Accessibility on the Web: An Online Mini-Course
October 2002
This document is available in alternative formats
from the author upon request.
1. Note: This mini-course in Accessibility on the Web has six main goals enumerated below.
The course itself can be divided, and in the course content section that follows, is divided
into six units that correspond to these six goals.
2. Note: This course would be greatly enhanced with the utilization of an
accessible online discussion board or e-mail class discussion list that would be set up for the purposes of this
course.
3. Note: Course participants are encouraged to refer to
Accessibility-Related
Definitions for clarification of the meaning of terminology used in this course.
I. Goals and Objectives
Goal 1: Course participant familiarity with utilizing Web browsers
and accessibility terminology.
1. Objective: Course participants will complete tutorials on browsing the Internet/World Wide Web
using Internet Explorer, Netscape, Opera, and text-only web browsers.
2. Objective: Course participants will have proficiency prior to the course, or, during the course will
develop proficiency and a level of comfort in browsing the Internet.
3. Objective: By the end of the course, course participants will have proficiency in browsing the World Wide Web/Internet using a screen reader.
4. Objective: Course participants demonstrate their proficiency in utilizing Internet Explorer, Netscape, Opera, and text-only web
browsers and a screen reader by successfully completing assignments during the course.
5. Objective: Course participants demonstrate proficiency in appropriately
utilizing accessibility-related terminology by successfully completing assignments during
this course.
Goal 2: Appreciation of the scope of accessibility concerns involving utilization of the
World Wide Web/Internet
1. Objective: Participants will be able to enumerate at least
ten accessibility concerns related to use of the World Wide Web/Internet.
2. Objective: Course participants will be able to enumerate at least two practical alternative solutions for each of
the ten accessibility concerns.
3. Objective: Course participants will be able to explain in writing
in layman's language for the general public the meaning of the ten "Quick Tips" for accessible web design
listed on the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Accessibility Initiative Quick Tips cards at
http://www.w3.org/WAI/References/QuickTips/#QuickTips
4. Objective: Course participants in this set of exercises will be able to provide a brief written summary of how
to locate and how to find information on the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Accessibility
Initiative website at http://www.w3c.org/wai/.
5. Objective: Course participants will be able to provide a brief written summary of how to locate and how to find
information on the U.S. Access Board's Section 508 Accessibility Standards website at
http://www.access-board.gov/508.htm.
6. Objective: Via the above assignments, course participants will be familiar with international web accessibility
guidelines (World Wide Web Consortium's Web Accessibility
Initiative website at http://www.w3c.org/wai/), U.S. web accessibility
[legal] standards governing U.S. federal agencies (U.S. Access Board's Section 508 Accessibility Standards website at
http://www.access-board.gov/508.htm), and state
web accessibility standards, where applicable (for instance: State of Texas Web Accessibility Standards at
http://www.dir.state.tx.us/standards/S206.htm.
7. Objective: Course participants will be able to enumerate in layman's terminology and be able to demonstrate
at least five different validation tools to test webpages for accessibility.
Goal 3: Appreciation of the variety of accessibility
features built into today's computers.
1. Objective: Participants will be able to enumerate at least ten [10] different accessibility features that are built into today's computers
(either PC or Mac).
2. Objective: Course participants will be able to
demonstrate to and have other participants learn to utilize at least ten [10] different accessibility features
that are built into today's computers (either PC or Mac platform).
3. Objective: Course participants will be able to
enumerate at least ten [10] different keyboard shortcuts that can be for various functions on
today's computers (either PC or Mac platform).
4. Objective: Course participants will be able to suggest at least 5 more accessibility features that they would like to
have incorporated into the accessibility features of computers that are not already
generally offered (or not found on the computers on which they are doing the assignment).
Goal 4: Participants are able to effectively evaluate websites in terms of their accessibility.
1. Objective: Each course participant will locate at least five [5] websites on the World Wide Web
of his or her own choosing that for that particular individual is not accessible.
2. Objective: Each participant will be able to explain in writing in layman's terminology for the general public
why each of the websites is inaccessible (for him/her) and be able to enumerate steps that the site's webmaster should
take to make his/her website accessible.
3. Objective: Each course participant will locate at least five [5] websites on the World Wide Web
of his or her own choosing that for that particular individual is accessible.
