Tips for making your Web site more accessible to the disabled:
Organization
Keep the format of your site organized and easy to read and understand. Use a table of contents or directory to your site. Use headlines and section heads in HTML text.
Colors and Graphics
Keep backgrounds simple. Make sure there is enough contrast between text and background.
Background images may make your site difficult to read. Use sparingly.
Provide instructions on how to change font size in browsers or help create an awareness that they may be changed.
Images should be clearly described in the text. Pictures should be related to the text that is near them.
Take care in putting text in tables. Most screen readers read from left to right and often cannot interpret tables, frames and columns.
Use descriptive ALT tags on every image. They help describe the graphics that can't be seen by the blind.
Provide a means for a user to freeze moving or blinking text.
Provide alternate means of representation for audio, video or other types of nontext representation.
Links
Design large buttons for links. Smaller buttons may be a difficult target for visitors with mobility impairments and restricted hand movements.
Ensure hyperlinks are current and that hyperlinked images have a description of the link.
Provide a description of the link. Writing "Click Here" is of no help to the blind.
Other
Use a glossary to explain all technical terms and acronyms.
Don't design pages that can be read only by the latest browser software or by only one specific program.
Use standard HTML. Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) was designed to be a universal format and its tags can be accessed by all browsers. Avoid tags, such as <BLINK>, that are not supported by all Web browsers.
There also are a host of Web sites and tools out there designed to help you make your site accessible:
Web sites
The Web Accessibility Initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium
Trace Center - Research and development center on technology and disability
Impact Online
Yuri Rabinsky Insight Foundation's "Webable!"
National Center for Accessible Media
Equal Access to Software and Information - addresses issues of accessible Web page design
Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking and Technology - includes a listing of Internet resources for accessible Web design, as well as other information.
Tools
Bobby: Designed by the Center for Applied Special Technology, this tool analyzes a Web page for compatibility with a number of browsers and HTML standards, as well as basic accessibility criteria.
pwWebSpeak!: This Web browser does its own speech and Braille output. It is intended for use by blind individuals as well as public kiosks.
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