Web Site Accessibility

Section 2: Web Site Accessibility Articles, Tutorials, Resources, and Books

This section includes annotated links to helpful Web accessibility articles and tutorials, Web sites or sections devoted to Web accessibility, and recommended books on Web accessibility. Tutorials include CSS and accessibility, creating accessible PDF files, accessible DHTML and multimedia, Web accessibility for visual impairments, Web sites devoted to Web accessibility, and more. You'll also find articles on why Web site accessibility matters, along with helpful Web accessibility books that go into a great deal of detail about how to create and implement Web sites with accessibility in mind.

For U.S. Web accessibility compliance requirements, see also Section 3: Section 508 and ADA here at WebsiteTips.com.

Do you know of some good articles, tutorials, tips, Web sites, books, or other resources related to Web site accessibility? Recommendations are welcome and encouraged!

On this page:

Accessibility Articles and Tutorials
Accessibility Sites and Resources
- Web Sites or Web Site Sections Devoted to Accessibility
- Other Accessibility Links Resources
Recommended Books on Accessibility

Also within Accessibility:

Related within Web Resources Design:

Related within Web Resources Markup, Code:

How to Size Text with CSS: Create User-friendly Web Site Font Sizes with CSS Relative Font Sizing

Accessibility Articles and Tutorials

The following articles cover information about accessibility while tutorials help with how to include accessibility features for your Web site. The tutorials are also organized by category to help find specific topics.

Know of others? Please let us know!

Accessibility Articles

Accessibility Laws in Canada
As the author states, “the laws in Canada have even stronger provisions against discrimination than laws in the US! And those laws apply to every business, organization and individual in Canada.” This helpful article provides a good overview of the basics you need to know for sites in Canada along with plenty of links to more information. Helpful article on accessible Web sites for Canada. [Article dated 05/24/2002, by Tara Cleveland, for evolt.org.]
Accessibility: More Than The Right Thing To Do
Excellent article at evolt.org. Although it discusses accessibility requirements for websites related to federal government (and increasingly more states), it's also important information for designers to consider for any website. Editor note December, 2005: Although written in 1999, this article still provides helpful information and tips on what to keep in mind for accessibility and laws that require accessible Web sites. [Article dated 08/27/1999, Marlene Bruce, for evolt.org.]
Accessibility: the Politics of Design
A follow-up article to his 1999 article, Accessibility: The Clock is Ticking, by Alan Herrell. [Article dated 10/16/2003, by Alan Herrell (aka the head lemur, for A List Apart.]
Accessibility: Tough to Sell?
Insightful, well-written article about the role of Web designers and developers with creating accessible sites, educating clients, and opinions on recent articles written about the business aspects and costs of accessible Web sites. All in all, the article emphasizes that accessibility needs to be realized as part of all our sites, not as an option, and that we need to emphasize the positives to our clients and alleviate all the misconceptions. Great article. References included. [Article/tutorial dated 10/11/2005, by Lena M. Safi.]
Firefox 2.0 and Access Keys
Conflicts and problems with Firefox 2.0 and access keys. Read about these problems and what can be done about it. Includes information about Opera's approach and other browsers, too. A must read article about access keys and accessibility. [Article/tutorial dated 11/01/2006, by Gez Lemon, Juicy Studio.]
High Accessibility Is Effective Search Engine Optimization
Helpful article about the SEO benefits of creating an accessible Web site. Includes what matters, references. Great article at A List Apart. [Article dated 11/08/2005 by Andy Hagans for A List Apart.]
Innovative Design Inspired by Accessibility
The author states, “Your first step is to find inspiration in the characteristics of your audience. Consider the variety of abilities, interests, styles, devices, bandwidths and situations of your users.” Wendy goes on to explain how you can be inspired, design limitations, and much more. Terrific article. [Article dated 03/30/2005, By Wendy Chisholm for Digital Web Magazine.]
New guidance will make websites easier to use for blind people
The Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) provided a press release about the new Publicly Available Specification 78: Guide to Good Practice in Commissioning Accessible Websites (or PAS 78). “RNIB warmly welcomes important new guidance that will help website commissioners ensure the usability of their websites to the UK's two million people with serious sight problems and many of the other eight million disabled people living in the UK.” You can read the entire press release and find links to more information via the above link. [Press release dated 03/08/2006, by the Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB).]
Optimizing Your Chances with Accessibility
Helpful article about how to effectively increase search engine ranking with W3C Accessibility guidelines and Section 508. [Article dated 03/10/2004 by Brandon Olejniczak for Digital Web Magazine.]
Screen Readers: A web developer failure
Fascinating opinion article about why screen readers have problems with so many sites, the problems with the tag soup HTML markup in so many sites out there, and the importance of using clean, semantic HTML markup. See also Contacting isolani, dated 09/06/2007, by Ian Hickson, via W3C. [Article/tutorial dated 09/05/2007, by isolani.]
To Hell with WCAG 2
Accessibility expert Joe Clark writes quite an article about the problems with WCAG 2 as of its April 2006 online working draft. He writes that while lower priority guidelines are now pretty solid, the bigger ones are quite a problem. Joe lists quite a few serious problems, discusses the WCAG as being broken, and much more, along with the announcement of the WCAG Samurai. A must read article.[Article/tutorial dated 05/23/2006, by Joe Clark, for A List Apart.]
WCAG 2.0
Discussion, opinion about WCAG 2.0 and Joe Clark's article listed above, To Hell with WCAG 2. Plenty of good points made, and it helps to see different viewpoints on the WCAG 2.0 April 2006 online working draft. See also the comments at the end of the blog post. [Article/tutorial dated 06/07/2006, by Lachlan Hunt, for Lachy's Log.]
Web designers still failing disabled people
The need to use a Braille display, text-to-speech software, tab keys instead of a mouse, and more impact over 10 million disabled and millions more with symptoms of aging - but basic requirements for them are often overlooked. New guidance, which came into effect early March 2006 in the UK, “aims to boost social inclusion for disabled people by ensuring sites are designed with accessibility in mind. PAS 78 sets out best practice for organizations commissioning public-facing Web sites and is the result of a year-long collaboration between the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) and the British Standards Institution.” Insightful article. [Article/tutorial dated 03/16/2006, by John Coutts, for Guardian Unlimited Technology. hat tip: Web Design Update, Issue 42, April 7, 2006, by Laura Carlson.]

