Modules for Web Accessibility Training

This page provides suggested modules to address different learning objectives around Web accessibility. These can be used within a variety of curricula.

1. Why Web accessibility is important

Present: Provide overview of Web's growing role in the "information society" and its impact on people with disabilities. Resources: online slides why is Web accessibility an issue and impact of Web on people with disabilities from Overview of WAI .

Demo: Show video on Web site accessibility. Resource: Web Sites That Work [Web page will be provided].

2. Barriers, assistive technologies, and alternative access strategies

Discuss: Ask people about their prior knowledge and experience with accessibility and assistive technologies.

Present: Discuss cross-disability aspects of Web accessibility. Resource: online slide Web accessibility is a Cross-Disability Issue from Overview of WAI.

Present: Discuss how people with different kinds of disabilities use the Web. Resource: How People with Disabilities Use the Web [document being updated.]

Demo: Demonstrate assistive technologies and adaptive strategies for accessing the Web, for instance by using a text-only browser, a screen reader with speech output (can play an audio recording of screen reader output), a screen enlarger, speech recognition, captions, or adapted keyboards. Resource: reference links in Alternative Web Browsing; and How People with Disabilities Use the Web [document being updated.]

Demo: Demonstrate a few popular and/or locally relevant Web sites, with their images turned off, and ask audience to discuss barriers on the sites.

Demo: Show video on Web site accessibility. Resource: Web Sites That Work [Web page will be provided].

Exercise: Ask people to use a text browser to explore a number of Web sites, during or after the training session. Resource: Alternative Web Browsing.

3. Business case and policy basis for accessible Web design

Present: Provide information about disability statistics relevant to use of the Web. Resource: online slide Web accessibility is a marketplace issue from Overview of WAI.

Demo: Demonstrate Web access via a mobile phone or hand-held device.

Present: Provide information on the carry-over benefits of accessibility for other Web users. Resource: online slide accessibility contributes to universal design from Overview of WAI.

Present: Discuss governmental or other policies that are relevant to the audience's context. Resource: Policies Relating to Web Accessibility.

4. Designing accessible Web sites

Demo: Show the "Car" demo, with captions and descriptions turned on, to show how even a multimedia example can be fully accessible. Resource: Car.

Present: Introduce the 14 general guidelines in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines as general accessibility principles, without going into detail. Resource: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0.

Disseminate: Distribute WAI Quick Tips reference cards and discuss the ten points on the cards. Remind people they can order more from the Web site. Resource: Quick Tips for Accessible Web Sites.

Present: Discuss the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines by priority level. Resource: WCAG Checklist.

Demo: Introduce the Curriculum for WCAG, highlighting specific example slides, and going into the Techniques for WCAG to demonstrate some markup examples. Resources: Curriculum for WCAG; Techniques for WCAG.

Present: Discuss technical references on accessibility features of W3C specifications. Resources: Accessibility Features of HTML, Accessibility Features of CSS, Accessibility Features of SMIL, Accessibility Features of SVG.

Discuss: Ask which authoring tools the audience is using, and what accessibility issues arise in using those tools. Resource: Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines 1.0.

Exercise: Ask participant teams to review sections of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, then discuss them with other participants. Resource: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0.

5. Evaluating and retrofitting Web sites for accessibility

Discuss: Discuss the potential benefits and shortcomings of automated evaluation and manual evaluation. Resource: evaluation, repair and transformation tools resource list.

Present: Present and discuss the review process page as a way of doing more formal Web site evaluation. Resource: [Web page will be provided.]

Demo: Show how to use Bobby, A-Prompt, WAVE, and Lynx-Me, to evaluate and to retrofit a Web site. Resource: evaluation, repair and transformation tools resource list.

Demo: Show the "Before and After Demo." Resource: [Web page will be provided.]

Exercise: Download someone's page, make accessibility improvements, and discuss the changes.

Exercise: Have people redesign their own Web sites to make them more accessible; then have other course participants give feedback.

Exercise: Ask people to try several evaluation tools on before and after versions of the same set of Web sites. Resource: evaluation, repair and transformation tools resource list.

6. Designing accessible browsers and authoring tools

Discuss: Ask audience about the software they are using, and discuss accessibility issues which arise. Resource: Checklist for User Agent Accessibility; Checklist for Authoring Tool Accessibility.

Present: Discuss general principles and specific checkpoints for accessibility of browsers, multimedia players, and interface with assistive technologies; and for design of accessible authoring tools that support production of accessible content. Resource: User Agent Accessibility Guidelines 1.0, Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines 1.0.

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