4. Objective: Each participant will be able to explain in writing in layman's terminology for the general public
why each of the websites that he or she chose is accessible as well as why each website meets World Wide Web Web Consortium Web Accessibility Initiative (
http://www.w3c.org/wai/)
and/or Section 508 web accessibility standards (
http://www.access-board.gov/508.htm) and/or the State of Texas Web Accessibility
Standards (http://www.dir.state.tx.us/standards/S206.htm.
Goal 5: Participants develop familarity with assistive technology related to utilizing the World Wide Web.
1. Objective: Participants will be able to enumerate and find websites for
at least two assistive technology products that are used to access the World Wide Web/Internet as alternatives to
or to compensate for:
---Vision / Use of a monitor
---Low Vision
---Hearing / Use of sound
---Partial hearing loss
---Use of a mouse; and
---Use of a keyboard
2. Objective: Participants will successfully complete an "Accessibility Jeopardy" game, that
familiarizes one with the wealth of everyday assistive technology,
and an Accessibility Matching game that matches the names of
assistive technology devices for use with accessing the World Wide Web/Internet with their definitions.
Goal 6: Participants appreciate the importance and relevance of web accessibility in
the allied health fields and evaluate the course.
1. Objective: Participants will articulate in writing at least 10 reasons why it is important for health
professionals to know and to practice accessible web design.
2. Objective: Participants will articulate in writing at least 10 reasons why it is important for everyone to know and to
practice accessible web design.
3. Objective: Course participants will articulate in writing at least 5 projects or activities they intend to pursue in order to promote
accessible web design.
4. Objective: Course participants will complete an evaluation of the course with suggestions for improvement.
| Return to Top of Page | Return to Goals and
Objectives | Accessibility
Definitions |
II. Course Content: Accessibility on the Web: An Online Mini-Course
Unit 1: Familiarity with Web Browsing Technology: (Goal 1)
The purpose of Unit 1 of this course is to familiarize course participants with the technique of
web browsing or "surfing the Internet." It will be much easier to complete the remainder of the course if you develop a
proficiency in web browsing and if you feel comfortable with the process of web browsing. Enrolling in another separate
Internet Searching online mini-course is recommended to gain proficiency with Internet searching techniques and to become an effective,
efficient searcher and retriever of information on the Internet.
Please complete the following tutorials. Familiarize yourselves with the browsers' Help screens, menus,
IE's "Internet Options"/Netscape's "Preferences". Learn how to to use the various menus to bookmark pages,
view the page source, save or send files and graphics, open multiple browser pages, stop or turn off graphics for
faster loading, change the monitor resolution settings, etc.
---For the Internet Explorer [IE] browser:
------
Internet Explorer tips and tricks
------The newest Internet Explorer 6
how to articles
---For the Netscape browser:
------ Netscape 6 tips and tricks
---For the Opera browser:
------
http://www.searchengineworld.com/opera/v6/intro.htm
---About the diversity of browsers:
------Browser Diversity by Greg Notess, at:
http://www.onlinemag.net/OL2001/net7_01.html.
------Internet Product Watch at
http://ipw.internet.com/clients_servers/web_browsers/index.html
---Text-Only Browsers:
------Lynx: Text-Only Browser: Lynx Viewer.
Lynx is how we used to surf the web way back in "The Dark Ages" era of the Internet.
---Other Resources from Dr. Theodore Drake: Please see:
http://twu.edu/~j_drake/ls5573help.html#4.
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Unit 2: Appreciation of the scope of accessibility concerns involving use of the
World Wide Web/Internet (Goal 2)
A. Accessibility Concerns in General:
- Fact of Life: As a webmaster, you do not know who will be visiting your website. You also do not know with what type of technology, for instance: PC, Mac, Linux, laptop, handheld, high-end, low-end or somewhere in the middle - or browser, or with what settings or modem transmission rate
any particular visitor to your site will view or listen to (in the future, touch and smell?) your webpages.
These are two very good reasons why prior to "going live," your webpages should be tested by multiple users, be tested using more than one browser, and be tested on more than one type of computer workstation.
- Fact of Life: Is anyone getting any younger?
- Fact of Life: Is anyone (among us human folk) perfect?