More on PAS 78: Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 78 was developed by the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) in collaboration with the British Standards Institution (BSI). You can learn more about it and purchase a hard copy or downloadable PDF version via PAS 78 Guide to Good Practice in Commissioning Accessible Websites section at the British Standards Institution (BSI) Web site.

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Accessibility Tutorials and Tips

See also WebsiteTips.com's W3C Accessibility Tutorials.

Accessibility
Tutorial explains why accessibility matters, how to create accessible hyperlinks, images, forms, and also provides resources to more information. [Tutorial dated 01/20/2003 by WebDevTips.]
An Accessibility Frontier: Cognitive Disabilities and Learning Difficulties
Thorough, well written tutorial about creating Web sites with cognitive disabilities and learning difficulties in mind. Covers how to present text, readability, how CSS can help with presentation, allowing users to control the presentation, navigation, allowing users to control content, and examples along the way. This one is definitely a must read tutorial. Originally presented at OZeWAI 2004 Conference, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia - 2 December 2004. [Tutorial dated 01/30/2005, By Roger Hudson, Russ Weakley and Peter Firminge, for Web Usability.]
Accessible Tables
Helpful tutorial on how to create data tables that make sense when linearized for screen readers and other assistive technology. [Tutorial dated 07/05/2004 by Jim Thatcher.]
Accessible Web Typography
Highly recommended, by Jim Byrne, recognized accessibility expert. Sections of this tutorials include making good font choices, text size, and usability. Covers a lot of important and helpful information about your Web site's typography. As the book cover states, “Learn how to take control of the text on your Web pages, comply with accessibility guidelines and laws, create text that is Section 508 compliant, increase the usability of your Web site, attract more visitors to your site.” You can also purchase this as a downloadable ebook in PDF format. [Tutorial series by Jim Byrne, ScotConnect.]
For more on cross-browser typography, sizing fonts, image replacement techniques, or font sizing and accessibility:
Accessified! Practical Accessibility Fixes Any Web Developer Can Use
Transcript from an accessibility presentation at SXSW March 2007 - given by Ian Lloyd and Patrick H. Lauke. Also available are related PowerPoint slides, screencasts on YouTube, and SXSW podcasts. “We're going to demonstrate a few tools that you can use for free to help you on your way. We're going to look at some evaluation tools that you can use in your browser to just see how accessible your pages are.” Great presentation with lots of helpful tips and insight into using quite a few free and fabulous accessibility tools. Some of the tools include Accessify.com's table builder and form builder, List-O-Matic, the Web Developer Toolbar, graybit.com, and more. [Article/tutorial dated 03/11/2007, by Ian Lloyd, Patrick H. Lauke, via Splintered.]
Designing Accessible Web Sites
Well done, easy to understand series of tutorials on how to design accessible Web sites. Topics include “Accessibility and Disability Defined, Laws & Guidelines, Training, Accessible HTML Samples, Adding ALT, Web Accessibility Checklist.” [Tutorial dated 10/11/2005, by University of Texas at Austin, Learning to Publish section.]
Designing the Web for People with Disabilities
Identifies problems with information and software design, cites products that work well, provides helpful tips for creating accessible Web sites, and more. [White paper by Michael Paciello, Paciello Group.]
Dive Into Accessibility: 30 Days to a More Accessible Web Site
Excellent, thorough tutorial that covers a wide range of accessibility issues and best practice approaches to Web site design and development for accessibility. You can also download it all for offline reference. [Tutorial series dated 2002 by Mark Pilgrim.]
Guidelines for Building an Accessible Web Site
by James Byrne. Helpful article about why and how to build accessible Web sites. He covers the W3C, the wide range of user needs for accessibility, why it matters, building large sites that are accessibility friendly, using images, videos, and much more. He also provides examples of how to use ALT attribute, manage color for the color blind, markup and CSS, tables, frames, various devices, clear navigation, and so much more. He includes lots of examples and links to further information and resources. It covers a lot of ground. [Tutorial dated 2005, by James Byrne, Making Connections Unit, Glasgow Caledonian University.]
It's Time To Kill Off Transitional DOCTYPES
Article explaining why a strict DOCTYPE is preferred and recommended rather than a transitional DOCTYPE. See also the comments for this post via the author's blog, Comments: It's time to kill off Transitional DOCTYPEs. [Article/tutorial dated 09/15/2006, by Jack Pickard, for Accessites.org.]
Learning Difficulties & Web Accessibility
Helpful tutorial on the need to allow for learning difficulties as part of creating an accessible Web site. Provides a bulleted list of what to keep in mind. [Article/tutorial dated 01/2006, by Tim Fidgeon, Webcredible.]
Making Your Web Site Accessible
Tutorials cover ALT attributes, image maps, color, hyperlink titles, data tables, frames, charts and graphs, forms, skip navigation, CSS, scripts, and more. Well written and quite helpful! [Tutorial dated 2005. By Univ. of Arizona Web Resources: Web Accessibility.]
Source Order, Skip links and Structural labels
“Is page source order important to screen reader users? Recently, the idea of placing the informational content of a web page before the navigation has gained some currency. This paper reports on our research into the relevance and importance of page source order, skip links and structural labels for screen reader users.” Presented at OZeWAI Conference, 9 December 2005. [Article/tutorial dated 01/13/2006, by Roger Hudson, Russ Weakley, and Lisa Miller, for Web Usability.]
Universal Usability in Practice
“Principles and strategies for practitioners designing universally usable sites.” Recommendations and resources for Web developers to build sites to accommodate slow modems, small screens, text readers, wireless devices, and people with various disabilities. Good site. [Tutorials dated 05/17/2001, University of Maryland.]
Why Don't You Code For Netscape?
by Jeffrey Zeldman for A List Apart, December 7. 2001. Consider forward compatibility design that's far more accessible, follows W3C recommendations, is standards compliant, and works in any browser. Zeldman discusses the issues and why. Editor note December, 2005: Don't let the 2001 date fool you. What Zeldman wrote then still applies today. [Article dated 12/07/2001, by Jeffrey Zeldman for A List Apart.]

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CSS and Accessibility

Most of the above articles and tutorials cover CSS, too, since CSS is typically an integral part of designing an accessible site. Those listed below are specifically focused on using CSS effectively to help your Web site's accessibility.

