Module9: Making HTML Files Accessible

Estimated Time to Complete: 3 hours

Module 9 contains eleven topics and four labs. All topics are not required to be completed; you may start and stop at any point.

Objectives

Upon completion of Module 9, you will be able to:

Describe the accessibility issues related to common HTML elements.
Create an accessible version of an HTML document.
Identify the accessibility issues related to plug-ins.
Discuss how to make image maps more accessible.
State the cost estimates involved in making an HTML document accessible.

Overview

HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language. Most webpages are generally written in HTML, as recognized by the .htm or .html extension code that follows the filename. Module 9 covers how to make the most common elements in HTML documents accessible for individuals with disabilities. Specifically this module will discuss:

Images with the need to provide alternative text ("alt") and long description ("longdesc") ; this additional information supports all users - not just those with disabilities.
Using cascading style sheets (CSS) and the proper mark-up (coding) of textual elements; this results in documents being easier to read and navigate. It also will allow for customized styles by your users.
Making forms accessible by logically grouping and associating elements as well as providing accesskeys and a tab index.
Making tables accessible through header and footer information, logically grouping columns, and using the summary and caption information.
Accessibility issues when working with plug-ins.
How to create accessible image maps.

As you progress through this module, be aware that many of the techniques used to make HTML documents accessible are structural and do not affect the appearance of the page. More importantly, most of these techniques have a profound impact on the navigability and readability of webpages to the benefit of all users.

Prerequisite Knowledge

To gain the most from Module 9, you should have familiarity with:

Basic accessibility terminology
Using a text editor such as Notepad or a web authoring tool such as Dreamweaver.

The next page presents version information for software and the various files that are used in Module 9.

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Resources

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Files You Need