B. Accessibility Concerns Specifically:
- Fact of Life: Everyone is unique, with different abilities, interests, activities and subjects in which one excels,
and activities and subjects in which one is less than an expert. As they say in the law: "A defendant takes a plaintiff
as s/he finds him."
1. Please review the websites:
a.
http://www.a4access.org/atwhat.html entitled "The Diversity of Differences"
b. http://www.a4access.org/accessibility.html
c. Other sources of your choosing (please give citations).
3. Review some major types of sensory and communication differences that we as human beings share, the types of
accessibility issues associated with these differences, and some of the solutions to or alternative ways of
overcoming these accessibility issues.
4. Complete the My Web Accessibility Chart (PC Word formatted document).
a. List under the "Accessibility Concerns" column at
least ten accessibility concerns related to using the web that from your experience as a health professional or
as an individual you consider the most important.
b. In the "Accessibility Solutions" column, list at least two practical alternative solutions for each of your (at least) ten accessibility concerns.
c. In the "Reason[s] for Selection" column, briefly note the reason[s] that you chose to include the concern and its solutions
in your chart.
d. E-Mail the completed chart to your instructor at eperlow@hotmail.com.
C. Web Accessibility Concerns according to the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Accessibility Initiative
The World Wide Web Consortium's Web Accessibility Initiative
(http://www.w3.org/WAI/) or W3C WAI is an international group of web accessibility experts who have
designed comprehensive guidelines for web accessibility. Although these guidelines are not legal standards by themselves,
many organizations and governments have adopted these guidelines in some form as a basis for their web design standards. The
W3C WAI website has a wealth of resources about web accessibility. One of W3C WAI's most popular products is its
"Quick Tips" card that enumerates the top ten guidelines for accessible web design. The content of the W3C WAI Quick Tips card
can be found at
http://www.w3.org/WAI/References/QuickTips/#QuickTips.
Assignment: By the end of this course (Unit 6), write a brief written summary of each of the 10 Quick Tips on the
W3C WAI Quick Tips Card in layman's language
for the general public. If you had to explain to a group of Internet novices what each of these guidelines means,
what would you tell your audience so everyone would understand? By the end of this course (date: ____), please
e-mail your summary document to your instructor at
eperlow@hotmail.com.
that the importance of the ten "Quick Tips" for accessible web design
listed on the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Accessibility Initiative Quick Tips cards at
http://www.w3.org/WAI/References/QuickTips/#QuickTips.
Assignment: By the end of this course (Unit 6), write a brief written summary in layman's language for the general
public how to locate and how to find information on the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Accessibility
Initiative website at http://www.w3c.org/wai/.
By the end of this course (date: ____), please e-mail your summary document to your instructor at
eperlow@hotmail.com.
D. Web Accessibility Concerns According to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act: Electronic and Information
Technology Accessibility Standards
Assignment: By the end of this course (Unit 6), write a brief written summary in layman's language for the general
public how to locate and how to find information on the U.S. Access Board's Section 508 Accessibility
Standards website at
http://www.access-board.gov/508.htm. By the end of this course (date: ____),
please e-mail your summary document to your instructor at
eperlow@hotmail.com.
[Part E below included in course if course participants live and/or work in the State of Texas; accessibility standards
in other states reviewed with similar assignment, if applicable]
E. State of Texas Web Accessibility Standards
Assignment: By the end of this course (Unit 6), write a brief written summary in layman's language for the general
public how to locate and how to find information on the State of Texas Web Accessibility
Standards website at
http://www.dir.state.tx.us/standards/S206.htm. By the end of this course (date: ____),
please e-mail your summary document to your instructor at
eperlow@hotmail.com.
F. Web Accessibility Validation Tools
Today, there exists a number of software tools that check webpages and websites for accessibility - compliance to the W3C WAI Guidelines
as well as the Section 508 Standards. These tools also enumerate measures by which these validation errors can be corrected.
Review the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Accessibility Initiative's
Evaluation, Repair, and Transformation Tools for Web Content Accessibility at
http://www.w3.org/WAI/ER/existingtools.html.
- Select at least five different validation tools from the list of tools provided to test webpages for accessibility.
- Practice checking or validating webpages with these five tools.
- Compose a brief written summary describing how one validates a webpage using each of the five selected tools.
- By the end of this course (date: ____), please e-mail your summary document to your instructor at
eperlow@hotmail.com.