Accessible CSS Forms: Using CSS to Create a Two-Column Layout
As the author states, “Websites have become less accessible and more complex over time according to recent studies. Learn how to buck the trend by creating fast, accessible CSS forms that work with modern browsers and gracefully degrade.” Well done tutorial with plenty of examples and insightful comments discussion, too. Great tutorial on how create accessible forms using CSS for layout. Cross-browser, cross-platform tested, too. [Article/tutorial dated 03/30/2006, by Andy King, for WebSiteOptimization.com.]
Big, Stark, and Chunky
As Joe states in this helpful article, “research shows that low-vision people need dramatically different Web design. CSS lets you give them what they need.” Joe's article provides examples of various vision problems based on research, and explains how to create your site for low vision users using CSS and alternative style sheets. There are plenty of site examples for low vision, references, and information. Well done. As Joe also states, “with each passing year we learn more about how to accommodate people with disabilities gracefully without impeding the graphic design or other desirable characteristics of our sites.” [Article/tutorial dated 01/11/2005, by Joe Clark, for A List Apart.]
How to Size Text with CSS: Create User-friendly Web Site Font Sizes with CSS Relative Font Sizing
Looking for an easy way to designate CSS font sizes for your website that will work well with modern, mainstream browsers for Windows or Mac computers? Need to also make sure your website's font size approach is universally accessible, meets W3C's WAI Accessibility Guidelines, U.S. Section 508 requirements, or other accessibility requirements? This tutorial will show you one possibility that can meet those needs by using CSS relative font sizing. [Article/tutorial dated 11/25/2007, by Shirley Kaiser, for WebsiteTips.com's CSS Tutorials, Articles, Tips section.]
How to size text using ems
Insightful tutorial with examples, CSS, and explanations of how to use the CSS em unit element for flexible font sizing for your entire site. [Article/tutorial dated 11/18/2004, by Richard Rutter, Clagnut.]
Simple, accessible external links
Accessible, user-friendly approaches to creating external links that let the user know they're going to an external source. [Article/tutorial dated 12/05/2005, by Russ Weakley Max Design.]
Simple, accessible “more” links
Discussion of various approaches to handling “More” links, such as on a homepage with an introductory paragraph that links to “more” details, “more” information, etc. Russ Weakley and others have come up with possibilities to create these links in an accessible, user-friendly way that keeps text content concise while also providing helpful information. [Article/tutorial dated 07/25/2005, by Russ Weakley Max Design.]
Source Order, Skip links and Structural labels
“Is page source order important to screen reader users? Recently, the idea of placing the informational content of a web page before the navigation has gained some currency. This paper reports on our research into the relevance and importance of page source order, skip links and structural labels for screen reader users.” Presented at OZeWAI Conference, 9 December 2005. [Article/tutorial dated 01/13/2006, by Roger Hudson, Russ Weakley, and Lisa Miller, for Web Usability.]

For more resources on CSS and accessibility at WebsiteTips.com:

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DHTML and Accessibility

Creating Accessible Web Pages With DHTML
Helpful tips on creating accessible sites even with DHTML. Covers CSS, forms, labels and quite a few accessibility-oriented HTML elements [Accessible DHTML Section by Microsoft.]

Adobe Flash (formerly Macromedia Flash) and Accessibility

The added “bonus” to creating more accessible Flash files is that search engines that can spider Flash will then be able to crawl the accessible content. Like so much with accessibility, sites typically are much more crawlable by search engines, too.

Accessibility in Flash: Bug and Issue List
Fabulous article that lists accessibility issues and bugs with Flash player. Good discussion and comments here, too. [Article/tutorial dated 08/06/2007, by Niqui Merret, Niqui Merret: Flash and Accessibility.]
Adobe Flash CS3 accessibility
Adobe's resource area with tutorials, white papers, and helpful information on how to create accessible Flash. [Part of Adobe.com.]
Best Practices for Accessible Flash Design
28-page white paper on how to create accessible Flash files. Lots of detail here. [Article/tutorial dated 08/2005, by Bob Regan, for Adobe.com.]
Creating Accessible Macromedia Flash Content
4-part tutorial that goes into detail about how to create accessible Flash content. Pages cover: Creating Accessible Macromedia Flash Content, Creating Text Equivalents for Flash Content, Keyboard Accessibility and Reading Order, Flash Accessibility Techniques and Considerations. [Article/tutorial by WebAIM.]
The Flash Accessibility Panel
Adobe's documentation and help on how to use the Flash Accessibility panel. Links to related information, too, such as Creating accessibility with ActionScript, and much more. [Article/tutorial part of Adobe.com Help Resource Center.]
Flash And Accessibility
Helpful tutorial that goes into quite a bit of detail about common accessibility problems with Flash and what you can do to make Flash files accessible. [Article/tutorial dated 11/2003, by Roger Hudson, for Web Usability.]
Provide Text Equivalents for Graphics - in Flash
Helpful how-to on providing text equivalents for graphics within Flash, including what to consider, how to think through and work through the process, and more. [Article/tutorial by Skills for Access.]

