A11yAwareness

A11yAwareness, 9 months ago to random

When creating PDFs, avoid using "Print to PDF." A screen reader user may still be able to access the text of PDFs created this way, but heading structure, alternative text, and any other tag structure will be lost. Using "Save As" or "Export" can preserve these tags.

A11yAwareness, 9 months ago to random

Some people may be unable to use a mouse, and instead rely exclusively on keyboards, or use assistive technologies such as speech recognition, head pointers, mouth sticks, or eye-gaze tracking systems. If a website is accessible only to mouse users, these people will be excluded.

A11yAwareness, 9 months ago to random

A common question about alt text is whether or not it's appropriate to mention attributes like race or skin tone. A common response is, "It depends." In this post, Tolu Adegbite explains how race can be relevant and important in providing context.

https://ux.shopify.com/the-case-for-describing-race-in-alternative-text-attributes-a093380634f2

A11yAwareness, 9 months ago to random

Accessibility-focused job interview questions can cover much than just reciting specifications. These questions compiled by Scott O'Hara can be helpful for those conducting job interviews, as well as for those prepping to be interviewed.

https://scottaohara.github.io/accessibility_interview_questions

A11yAwareness, 9 months ago to random

Looking for information on accessibility laws? Lainey Feingold has a resource on digital accessibility laws and policies that she's updated over the years. Though not exhaustive, it has great insight, histories, explanations, and links.

https://www.lflegal.com/global-law-and-policy

A11yAwareness, 9 months ago to random

Alexa Heinrich's Accessible Social is a free resource for digital marketers, communication professionals, content creators, everyday social media users, and anyone who wants to learn how to make their content accessible for people with disabilities.

https://www.accessible-social.com

A11yAwareness, 10 months ago to random

When working with vendors, don't forget to ask about accessibility. How the vendor answers questions about product design, testing, training, and support will help you determine whether the product will meet the needs of your customers.

https://kb.iu.edu/d/awxb

A11yAwareness, 10 months ago to random

When you can, avoid number-only date formats. Sighted users could be confused on whether the first number is the month or day. If you've incorrectly designated your document's language, screen reader users might hear the wrong date. Writing out the month prevents this confusion.

A11yAwareness, 10 months ago to random

Many struggle with writing alt text for charts and other other data visualizations. Amy Cesal's "Writing Alt Text for Data Visualization" hammers home the importance of explaining the chart type, the type of data, and the reason for the chart.

https://medium.com/nightingale/writing-alt-text-for-data-visualization-2a218ef43f81

A11yAwareness, 10 months ago to random

Audio descriptions are necessary for making videos accessible. They narrate the crucial visual elements that would be necessary for understanding the plot without the ability to see the screen. They describe non-verbal cues like gestures, facial expressions, or eye contact.

A11yAwareness, 10 months ago to random

If you're struggling to understand the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), this video series from Josh Garnick might help. Each video focuses on and explains a particular Success Criterion from WCAG, with examples and clarifications.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBClIB3Yy44&list=PLcKviJPlUCexjopmiGZFa1gyW1TKF4nlh

A11yAwareness, 10 months ago to random

The #NoMouse Challenge is a global effort to raise awareness about accessible web design. Try using your website without a mouse. Use the keyboard instead. Is it possible to access all features and operate all buttons, sliders, and other controls?

https://nomouse.org

A11yAwareness, 10 months ago to random

Sheri Byrne-Haber's "Giving A Damn About Accessibility" has great tips on how to deal with people who challenge or dismiss the need for accessibility.

https://uxdesign.cc/giving-a-damn-about-accessibility-6caf90be5a40

A11yAwareness, 10 months ago to random

Mathematical expressions can be difficult for users with cognitive disabilities. This doesn't mean you should avoid math entirely. It helps to explain math conceptually, with or without formulas. Conceptual explanations help readers understand the reasoning behind the math.

A11yAwareness, 10 months ago to random

Don’t stuff your alt text with keywords without context. If your alt text is just a collection of keywords, it will just sound like a gibberish string. It won’t describe what’s actually in the image, and won't help a blind user get a context or content of the image.

A11yAwareness, 10 months ago to random

Many live with the limitations of not understanding numbers and the impact that has on everyday life. Laura Parker's Accessible Numbers project offers guidance on how to design services and write content for people who need help with numbers.

https://accessiblenumbers.com/

A11yAwareness, 10 months ago to random

People who want to make the web accessible need to understand the many different ways that people with disabilities use the web. This W3C resource offers a good introduction to how disabled people navigate the web, and barriers they commonly encounter.

https://www.w3.org/WAI/people-use-web/

A11yAwareness, 10 months ago to random

ASCII art is illustrations made out of letters, numbers, punctuation, and other characters from the American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII). Folks using screen readers or text-to-speech will hear gibberish.

A11yAwareness, 10 months ago to random

Some might treat “accessibility” as just a checklist to meet legal or technical requirements. But at its core, accessibility is about people, not code or requirements. Accessibility is about making sure people with disabilities can use websites, apps, and digital technologies. Code and requirements play a role in getting to that end goal, but the code and the requirements are not the end goal. People being able to access websites, apps, and digital technologies is the goal.