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Unit 3: Appreciation of the variety of accessibility features built into today's computers.
(Goal 3)
From your work in Units 1 and 2, you already have become quite proficient in utilizing the web and familiarizing
yourselves with the features and the "ins and outs" of a number of web browsers.
Assignment: Complete the Accessibility Built Into My Computer Chart (Page 1 of the
PC Word formatted document).
Be sure to record on the chart the name of the computer's platform/operating system and name of the computer
on which this assignment is being completed.
a. List under the "Accessibility Feature" column at
least ten accessibility features that are built into the computer on which you are doing this assignment.
b. In the "What Accessibility Feature Does" column, briefly describe what the accessibility feature provides.
c. In the "How to Locate Feature" column, briefly describe how to access (or turn on) this feature
(i.e. from what menu or part of the computer system can this feature be accessed).
in your chart.
d. E-Mail the completed chart to your instructor at eperlow@hotmail.com by:
______________________[date].
Assignment: Complete the Keyboard Shortcuts on My Computer Chart (Page 2 of the
PC Word formatted document). Be sure to record on the chart the name of the computer's platform/operating system and name of the computer
on which this assignment is being completed.
The importance of knowing keyboard shortcuts, among other reasons - is:
a. to save YOU time; and
b. to gain proficiency in keyboard skills needed to become proficient using a screen reader.
List under the "Keyboard Shortcut" column at least ten keyboard shortcuts that are available on the computer on which you are doing this assignment.
a. In the "What does the keyboard shortcut do?" column, briefly describe what the keyboard shortcut does.
b. In the "What is the "long way" of doing what the keyboard shortcut does?" column, briefly describe "the regular/long way"
for which the keyboard shortcut can substitute.
-- Example:
----Keyboard Shortcut on a PC: Control-S
----What does the keyboard shortcut do?: Saves document.
----What is the "long way" of doing what the keyboard shortcut does?: Under hte "File" menu, click the mouse on "Save."
E-Mail the completed chart to your instructor at eperlow@hotmail.com by:
______________________[date].
Assignment: Complete the Accessibility Features that I Wish
My Computer Had (Page 3 of the PC Word formatted document).
Be sure to record on the chart the name of the computer's platform/operating system and name of the computer
on which this assignment is being completed.
a. Suggest at least 5 more accessibility features that you would like to have incorporated into the accessibility features of the computer on
which this assignment is being completed.
b. List under the "Accessibility Feature" column at
least ten accessibility features that are built into the computer on which you are doing this assignment.
c. In the "What Accessibility Feature Does" column, briefly describe what the accessibility feature provides.
d. In the "How to Locate Feature" column, briefly describe how to access (or turn on) this feature
(i.e. from what menu or part of the computer system can this feature be accessed).
in your chart.
e. E-Mail the completed chart to your instructor at eperlow@hotmail.com by:
______________________[date].
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Unit 4: Effective Evaluation of Websites for Accessibility (Goal 4)
"Accessible" is a relative term. Although there are standards and guidelines for web accessibility, the accessibility and usability
of any particular website is actually determined by the individual user for him or herself. For instance, an animated
graphic may have an ALT tag and other text alternatives required by the W3C WAI and Section 508 guidelines.
The animated graphic may have a motion rate that is sufficiently slow to meet accessibility guidelines and standards.
However, if you (or me) as an individual is unable to view the animated graphic without the event causing a seizure or
other physical discomfort, then to us as individuals that webpage with the animated graphic is not accessible.
It's Simulation Time! Now it is time to test out some webpages, as if we
had vision and/or hearing differences: don't we all?
What would happen if we were either not able to view graphics and/or hear the sounds, or in the
alternative, we had a very low-end computer on which especially Java-based graphics could not
be displayed and which did not have a sound card, or we had a modem or connection or computer that was so slow, that
it took literally forever to have graphics displayed (so we turned off the feature).
Remember: Our differences are on a continuum. The
Self-Help for Hard-of-Hearing People [SHHH] advocacy organization,
10% of the U.S. population (26 million people!) has some form of hearing loss.
The vast majority of this group of people has some hearing capabilities.
