Web Access Links

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Tools, resources and guidelines.

1. Personal Favourites (as of April 2004):

2. On-Line Accessibility Validators and Simulators

3. Free Downloads - Accessibility Validators

4. Tips, Tools and Guidelines for Web Authors

5. Tips and Tools for Users

1. Personal Favourites (as of April 2004):

• DAG's "Test Pages"
  Follow the link to "Info(c) Index" at the bottom-left of this page too.
  
  
• The Web Design Group Everything you ever wanted to know, but never dared ask, about website "best practice".
  
  
• Bobby Online Service - because not only do you get a pat on the head, you get a nice button to put on your web page.
  
  
• Lynx Inspection - cool, cats-paw button as a reward for being friendly to text-browsers and screen-readers.
  
  
• A-Prompt Toolkit -  a lovely, free tool to help you get it right.
  
  
• HTML Tidy - because it does the work for you.
  
  

2. On-Line Accessibility Validators and Simulators

• Some of these also have free downloads.  Several do similar jobs, so use the ones you like best.
  
  
• Ask Alice the Advocate Register your site for an online report containing: A thorough assessment of your site's accessibility; An analysis of the opportunities accessibility offers your organization; Information on how you can make your site accessible.
  
  
• Bobby Online Service is a comprehensive web accessibility software tool designed to help expose and repair barriers to accessibility and encourage compliance with existing accessibility guidelines.
  
  
• CSE HTML Validator by AI Internet Solutions.
  
  
• Daltonize corrects images for colour-blind viewers.
  
  
• Delorie Software provides several free tools to help make information available to the largest audience. These tools provide alternate ways of viewing pages, so that authors can ensure that their content is received properly by all viewers.  They include:

• Lynx Viewer allows web authors to see what their pages will look like (sort of) when viewed with Lynx, a text-mode web browser.

• Web Page Backward Compatibility Viewer shows what pages look like without support for various features.

• Dr. Watson does not specifically target accessibility, but gives good advice on improving pages after checking them. (This web site has nothing to do with the Dr. Watson that comes with Microsoft Windows products.)
  
  
• HTML Tidy cleans up your Web pages.  Lovely!  You can download HTML Tidy for free too. This version has extra helpful features: HTML Tidy Download
  If you want to know more about Tidy, go to Sourceforge.net
  
  
• Vischeck simulates colour-blind vision.
  
  
• WAVE 3.0 Accessibility Tool (beta) is a bit complicated, but thorough.
  
  
• W3C Link Checker The link checker reads an HTML or XHTML document and checks anchors and links.
  
  
• W3C MarkUp Validation Service checks for conformance to W3C Recommendations and other standards. Very strict - but you get a link to a "Weekly Tip" if you get it right.
  
  

3. Free Downloads - Accessibility Validators

• A-Prompt (Accessibility Prompt) is a brilliant tool that evaluates Web pages for accessibility barriers and provides a fast and easy way to make repairs.
  
  
• AccVerify® SE™ for FrontPage provides verification and reports all errors/non-compliance with Accessibility Policy and Standards, Searchability, "Alt Text Quality" and overall Site Quality issues. Checklist of standards for 100% accessible or searchable web site.
  
  

4. Tips, Tools and Guidelines for Web Authors

• AccessAbility on-line database has detailed information on a wide range of issues, products and services associated with access to online services for people with disabilities, both from Australia and key international sources.  (But you need to know what you are looking for).
  
  
• Accessible Design for Users With Disabilities Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox on usability issues. Good newsletter.
  
  
• Accessibility Tips one of many useful pages from the Web Design Group.
  
  
• Accessify Accessify.com - "all the tools, links and resources you'll ever need to make your web site accessible."
  
  
• A-Chat is a Web-based chat tool - designed with accessibility in mind.
  
  
• AWARE stands for "Accessible Web Authoring Resources and Education", and our mission is to serve as a central resource for web authors for learning about web accessibility.  Homepage of the HTML Writers Guild's AWARE Center.
  
  
• Best Web Accessibility Sites HTML Writers Guild recommendations.
  
  
• Cascading Style Sheet for an accessible site - cut and paste CSS code.
  
  
• Cascading Style Sheets help from the Web Design Group.
  
  
• Common Myths About Web Accessibility HTML Writers Guild.
  
  
• Demoronizer De-moron-ise Illegal Text and HTML from Microsoft Applications. Something for the very "techy". Don't ask us how it works, or why an accessibility resource has such an "un-PC" name.
  
