(X)HTML Standards and Accessibility:

1
(X)HTML Standards and Accessibility

• An Introduction
• Steven C. Perkins, J.D., M.L.L

2
Why Care about Code Standards and Accessibility?

• As the WWW develops, non-standard web pages will
  not be fully integrated into the Semantic Web and
  Web Services.
• As browsers more fully implement the code
  standards, pages will not display as intended if
  they are not coded to the standards.
• Hundreds of millions of persons throughout the
  world have physical disabilities that cause them
  difficulty when using the WWW.

3
Why Care? (cont.)

• People differ in their learning and web usage
  styles. Attention to accessibility broadens the
  reach of your web pages.
• Various levels of Accessibility are being
  required by law.

4
The World Wide Web Consortium

• http//www.w3.org/Consortium/
• Started in 1994
• Headed by Dr. Timothy Berners-Lee
• Based at MIT and affiliated with CERN, DARPA,
  INRIA, KEIO and ERCIM.
• Develops the standards defining the web protocols
  and languages.
• Develops tools and applications to implement the
  standards.

5
The W3C Code Standards

• HTML 4.01-Transitional Strict Frameset
• XHTML 1.0-Transitional Strict Frameset
• XHTML 1.1-Transitional Strict Frameset
• CSS Level 1
• CSS Level 2

6
What is Standards Compliance?

• Follows the W3C requirements for the version of
  HTML or XHTML used in the page.
• Follows the W3C requirements for the version of
  Cascading Style Sheets, CSS 1 or CSS2, used in
  the page.
• Passes the tests of the W3C (X)HTML Validator and
  the W3C CSS Validator.
• http//validator.w3.org/ and http//jigsaw.w3.org/
  css-validator/

7
Well Formed Pages

• The following are needed to have a well formed
  (X)HTML page
• A Document Type Definition
• A character encoding
• A proper (X)HTML code structure

8
Proper (X)HTML Code Structure

• A proper (X)HTML code structure
• ltDoctype Declarationgt
• lthtmlgt
• ltheadgt
• lttitlegtlt/titlegt
• ltmetagt(if used) (character encoding can go here)
• ltstylegtlt/stylegt(if used)
• lt/headgt
• ltbodygtlt/bodygt
• lt/htmlgt

9
Testing for Valid Code

• The easiest way is to write valid code, either
  by-hand or using HTML-Tidy, as a stand alone
  application or as part of HTML-Kit.
• Most commercial web coding applications do not
  produce valid code.
• Several do have extra programs to help with
  validity.

10
How to Test

• Open your web browser and go to
  http//validator.w3.org/ You can enter a web
  address or upload code to the validator.
• The validator will test your code against the DTD
  of the Doctype Declaration that starts your code.
• If either the Doctype Declaration or the
  Character Encoding are not specified, the
  validator can not validate the page.

11
Working with the Validator

• When you test the page you will either pass or
  fail.
• If you pass, you get no information from the
  test.
• If you fail, you get a list of errors with an
  explanation, and the complete source listing for
  your page.
• Save the result.

12
Working with TIDY

• From the Validator page, you can select
  Tidy-Online. You use it like the Validator and
  it reformats your code to meet the XHTML 1.0T
  DTD.
• You need to save its result and run it through
  the Validator.
• Repeat the process until you have a valid page.

13
Testing CSS

• CSS can be specified in three locations as a
  separate page called from the (X)HTML page as a
  ltstylegtlt/stylegt section in the head of the
  document code or as an individual style
  statement on an element. All combinations are
  acceptable.
• The best practice is to have a separate style
  page.

14
The CSS Validator

• The CSS Validator can be accessed directly or
  from the Validator page.
• It is used in the same way as the code Validator
  type in a page address or uplaod a page with CSS.
• You will get the same type of result as from code
  Validator.
• Save the result and use Tidy to correct it.
• Once both (X)HTML code and CSS pass the
  validation tests you are ready to look at
  Accessibility issues.