Related within Web Resources:

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JavaScript and Accessibility

For more on JavaScript, see also WebsiteTips.com's Web Resources JavaScript section.

Creating Accessible JavaScript
Series of helpful tutorials on creating accessible JavaSCript. Topics include: Overview of Creating Accessible Javascript, JavaScript Event Handlers, Other Issues, JavaScript Alternatives, Accessible JavaScript Summary. [Article/tutorial by WebAIM.]
JavaScript Interaction Must be Input Device Independent
Helpful reminders and information, along with often overlooked common accessibility problems, such as allowing for users who don't or can't use a mouse. Drag-and-drop functionality, onClick event handlers are discussed, along with helpful examples and solutions. [Article/tutorial dated 08/21/2007, by Roger Johansson, for 456 Berea Street.]
Too much accessibility - multiple JavaScript event handlers
Helpful information about browser differences with JavaScript event handlers. “if two or more event handlers, designed to perform the same task are used, the effect can be the opposite of the one you intended. The most common problem is where onClick is used, and authors, believing that this is a mouse dependent event handler, will add an onKeypress, or similar to make sure that keyboard and switch users aren't left out. The problem here is caused by the belief that onClick is always mouse dependent. If the event is attached to a link or form control, onClick is device independent. In Internet Explorer there is no effect when onClick and onKeypress are used together; the second handler is ignored. No surprise there then. However in Mozilla Firefox and Opera, the web author is taken at his word, and using onClick with onKeypress will activate the link or button, when all the user is trying to do is navigate over and passed it.” Editor note: While the author doesn't provide a solution to this problem, one possibility that I've used successfully is a simple PHP browser sniff for Firefox and Opera to exclude them from seeing the onKeypress event. The specific problem I had was with a show/hide script for footer navigation subcategories. Tabbing onto the “Show/hide” link would end up creating a stuck focus (not allowing tabbing forward or back but would instead only show or hide the navigation subcategories). A simple PHP browser sniff for Firefox and Opera fixed the problem. [Article/tutorial dated 11/17/2006, by Bim Egan, for Web Access Centre Blog, RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People).]
You cannot Rely on JavaScript being Available. Period.
JavaScript problems that block users from accessing 3 highly popular sites - Blogger, Bloglines, and ma.gnolia - along with describing the problems and what can be done to avoid them. It's not just about JavaScript being disabled but a lot between, along with a 'submit' button that requires JavaScript to function, and a JavaScript library that triggers a security setting for firewalls. As Roger points out, he's all for using JavaScript, but it must be used “responsibly and always in the spirit of progressive enhancement or Hijax.” [Article/tutorial dated 08/21/2007, by Roger Johansson, for 456 Berea Street.]

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Multimedia and Accessibility

All the Access Money Can Buy
Article about accessible online multimedia, traditional Web media (Flash, Quicktime), using BMWFilms.com in a discussion of working toward accessibility with online multimedia. Interesting article. [Article dated 07/22/2001 by Joe Clark, for A List Apart.]
Accessible Digital Media: Design Guidelines for Electronic Publications, Multimedia and the Web
An incredibly helpful series of tutorials on creating accessible digital media, such as improving e-book multimedia navigation, creating and integrating captions and descriptions for video and audio presentations, and so much more. [Tutorial series dated 07/2006, by Geoff Freed and Madeleine Rothberg, for WGBH National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM).]

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PDF and Accessibility

Facts and Opinions About PDF Accessibility
Great article that explains the positive and negative about using PDF format on the Web. Like many things, if you take advantage of its accessibility features, PDF format can be as accessible HTML. As Joe explains, “Contrary to popular opinion - and also contrary to quasi-judicial claims in some places - PDF documents can be no less accessible than HTML. While this may be a shocking revelation, it is nonetheless true. This article will explain how PDF does and does not support accessibility.” This article will help you learn what to do to make your PDF documents accessible and when they're appropriate for Web sites. [08/25/2005, by Joe Clark, for A List Apart.]
How to Create Accessible PDFs with Adobe Acrobat 6
A helpful guide to creating accessible PDF files, written by accessibility expert Jim Byrne. Available for purchase (inexpensive) as downloadable PDF ebook. [Tutorial/ebook by Jim Byrne, ScotConnect.]

See also Accessibility Accessibility Tools for a free Adobe accessible PDF tool and more tools to help Web site accessibility.

