CMS Support

Accessibility Compliance

Make your pages accessible to the visually or otherwise challenged. These guidelines are drawn from the following web sites:

• Uof T Online Accessibility Checker
• W3.org
• HiSoftware online test
• Adobe PDF guidelines

Our goal is to create beautiful websites that meet and exceed currently legislated accessibility guidelines.

Use the W3C cleaning tool in the CMS editor to validate your content html.

Here are some basic accessibility tips:

• Images : Use the alt attribute. Text browsers and screen readers use alt text in place of images. For site navigation images, alt text is critical. Use empty double quotes as alt text for spacer images. Avoid animations.
• Hypertext links : Use text that makes sense when read out of context. Refrain from the use of "click here."
• Skip Navigation: Put an invisible link near the top of your page to an anchor at the beginning of your page-specific content. This gives visitors using screen readers the option not to have to hear the same navigation links over and over again as they browse your site.
• Page organization: Use headings, lists, and consistent structure. Use style sheets CSS for layout and font style wherever possible.
• Tables: Make line by line reading sensible. Screen readers read from left to right, top to bottom. An example of inaccessible table design can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/usability/webconf/ lowney/lowney.htm #tables_frames .
  Summarize your table contents with the caption tag or summary attribute.
• Content: Do not convey important information solely through color, e.g., red text for required fields in forms. 10% of your users may be red-green colorblind and won't get your message if you don't spell it out. You will find some helpful resources in the Color and Graphics section of this site.
  Use white space aesthetically. If your text is too dense, people won't read it. Use bullets or numbered lists for succinct bits of information.
  Use style sheets for text formatting.
• Include an email link alternative on form pages.
• Image maps: Use client-side MAP and alternative text for hotspots. Provide alternative links for navigation; do not rely solely on your image map
• File names: Unix is case sensitive, and you can't use certain characters in the name such as a "space" or an asterisk. Name your files in all lower-case.
• Page title: Always include meaningful language (40-50 characters including spaces) in your title. It will improve search placement.
• Use the W3C clean utility in the CMS, found at the end of the edit tools menu.
• Test your pages by viewing them on multiple browsers and platforms.
• Check for dead links with one of the link checker utilities available for download from the resources page.
• Make your pdf files Accessibility Compliant. See the Adobe site for instructions at http://www.adobe.com/accessibility