Web Accessibility Resources
There are a number of resources available that describe the elements of accessible Web pages as well as listings of companies that provide assistive computer technology including screen reading software.
Quick Reference Tools
- Web Accessibility Principles
- Designing More Usable Web Sites
- Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards - Section 508 Final Rule
- Guidelines for Web Accessibility
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
- Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools
Federal Resources
- The Access Board: The Access Board is an independent Federal agency devoted to accessibility for people with disabilities. Created in 1973 to ensure access to federally funded facilities, the Board is now a leading source of information on accessible design. The Board develops and maintains design criteria for the built environment, transit vehicles, telecommunications equipment, and for electronic and information technology. It also provides technical assistance and training on these requirements and on accessible design and continues to enforce accessibility standards that cover federally funded facilities.
- Section 508 Universe: Section 508-dot-gov features a "Section 508 Universe" section which offers, among many other great resources, web accessibility training, guidance on how to build an accessible conference, and sample language for Requests for Proposals (RFPs) that ensure Section 508 compliance by all contractors. From this website you can link to www.buyaccessible.gov, which is a website dedicated to helping organizations identify vendors and products that are Section 508-compliant.
- Disability Info: Disability Info-dot-gov provides quick and easy access to comprehensive information about disability programs, services, laws and benefits. To find disability resources in your state just click on the Find State and Local Resources map located in each of these subject areas.
Organizations
- World Wide Web Consortium (W3C): The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) develops interoperable technologies (specifications, guidelines, software, and tools) to lead the Web to its full potential. W3C is a forum for information, commerce, communication, and collective understanding.
- Easter Seals: Easter Seals provides exceptional services, education, outreach, and advocacy so that people living with autism and other disabilities can live, learn, work and play in our communities. To learn about Easter Seals' Make Internet Work Accessible project, visit http://www.easterseals.com/site/PageServer?pagename=ntl_TOP_overview_abridged.
- WebAIM (Web Accessibility in Mind): This non-profit organization is dedicated to improving accessibility to online learning materials.
- Knowbility: Knowbility's mission is to support the independence of children and adults with disabilities by promoting the use and improving the availability of accessible information technology.
- Inclusion Research Institute: The primary mission of the Inclusion Research Institute is to research, develop and disseminate innovations that enable persons of all ages, including individuals with disabilities or other disadvantages, to be independent, productive and included in schools, communities, and places of employment.
Additional Resources
- World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Accessibility Guidelines 2.0: These web accessibility guidelines were released December 11, 2008.
- Answers to, "What are the requirements for website accessibility for a public accommodation?": By the Illinois ADA Project See also http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/foia/tal712.txt for background information regarding the World Wide Web as a place of public accommodation.
Web Accessibility Acronyms
- ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act (1990)
- AJAX: Asynchronous JavaScript and XML
- ARIA: Accessible Rich Internet Applications
- ASCLA: Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies
- ATAG: Authoring Tools Accessibility Guidelines
- CAPTCHA: Completely Automated Turing Test to Tell Computers and Humans Apart
- HTML: Hypertext Markup Language
- RTF: Rich Text Format
- W3C: World Wide Web Consortium
- WAI: Web Accessibility Initiative
- WCAG: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
- WWW: World Wide Web
- XML: Extensible Markup Language