Bits & Bites
Plan your Web site with accessibility in mind. One reason why many Web sites are still not accessible is because emphasis was put on the visual appearance rather than on the organizational structure. Furthermore, oftentimes there are too many different topics on one page without breaking the information down into meaningful sections. Designing with accessibility in mind means not only to format visually, it also means using the proper XHTML and breaking down the document into logical sections. The organizational structure is as important as the visual presentation. We all benefit from structural elements. Here are some things to think about when designing an accessible Web site.
- Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
- Cascading Style Sheets address the document's consistency and separate design from content. A Web site that uses CSS can be controlled and updated easily. Users can also override them with their own preferred style sheet. Don't be afraid of using style sheets. Here are cool workarounds to overcome CSS browser bugs: Positioning is Everything
- Font sizes
- To keep a Web page flexible, following the preferred display resolution and font settings of the user's browser, it is crucial to provide scalable text. Use ems rather than pixels.
- Headers
- It is a common mistake to use headers to control font size. Header tags were created to imply structure. A structured Web site is one that uses coded headers for section titles. Headers can be discerned by screen-readers, so the proper use of the HTML header tags "H1-H6" results in a structured and therefore more accessible Web site. Moreover, a framework of the site is being conveyed. You can also use images as headers.
- "Skip to" link
- Providing links, such as "Skip to main content" allow screen-reader users to bypass repetitive material to get quickly to the information he or she needs.
- Title
- Providing a title for each page, which is oftentimes ignored or given little consideration, is an important part of good Web design. The title is the first element of the Web page that is seen and read by screen-readers and should therefore identify the page in terms of what it contains and what function it is intended to perform.