Assignment: Using the menu bar in your browser, turn off the loading of images. Then visit:
a. http://showcase.universalstudios.com
b. http://www.universalkids.com/
c. http://www.iuniversityonline.com/top.html (What if you had colorblindness?)
d. http://www.planetrx.com/
Assignment:: Now try reading the same webpages using the Lynx text-only browser at:
Lynx Viewer.
Assignment: Now download the free WeMedia talking browser at: http://www.wemedia.com/
(the site may be accessible via Internet Explorer only) or try browsing with another screen reader
(see http://www.a4access.org/accessibility.html#testing.
Assignment: Now try a taste of some accessible (and some of this instructor's favorite) sites.
a. TRACE Center
b. CAST
c. National Center for Accessible Media
d. Project EASI (highly recommended online accessibility/accessible web design training!)
e. Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University
f. Joel Snyder's beautiful Audio Description Associates, Inc.
Do you experience the difference?
Assignment: Record your answers on My Websites (PC Word format).
When completed, e-Mail the completed chart to your instructor at eperlow@hotmail.com by:
______________________[date].
a. Locate at least five [5] webpages on the World Wide Web
of your own choosing other than those webpages referred to in this course that for you as an individual are not accessible (i.e. inaccessible).
b. Explain briefly in writing in layman's terminology for the general public in the space provided on the My Websites chart why each of the webpages
is inaccessible for you.
c. In the appropriate space, briefly enumerate steps that the site's webmaster should take to make his/her webpage/website accessible.
Assignment:Locate at least five [5] webpages on the World Wide Web
of your own choosing other than those webpages referred to in this course that for you
as an individual ARE accessible.
a. Explain briefly in writing in layman's terminology for the general public in the space provided on the My Websites chart why each of the webpages
is accessible for you.
b. In the appropriate space on the My Webpages chart, briefly explain in writing in layman's terminology why each of the
webpages that you chose is accessible and why each webpage meets World Wide Web Web Consortium Web Accessibility Initiative (http://www.w3c.org/wai/)
and/or Section 508 web accessibility standards (
http://www.access-board.gov/508.htm) and/or the State of Texas Web Accessibility
Standards (http://www.dir.state.tx.us/standards/S206.htm.
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Unit 5: Developing familarity with assistive technology related to utilizing the
World Wide Web (Goal 5)
Assignment: Review selected resources for this unit: Follow the links on these sites
to accessibility / assistive technology manufacturers' websites. Become acuainted with the
variety of assistive technology and the manufacturers and distributors of this technology.
a. Diversity of Differences, especially the right hand column for
selected websites, at http://www.a4access.org/atwhat.
html
b. California State University at Northridge Conference (the "real Oscars"):
2002 Exhibitors List at
http://www.csun.edu/cod/conf/2003/exhibit/exhList.htm
c. Assistive Technology Industry Association Members:
http://www.atia.org/members.html.
Assignment: Complete the Assistive Technology Chart (PC Word
format) at http://www.a4access.org/atchart.doc. On this chart,
find and enumerate at least two assistive technology products that are used to access the World Wide Web/Internet as alternatives to
or to compensate for:
- Vision / Use of a monitor
- Low Vision
- Hearing / Use of sound
- Partial hearing loss
- Use of a mouse; and
- Use of a keyboard
Assignment: Complete the "Accessibility Jeopardy" game and the
"Accessibility Matching Game" (pages 1 and 2) at
http://www.a4access.org/accessgames102002.doc.
E-Mail both completed documents to the instructor at
eperlow@hotmail.com by ______________ [date].
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Unit 6: Appreciation of the importance and relevance of web accessibility in the
allied health fields and evaluation of the course. (Goal 6)
Assignment: Please complete the accessibility appreciation and evaluation document for this course at
http://www.a4access.org/evaluation.doc.
This document has four [4] parts. The document asks you to enumerate:
a. Ten [10] reasons why it is important for health
professionals to know and to practice accessible web design.
b. Ten [10] reasons why it is important for everyone to know and to
practice accessible web design; and
c. At least five [5] projects or activities that you intend to pursue in order to promote
accessible web design.
d. Your evaluation of this course with suggestions for improving this course.
Please e-mail the completed documents to the instructor at eperlow@hotmail.com by ______________ [date].
Thank you for your participation in this course!
This document is available in alternative formats upon request.
This document was last updated on Monday, October 21, 2002, at 10 pm CDT.
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