Designing to meet the needs of visually impaired people
Very helpful, insightful, and concise tutorial at Textmatters.com. Based on research, experience and recommendations by the Royal National Institute for the Blind, The Lighthouse Inc., and elsewhere. [By Textmatters.com.]
Articles and Tools About Color Deficiencies and Color Blindness
Helpful annotated resources at WebsiteTips.com's Color section. [By WebsiteTips.com]

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Accessibility Sites and Resources

While some Web sites are totally devoted to accessibility issues, others provide devoted sections, as categorized below.

Web Sites or Web Site Sections Devoted to Accessibility

Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
The W3C's Web site section on accessibility. Included are their Guidelines, articles and tutorials, resources, discussion list archives, and more. See also WebsiteTips.com's Web Site Resources Section, W3C and Accessibility for helpful W3C links. [WAI is part of the W3C Web site.]
Access Washington Styleguide: Universal Web Design
Styleguide section specific to universal accessibility. Includes concise, helpful information about accessible design, links to resources. Well done. [State of Washington agency guidelines.]
Accessiblog
Joe Clark (Web accessibility expert) has a weblog packed with info, and has lots of articles and resources about Web accessibility. [Site by Joe Clark, joeclark.org]
Accessify
A fantastic Web site devoted to accessibility. You'll find helpful tutorials, tools, resources, an ongoing weblog with latest accessibility information, and a forum. Fantastic. One of my favorite sites for accessibility information. [Accessify was created and is owned by Ian Lloyd.]
Accessites.org
This site is devoted to showcasing beautiful sites that are also universally accessible. You'll find lots of them here, along with insightful reviews about each site. From the site: “showcase and provide awards-recognition for certain websites — and the developers and designers who make them — which shatter the misconception that accessible web sites are boring and basic. It's not so and we intend to prove it, or rather, we'll ask others to furnish the evidence for us.” [Site founded by Mike Cherim, Green-Beast.com Hat tip: Wise-Women discussion list.]
AWARE Center (Accessible Web Authoring Resources and Education)
by the HTML Writers' Guild. Tips and Techniques, classes offered, resources. Excellent resource. [AWARE Center, HTML Writers Guild.]
IBM Accessibility Center: Developer Guidelines for Web Accessibility
Helpful information and a checklist on what to keep in mind for designing accessible Web sites. See also their listing of articles and tutorials at their site, IBM Accessibility: Web Design Articles. [Section dated 2004, part of the IBM Accessibility Center.]
Microsoft Accessibility
Resource for products, resources, articles, tutorials, and tools for providing accessible technology in the workplace, home, schools, and elsewhere. [Section part of the Microsoft Web site.]
Microsoft Accessibility, for Developers
Microsoft's section on accessibility issues, and includes Web page design, UI design, accessibility features, more. [Section part of the Microsoft Web site.]
National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM)
Main site for the CPB/WGBH National Center for Accessible Media, a leading research and development facility devoted to accessible media for the disabled. [Section part of the WGBH Web site.]
Sun Microsystems Accessibility Program
A must-visit site on your journey exploring accessibility issues. Large area of Sun's site, covering many aspects of accessibility for designers, developers, section 508 guidelines, and general information. [Sun Microsystems, sun.com]
WebAIM
WebAIM's goal is to improve accessibility to online learning opportunities for all people, especially to improve accessibility for those with disabilities who wish to access postsecondary online learning opportunities. They provide excellent online courses, articles and tutorials, CD-ROMs, information about assistive technologies, and much more. Top-notch site and resource. [WebAIM.]
Web Accessibility
Web site by Tom McCain about designing a site for user accessibility. Helpful insight, well done. Good resource, and links to more. [Tom McCain, crittur.com]
Web Access Project
CPB/WGBH National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM) "researches, develops and tests methods of integrating access technologies (such as captioning and audio description) and new Web tools into a World Wide Web site, making it fully accessible to blind or deaf Internet users." They encourage the use of the symbol on the right to reflect your website's support and use of accessible design. [WGBH National Center for Accessible Media]
WebABLE! Library
WebABLE! provides dozens of links and articles, white papers, tips, and resources on accessible design, technology, standards, links to online journals, news articles, and more. Great resource. [WebABLE!]

Recommended Books on Accessibility

The books listed below are highly recommended books on accessibility. WebsiteTips.com's editor/owner personally owns many of the books recommended at this site, and all books listed come highly recommended. The links will take you to amazon.com information and reviews.

Do you have any recommendations or thoughts about those already listed here? Please let us know!

