1. Building Accessible Websites Series Introduction to Web Accessibility Presented by Alan Parks For the University of Vermont UCEDD

2. Building Accessible Websites Series Agenda What makes a website accessible? Who benefits? What are the resources to help make my site accessible? How do I validate my site?

3. Building Accessible Websites Series What makes a website accessible? Accessible webs are designed and written in ways that assure that all users can access and benefit from the content. Common features of accessible webs include: –“alt tags” for all non-text items –Appropriate uses of color; color never conveys content –Tables with content formatted for understandability –Appropriate, alternate representations for PDFs, videos, audio, etc. See UMaine’s Helpsite for detailsHelpsite

4. Building Accessible Websites Series Who benefits? All users benefit, especially… …those who are Deaf, blind, have vision impairments; …those who have learning disabilities; …those whose native language is different from that of the website; …those using palm technology. Who else?

5. Building Accessible Websites Series What resources are available? UMaine’s Web Accessibility Helpsite - www.umaine.edu/weboffice/accessibility /creating.htm. www.umaine.edu/weboffice/accessibility /creating.htm HiSoft’s AccVerify is one example of user validation and repair software: http://www.hisoftware.com/support/mm- demos.htm http://www.hisoftware.com/support/mm- demos.htm

6. Building Accessible Websites Series How do I validate my site? AccVerify - validate your entire site locally or on the server Cynthiasays – www.cynthiasays.com; one server page per minutewww.cynthiasays.com AIS Toolbar – www.visionaustralia.org/info.aspx?page= 621; IE/Windows only www.visionaustralia.org/info.aspx?page= 621 Checky Toolbar – checky.sourceforge.net/extension.html; Firefox/Mac-Windows checky.sourceforge.net/extension.html

7. Thank you!