15
Issues to Consider

• Use of the Document Type Declaration causes
  different responses in each browser. There is a
  page that details which Doctype Declarations put
  browsers into Standards compliance, almost
  standards compliance and not in compliance modes.
• What browsers are used by visitors to your site
  may control whether you use transitional or
  strict Doctypes and whether you need to support
  4.X series browsers.

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Issues (cont.)

• Use of tables for layout is allowed by W3
  standards. You must not use the markup for Data
  Tables in Layout Tables.
• Be sure the page content linearizes, i.e., that
  it can be read if viewed in LYNX text mode.

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(X)HTML and CSS Resources

• The W3 specifications at http//www.w3.org/
• USENET newsgroups
• alt.html, alt.html.critique, alt.html.tags and
  comp.infosystems.www.authoring.html
  comp.infosystems.www.authoring.stylesheets

18
Books

• Elizabeth Castro, HTML for the World Wide Web
  with XHTML and CSS, 5th ed.,Peachpit Press,
  ISBN0-321-13007-3
• Eric Meyer, Eric Meyer on CSS, New Riders,
  ISBN073571245X
• Many other titles are available.

19
Facts about Disabilities

• Blindness and Low Vision affects 15 million
  people in the USA.
• They use Screen Readers and keyboard
  navigation.
• Motor disabilities, SPI, CP, MS, account for 1.2
  to 1.5 million persons in the USA
• They use assistive technology and cant use a
  mouse for navigation

20
Facts (cont.)

• Deafness and loss of hearing, 22 million persons
  in the USA.
• Cant hear audio only materials or soundtracks to
  film content.
• Source WEBAIM Disability Fact Sheet,
  http//www.webaim.org/info/factsheet.htm

21
W3C Web Accessibility Initiative

• WAI home page http//www.w3.org/WAI/
• Started in 1997
• Develops tools for constructing and testing
  accessible web pages.
• Develops Web Content Accessibility Guidelines,
  Checklists, and Techniques
• http//www.w3.org/WAI/Resources/gl

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Other WAI Activities

• Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines,
  Checklists, and Techniques.
• User Agent Accessibility Guidelines, Checklists,
  and Techniques.
• XML Accessibility Guidelines
• Accessibility features of SMIL, SVG, CSS, and
  HTML 4.
• Evaluation and Repair Tools
• http//www.w3.org/WAI/Resources/gl

23
Other Accessibility Initiatives

• United Nations, Rule 5 of the Standard Rules on
  the Equalization of Opportunities for People with
  Disabilities.
• European Union, Accessibility of Public Websites,
  Council Resolution (2001).
• UK Disability Discrimination Act of 1995 Parts
  III and IV and, the Special Educational Needs
  and Disability Act of 2001.

24
Other Accessibility Initiatives

• Australia, Disability Discrimination Act of 1992.
• New Zealand, New Zealand Government Web
  Guidelines Version 2.1.
• Canada, Government of Canada Internet Guide,
  section on Universal Accessibility.
• USA Rehabilitation Act of 1986, Section 504, and
  Section 508 Standards for Electronic and
  Information Technology (1998) Americans with
  Disabilities Act (1990) and Telecommunications
  Act of 1996, Section 255.

25
Website Accessibility in the USA

• Prior to the development of graphics intensive
  computer applications, accessibility to the
  Internet was enabled by using character based
  applications with adaptive equipment.

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Website Accessibility in the USA

• The rise of the WWW and the development of
  variant HTML dialects by commercial enterprises,
  combined with the move to graphical applications,
  caused a breakdown in the accessibility of the
  Internet.
• The City of San Jose court case, brought under
  the ADA, caused a change in the regulatory
  climate in the USA and brought website
  accessibility to the attention of a larger
  audience.
• DOJ rules that ADA accessibility requirements
  apply to web pages, 9 Sept 1996.