Access by Design: A Guide to Universal Usability for Web Designers
By Sarah Horton. Published by New Riders Press, July 12, 2005. This latest book by Sarah Horton is receiving great reviews. You may recognize her name from her other popular books, such as the best-selling Web Style Guide co-authored with Patrick Lynch, also recommended by WebsiteTips (see Recommended Books for Design and Layout). The publisher states,
designers learn how to optimize page designs to work more effectively for more users, disabled or not. Working through each of the main functional features of Web sites, she provides clear principles for using HTML and CSS to deal with elements such as text, forms, images, and tables, illustrating each with an example drawn from the real world. Through these guidelines, Sarah makes a convincing case that good design principles benefit all users of the Web.
Building Accessible Websites (With CD-ROM)
by Joe Clark, published by New Riders, July, 2002. Exceptional book on accessibility and covers all the bases and then some. Joe explains what matters, why, and how to go about creating and maintaining an accessible Web site. Joe's book companion site: Building Accessible Websites Companion Site. You can even download all the chapters from his book there, although none of the images are included.
Design Accessible Web Sites: 36 Keys to Creating Content for All Audiences and Platforms
By Jeremy Sydik. Published by Pragmatic Bookshelf (November 5, 2007). Learn how to create universally accessible Web sites based on best practice approaches, including how to create semantic, accessible HTML, audio, video, Flash, multimedia, PDFs, how to use progressive enhancement for the widest accessibility, and much more.
From the author about his book:
When I say “creating content for everyone”, that's exactly what I mean. The techniques that I cover in the book are targeted toward serving the audience of users with disabilities (and this is an important growing audience), but that's not all they're good for. If you want to reach audiences that use cell phones, PDAs, game consoles, or other “alternative” browsers, you need the same eye toward semantics, alternate access paths, and progressive enhancement that assistive technologies rely on.
The publisher's description:
It's not a one-browser web anymore. You need to reach audiences that use cell phones, PDAs, game consoles, or other “alternative” browsers, as well as users with disabilities. Legal requirements for assistive technologies as well as a wide array of new browsing experiences means you need to concentrate on semantics, alternate access paths, and progressive enhancement.
Give your audience the power to interact with your content on their own terms. It's the right thing to do, and with a $100 billion a year market for accessible content, new laws and new technologies, you can't afford to ignore accessibility.
With this book, you'll learn basic principles and techniques for developing accessible HTML, audio, video, and multimedia content. In addition, you will understand how to apply the principles you learn in this book to new technologies when they emerge.
You'll learn how to:
- Use best practices of accessibility to develop accessible web content
- Build testing into projects to improve results and reduce costs
- Create high quality alternative representations for your audience
- Add accessibility features to external media like PDF and Flash
- Negotiate the terrain of accessibility standards
- Apply principles of accessiblity to new technologies as they emerge
Just Ask: Integrating Accessibility Throughout Design
By Shawn Lawton Henry. Lulu.com (February 21, 2007). This book is available in print as well as online at www.uiAccess.com/justask. The online version is also a great way to check out the book in more detail prior to purchasing the print version.
From the publisher:
Improve your websites, software, hardware, and consumer products to make them more useful to more people in more situations. Develop effective accessibility solutions efficiently. Learn:
- The basics of including accessibility in design projects:
  - Shortcuts for involving people with disabilities in your project.
  - Tips for comfortable interaction with people with disabilities.
- Details on accessibility in each phase of the user-centered design process (UCD):
  - Examples of including accessibility in user group profiles, personas, and scenarios.
  - Guidance on evaluating for accessibility through heuristic evaluation, design walkthroughs, and screening techniques.
  - Thorough coverage of planning, preparing for, conducting, analyzing, and reporting effective usability tests with participants with disabilities.
  - Questions to include in your recruiting screener.
  - Checklist for usability testing with participants with disabilities.
Maximum Accessibility: Making Your Web Site More Usable for Everyone
By John M. Slatin, Sharron Rush. Published by Addison-Wesley Professional, September 20, 2002. Rave reviews everywhere. From the publisher:
Maximum Accessibility is a comprehensive resource for creating Web sites that comply with new U.S. accessibility standards and conform to the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0. This book offers an overview of key issues, discusses the standards in depth, and presents practical design techniques, up-to-date technologies, and testing methods to implement these standards for maximum accessibility. You will learn how to:
- Write effective text equivalents for images and audio files
- Caption soundtracks and describe the action of videos and animation
- Set up data and layout tables that make sense to the ear and eye
- Design Web forms that people can interact with via the keyboard and other input devices
- Label forms so that people who use talking browsers can give the right information at the right time
- Make scripts accessible to people who don't use a mouse
- Create simple PDF files that are accessible to people with disabilities
- Use cascading style sheets to make your thoroughly accessible pages look great
Throughout the book, case studies illustrate how inadvertent accessibility barriers on major Web sites affect the ability of people with disabilities to locate information, participate in e-commerce, and explore the richness of the Web. These case studies demonstrate how certain design features can make access much harder, and how other features can greatly ease the use of a page or site.
Most of all, this leading-edge guide reveals that a little extra design consideration up front can help you create a site that is not only a pleasure for people with disabilities, but attractive and pleasing for all interested users. In short, Maximum Accessibility shows why good design is accessible design.
Web Accessibility: Web Standards and Regulatory Compliance
by Andrew Kirkpatrick, Richard Rutter, Christian Heilmann, Jim Thatcher, Cynthia Waddell, along with Michael R. Burks, Patrick H. Lauke, Bruce Lawson, Shawn Lawton Henry, Bob Regan, and Mark Urban. Published by friends of ED, July 24, 2006. This is actually a new title for the rewritten, expanded, and updated version of the popular book, Constructing Accessible Web sites. This latest version provides an overview of Web accessibility first, followed by 12 chapters on how to implement an accessible Web site, including assistive technology (screen readers, browsers), content, navigation, data input, CSS, JavaScript, Flash, PDF, accessibility testing, an introduction to WCAG 2.0, and a case study on redesigning a university Web site. The final chapters of the book cover accessibility law and policy. Three appendixes include a glossary of terms, a guide to Section 508, and an overview of PAS 78. Several of the authors have information about the book, such as Jim Thatcher's News section and Richard Rutter's blog post, Web Accessibility: Web Standards and Regulatory Compliance.
Web Accessibility for People With Disabilities
By Michael G. Paciello. Published by CMP Books, October 2000. One of the first books in print on this important topic, it remains a helpful book on accessibility.

