Web Accessibility and Section 508 Training for Experienced Web Designers (2 days)

Web Accessibility and Section 508 Training for Experienced Web Designers Overview

In this web accessibility course, students will learn why and how to create websites that meet the Section 508 standards for website accessibility. This class targets web designers - i.e, the people who will be responsible for creating the accessible pages. Students attending his class are expected to have expert knowledge of HTML and at least intermediate knowledge of CSS.

If you are interested in a class for non-designers, project managers, testers, and/or decision makers, please see our Web Accessibility and Section 508 Training for Managers course.

Web Accessibility and Section 508 Training for Experienced Web Designers Course Goals

• Understand the importance of creating accessible websites
• Learn what it means to make a site "accessible"
• Learn to create proper text equivalents for images
• Learn to test your web pages for accessibility
• Learn to create accessible navigation
• Learn to make your image maps accessible
• Learn to create accessible alternative to audio and multimedia
• Learn to create accessible forms
• Learn to create accessible tables
• Learn to create web pages that can benefit from but do not rely on scripts and style sheets

Web Accessibility and Section 508 Training for Experienced Web Designers Course Prerequisites

Experience in the following areas would be beneficial.

• HTML
• CSS
• JavaScript
• Experience with server-side web development

Web Accessibility and Section 508 Training for Experienced Web Designers Course Outline

1. An Introduction to Section 508
   1. What is Section 508?
   2. What Does it Mean to be "Accessible?"
   3. Standards Make the Job Easier
   4. Other Forces for Accessibility
2. Text Equivalents
   1. Text Alternatives for Images (alt-text)
   2. Choosing Text Equivalents for Images And Image Links
      1. Choosing Text Equivalents for Client-Side Image Map Areas
      2. Creating Quality Text Alternatives
      3. Using Long Descriptions for Text Equivalents
   3. Alt-Text
3. Assessing Your Site's Accessibility
   1. Accessibility Toolbars
      1. The Web Accessibilty Toolbar for IE
   2. Using Your Browser
      1. Viewing Your Page Without Images
      2. Changing Fonts and Colors
      3. Accessibility Testing Tools
   3. Using Lynx
   4. Using IBM Home Page Reader
   5. Using Other Evaluation and Repair Tools
   6. Web Accessibility
4. Navigation
   1. Accessible In-page Navigation
      1. The 508 Requirements for in-page Navigation
      2. Other Navigation Ideas
      3. Accessible Links
   2. In-Page Navigation
   3. Frame Navigation
5. Accessible Image Maps
   1. Examples of Image Maps
   2. Accessible Image Maps
      1. Client-Side Image Maps
      2. Server-Side Image Maps
      3. Complex Client-Side Image Maps
   3. Image Map Accessibility
6. Audio and Multimedia
   1. Some Definitions
      1. Section 508 Requirement for Transcripts
   2. Requirement for Captioning
   3. SAMI
   4. SMIL
   5. Video Descriptions
   6. Audio and Multimedia
7. Special Cases
   1. Never Depend on Color Alone
   2. Color Contrast
   3. Avoid Flicker
   4. Timed Responses
   5. Text-Only Page as a Last Resort
   6. Color
8. Accessible Forms
   1. Form Basics
   2. Push Buttons
      1. Image Buttons
   3. Generalized Buttons
   4. Text Entry Fields
      1. Make Sure Labels are Close to Text Fields
      2. What About the Prompt in the Text Entry Field?
      3. Associate Labels with Elements
   5. Radio Buttons and Check Boxes
   6. Select Menus
   7. Attribute for Form Controls
   8. An Example Collection of Form Controls
   9. Accessible Forms
9. Accessible Tables
   1. Table Basics
   2. Using the
   3. Using Column and Row Headers
   4. Using the
   5. Accessible Tables
   6. Accessible Complex Table
10. Scripts and Applets
    1. JavaScript
       1. JavaScript Accessibility Concerns
       2. The Section 508 Standard
       3. Comparison of JavaScript Requirements
       4. Turn Off JavaScript in Your Browser
       5. Accessibility Problems With Events
       6. Different Roles for JavaScript Content
       7. Direct Content
       8. Changes in Attributes
       9. Verification in Forms
       10. Hidden Content
    2. The Evolving Standards and Guidelines
       1. Keyboard Access
       2. Roles States and Values
    3. Ajax and Web 2.0
    4. Applets and Plug-ins
11. Cascading Style Sheets
    1. Style Sheet Overview
    2. Individual Settings
    3. Reading Web Pages without CSS
    4. Using CSS to Simulate Markup - Don't
    5. CSS Positioning
    6. Background Images
    7. Visibility and Image Replacement
    8. CSS
12. Review of Section 508 Standards for Web Accessibility
    1. §1194.22 (a) Offer Text Equivalents
    2. §1194.22 (b) Present Synchronized Multimedia
    3. §1194.22 (c) Remain Independent of Color
    4. §1194.22 (d) Stay Independent of Style Sheets
    5. §1194.22 (e) Provide Redundant Links for Server-Side Maps
    6. §1194.22 (f) Use Client-Side Image Maps
    7. §1194.22 (g) Label Row and Column Headers
    8. §1194.22 (h) Use the Headers Attribute in Complex Tables
    9. §1194.22 (i) Supply Frame Titles (attributes and elements)
    10. §1194.22 (j) Reduce Flicker
    11. §1194.22 (k) Offer a Text-only Alternative (LAST RESORT)
    12. §1194.22 (l) Write Accessible Scripts
    13. §1194.22 (m) Specify Accessible Applets and Plug-ins
    14. §1194.22 (n) Design Accessible Forms
    15. §1194.22 (o) Offer Skip Navigation
    16. §1194.22 (p) Alert Users to Timed Responses

Web Accessibility and Section 508 Training for Experienced Web Designers Course Materials

Each student will receive a comprehensive set of materials, including course notes and all the programming examples.

Web Accessibility and Section 508 Training for Experienced Web Designers Technical Requirements

1. Operating Systems Options
   • Operating System Options
     • Windows Vista
     • Windows XP with Service Pack 2
   • Macintosh
2. Any Text or HTML Editor
3. Browser Options
   • Internet Explorer 6.0 or later
     • Download
   • Firefox
     • Download
   • Safari
     • Download
4. Web Accessibility Toolbar for Internet Explorer
5. (Optional) A screen reader, such as JAWS (Freedom Scientific) or Window-Eyes (GW-Micro)

Class Files for Web Accessibility and Section 508 Training for Experienced Web Designers

1. Download the class files.
2. After downloading the files, click here for further instructions.