27
Website Accessibility in the USA

• With the enactment of the Rehabilitation Act
  Amendments of 1998, Section 508 became the
  principal law regarding government websites and
  websites of those doing substantial business with
  the government.
• Based of WACG 1.0 Priority Level 1 with some
  additional requirements.
• http//www.section508.gov/

28
US States and Accessibility

• A list of all state laws, standards and
  regulations regarding website accessibility is at
  the website of the Information Technology
  Technical Assistance and Training Center,
  http//www.ittatc.org/laws/stateLawAtGlance.cfm

29
State Requirements

• States have based their requirements on the WAI
  WCAG, on ADA, and on Section 508.
• Some states apply the standards to all entities
  financed in full or part with public funds.
• Educational websites were specifically included
  in the UKs SENDA regulations.

30
Issues to Consider

• Colors should be used that will not confuse
  colorblind users.
• Tabindex and Accesskey coding should be used to
  accommodate those who can not use a mouse.
• Skip navigation links should be provided so those
  using screen readers do not have to go through
  long lists of links to get to an item of
  interest.

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Issues (cont.)

• Alt text should be used for all informative
  images. Null alt tags are used for spacer gifs
  and the like.
• Frames, image maps, and applets should be
  avoided.
• The title attribute should be used with the above
  to enhance use.
• Fieldset, summary, and labels should be used with
  forms.

32
More Issues

• Layout tables do not have labels.
• Data tables use headers and summary to allow
  linearized reading. Axis and id are used with
  complex data tables.
• Use CSS to control the order of display and place
  navigation lists at the bottom of the code page.
• Provide text or RTF versions of PDF files.

33
More Issues (cont.)

• Provide transcripts of audio materials and
  captioning for video materials.
• Allow the user to control the size of text by
  using relative sizes or providing a style
  switcher.
• Provide an explanation of the accessibility
  features of the website.

34
Accessibility Compliance

• Depends on the country and the standard adopted.
• WAI WCAG Level I, II, or III.
• USA Section 508 is a combination of WCAG Level I
  and additional requirements.

35
Checking Accessibility

• Checking for compliance involves using testing
  tools and subjective interpretation.
• Bobby, http//bobby.watchfire.com/bobby/html/en/
• Cynthia Says, http//www.cynthiasays.com/
• Wave 3.0, http//www.wave.webaim.org/index.jsp

36
Testing Accessibility

• Use the standard accessibility applications for
  your platform to test for compliance.
• Use LYNX to view the page and determine if it is
  useable.
• Turn off colors and view the screen in black and
  white.
• Turn off sound and see if you can still navigate
  and understand the page.

37
Testing (cont.)

• Use JAWS, IBM Home Page Reader, EMACSpeak, etc.,
  to use the page.
• Have disabled users test the page.

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Resources

• For (X)HTML coding
• http//www.w3.org/
• For CSS in addition to the above
• css-discuss css-d_at_lists.css-discuss.org
• http//www.css-discuss.org/mailman/listinfo/css-d
• evolt.org-- http//www.evolt.org/

39
Accessibility Resources

• WAI at http//www.w3.org/WAI/
• Section508 The Road to Accessibility
• http//www.section508.gov/
• The webaim-forum at http//www.webaim.org/
• ITTATC at http//www.ittatc.org/laws/stateLawAtGla
  nce.cfm
• Connecticut Website Accessibility Committee
• http//www.cmac.state.ct.us/access/Default.htm

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Books

• Joe Clark, Building Accessible Websites, New
  Riders, 2002, ISBN0-7357-1150-X.
• Jim Thatcher, et.al., Accessible Websites,
  Glasshaus, 2002, ISBN1-904151-00-0.
• Jeffrey Zeldman, designing with web standards,
  New Riders, 2003, ISBN0-7357-1201-8.

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On-line Tutorial

• I think this is one of the best on-line tutorials
  on accessibility coding
• Jennifer Foltz, ADA Compliance Workshop Part 1,
  http//www.oznet.ksu.edu/agronomy/TECHSPT/tutorial
  s