There are key elements to creating an accessible Web experience for all users. It is important to understand these fundamental elements before using a validation tool. Simply using a validation tool to check a site, will not mean it is accessible and explained in the following article: "Building the most inaccessible site possible with a perfect Lighthouse score."
Key Elements in Creating Accessible Sites
- Image Descriptions (Alt Tags): Make images accessible
- Color Contrast: Color your site with care
- Use Headings to organize your documents
- Hyperlink Text: Give your links unique and descriptive names
- All content is accessible with keyboard alone, in a logical way
- Design your forms for accessibility
- Create accessible Data Tables
- Taming the Wild West of Dynamic Content on the Web for Accessibility
- Use an Accessible Content Management System
ARIA: Accessible Rich Internet Applications
Quickstart/Arizona Sites
- Arizona Quickstart - all the pieces have been put in place for you to spin up beautiful, accessible and secure websites in a matter of hours instead of weeks.
- View tips on creating accessible Quickstart content
- Arizona Sites - accessible, fully-developed Drupal sites managed by the UITS Campus Web Services team.
Web Validation Resources and Tools
Once you are familiar with what the key elements make a website accessible, the next step is to test browse tools that help test your website for accessibility:
tOOlS to Test website accessibility
More Web Accessibility Resources
- W3C: How People with Disabilities Use the Web
- Web Accessibility Perspectives: Explore the Impact and Benefits for Everyone
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Government Website
- Section 508
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0
- WebAIM
- Web Accessibility for Designers
- Dos and don'ts on designing for accessibility
- Top 5 Questions Asked in Accessibility Trainings
- Web Accessibility Gone Wild - Now even wilder!
- University of California, Berkeley: Top 10 Tips for Making Your Website Accessible
- Web Accessibility for Section 508
- A Web for Everyone, Designing Accessible User Experiences
- Accessibility Handbook, Making 508 Compliant Websites
- W3C: How to Create Accessibility Statements
- Creating Accessible Forms
- How A Screen Reader User Accesses the Web: A Smashing Video