person scanning the page.

Operable Headings create a navigation system that screen reader users can use to scan the document. View the headings in newnew Firefox menu bar choose: Accessibility->Navigation ->Headings Click on any heading in the dialog box – note how you are taken to that section of the document. Format section information headings using the HTML heading element. Heading elements should not be used to emphasize text that are not section headings. Text that is emphasized may be formatted using bold or italic HTML elements.

Understandable Use the clearest and simplest language that possible for your presentation. Preserves meaning when transformed. See old and new “Students will demonstrate knowledge in the following areas:” (h3).oldnew See new enlarged.new See a tables in Proper HTML.Proper HTML

Robust Users expect the web to work regardless of the type of browser or assistive device used. This is readily achievable by following a simple process: Plan your web document Build your document from your plan Test your document.

Robust Planning Create the content – don’t worry about formatting Review content and decide What are the major sections? Which semantic structures will be most effective for this content: list, table, paragraph? Plan your document markup based on your review using the principles we discussed earlier.

Robust Format the document Test the document HTML validation Firefox->Tools->Web Developer->Tools ->Validate HTML Automated accessibility testing Firefox->Accessibility->Tools->Cynthia Says Manual accessibility testing Document Outline, Review Headings & Fangs

Pay Offs More understandable document You will understand the structure of your document. Easier to edit Faster to develop

Pay Offs – changed A web document that: serves the needs of everyone is easy to understand is easy to edit faster to develop meets the standards of the 508 law generally better due to planning process

Hitting the Goals Scope – If it can be printed then I can produce it using readily achievable principles of accessibility. Structure – If I use document structures instead of visual cues to convey meaning then the machines that assist people with disabilities can faithfully translate my meaning. Ethics and Law – If I do what is right and following the law I can author instructional material that is perceivable, operable, understandable and robust enough for every qualified student to use it.