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Feedback on A Complete Beginner’s Guide to Web Accessibility

Here is my feedback on a recent article A Complete Beginner’s Guide to Web Accessibility on 1stWebDesigner.com. Some good points, but I’d like to clarify a few things:

  • Item 1 is good, I think the main point is “follow conventions”, to continue established design patterns. This may be beneficial for those with cognitive disabilities, but it’s somewhat more of a usability issue rather than accessibility.
  • For Item 2, remember that a text-alternative is now frowned upon; it’s almost always not equal content, nor a comparable experience. Also, many Flash websites can now be done with accessible HTML/JS/CSS.
  • Don’t agree with your point on Pagination. Not directly related to accessibility, but again, more of an opinion on usability.
  • For item 4, I think the point is to use semantic markup. A great place to start!
  • On item 7, the point is that you should use relative sizing and layout (EM, %) instead of absolute (PX, PT).
  • For 8, you’re pointing to WCAG1, which is now outdated. You want WCAG2. Also, for testing, auto tools are handy, but it’s always best to have real users test. And many items MUST be checked by a human, such as proper alternative text.

2 replies on “Feedback on A Complete Beginner’s Guide to Web Accessibility”

Bill: I don’t think so. With today’s wide variety of devices and screen sizes, a website should be flexible as possible. And some user agents may not resize/zoom as well as others, so relative sizing is always safest/best. For example, I heard IE9 does not resize text set in pixels.

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