Also Recommended

The following have at least a chapter on accessibility or include accessibility as an integral part of the book:

Build Your Own Web Site the Right Way Using HTML & CSS
by Ian Lloyd. Published by SitePoint, May 2, 2006. This book is receiving rave reviews! Ian's fabulous new book teaches Web development from scratch, without assuming any previous knowledge of HTML, CSS or Web development techniques. It introduces you to HTML and CSS as you follow along with the author, step-by-step, to build a fully functional web site from the ground up. However, unlike countless other “learn Web design” books, this one concentrates on modern, best-practice techniques from the very beginning, which means you'll get it right the first time. By the end of the book, you'll be equipped with enough knowledge to set out on your first projects as a professional web developer, or you can simply use the knowledge you've gained to create attractive, functional, usable and accessible sites for personal use. For more information, see also the author's companion site for Build Your Own Web Site the Right Way Using HTML & CSS.
Deliver First Class Web Sites: 101 Essential Checklists
By Shirley Kaiser. Published by SitePoint Books, July 2006. While the entire book is packed with helpful checklists and explanations, examples, and references to help with Web site projects, an entire chapter is devoted to Web site accessibility: Chapter 10: Creating Accessible Web Sites - The Bare Bones of Creating an Accessible Web Site, Color for the Masses, A Thousand Words to Each Picture, Multi-purpose Multimedia, In Good Form, Sturdy Tables. You'll also find checklists to make sure your site is visually appealing, loads quickly, is search engine friendly, and more. Along the way, other chapters cover Web site optimization, preparing and managing Web site content, usability, information architecture, navigation, search engine optimization, color, design, testing, preparing for launch, post-launch follow-up, and much more. In addition, all those who purchase the book have special access to downloadable, printable checklists to use for all your projects. More information: Companion Site for Deliver First Class Web Sites: 101 Essential Checklists, author's Web site: SKDesigns.
Web Style Guide: Basic Design Principles for Creating Web Sites, Second Edition
By Patrick J. Lynch, Sarah Horton. Published by Yale University Press, March 2002. This best-selling book contains easy-to-understand theory and philosophy on designing, building, and implementing a Web site, along with helpful illustrations and resources. Some of the categories are Interface Design, Site Design, Page Design, Web Graphics, Web Multimedia and Animation, more. Excellent book. Also visit webstyleguide.com for an online version of the book and to learn more about this exceptional publication.