  
• Designing More Usable Web Sites The Trace Center helps to make standard information technologies and telecommunications systems more accessible and usable by people with disabilities.
  
  
• Diversity Compliance in Web Design Speaks for itself?
  
  
• Evaluation, Repair and Transformation Tools for Web Content Accessibility Another Web Accessibility Initiative resource.
  
  
• Evidence-based guidelines Web design and usability issues from the US National Cancer Institute.
  
  
• FrontPage 2002: Making Your Web Sites More Accessible Microsoft Office Assistance Centre.
  
  
• Getting A Grip On HTML WebABLE disability-related internet resources.
  
  
• How Users Read on the Web Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox again.
  
  
• Lynx Sources & Resources HTML Authoring Links and Web Accessibility Resources.  Might look a bit tatty - but top-notch site!
  
  
• Making web access easy Content - Wire accessibility resource.
  
  
• Mini FAQ about alternative text for images Technical stuff by Ian Hickson (a cat lover apparently).
  
  
• RNIB Campaign for Good Web Design 'Get the message online: making internet shopping accessible to blind and partially sighted people'
  
  
• Selfish Reasons for Accessible Web Authoring More advice from the HTML Writers Guild.
  
  
• Speech-Friendly Website Design Department of Philosophy, Kent State University, encouraging others to design accessible web pages like its own.
  
  
• Text-friendly authoring topics Many relevant, and thorough, pages on Alan J. Flavell's site (Dept of Physics and Astronomy, Glasgow University)
  
  
• Usable Web 1,261 links about web usability.
  
  
• WebABLE! Library Books, press releases, white papers, articles, plans, standards, reference guidelines, and journals on accessibility, assistive and adaptive technology for people with disabilities.
  
  
• Web Accessibility Initiative WebMonkey Summary.
  
  
• Web accessibility practical tutorials Another helpful resource from the US National Cancer Institute.
  
  
• WebAIM (Web Accessibility In Mind): How-To & Resources.
  
  
• Web-Savvy Inclusive web design information, resources and links.
  
  

5. Tips and Tools for Users

• AbilityNet is a national charity and the UK’s leading provider of expertise on computing and disability.
  
  
• Access.Adobe.com for information on the accessibility features and capabilities of Adobe products. Links to resources to help people with disabilities work more effectively with Adobe software, and help content creators produce content that is as accessible as possible.
  
  
• Alternative Web Browsing Information from the Web Accessibility Initiative.
  
  
• Ask the Web Design Group HTMLHelp Forum.
  
  
• Braille RNIB online text-to-Braille converter.
  
  
• BrailleSurf An Internet browser for visually impaired users. A simplified reading of the web page can be displayed on a braille bar, or it can be spoken out by a speech synthesiser. The text can also be presented on the screen.
  
  
• Dolphin Computer Access software is designed to work together with existing computer systems, providing access to a wide range of Windows programs through magnification, speech and Braille.
  
  
• How to Magnify Computer Screen Text by "Endeavour Web", a Sydney-Australia based senior citizens web site, designed, built and managed by and for seniors who have an interest in computers and the Internet.
  
  
• HTMLHelp from the Web Design Group.
  
  
• Internet Explorer 5 Web Accessories These include a zoom feature, image toggler, information on image size and link list generator.
  
  
• Large Print Viewer Copy and paste text into the online Large Print Viewer.
  
  
• magnifiers.org Screen magnifiers and text to speech.
  
  
• MultiWeb and MultiMail Low vision, text to speech and switch scanning options for internet access and email.
  
  
• Proxomitron Universal web filter, it says you can, "Turn off some of those fancy features your web browser supports, eg. pages filled to the brim with blinking banners, pop-up windows, and other such aggravations.  Transform web pages on the fly, customize pages to suit your taste."
  
  
• Readplease Free download, 10mg. Says it is, "the world's most popular text-to-speech software". Uses AT&T Natural Voices version 1.4: US English, UK English, Spanish, German and French.
  Reviewed at WinSite
  
  
• SNOW Special Needs Opportunities Windows. Online resources and professional development opportunities for educators and parents of students with special needs.
  
  
• SNOW Kids Empowerment Zone is a kids-friendly resource - just for young people with special needs. It includes information on disabilities in "their language," links to online communities for kids with special needs, accessible online educational activities and much more.
  
  
• Virtual Assistive Technology Centre] Putting computers within reach of individuals with disabilities.
  
  
• Usable Computers and Software More useful, useable stuff from The Trace Centre.
  
  

Last Updated: 07 April 2004