Web Accessibility for Designers

WebAccessibility FOR Designerś Great web accessibility starts in the design. Plan Heading Structure Early Ensure all content and design fits into a logical heading structure. Consider Reading Order The reading order should be the same as the visual order. Provide Good Contrast Good Bad Be especially careful with light shades of gray, orange, and yellow. Use True Text Whenever Possible Abc True text enlarges better, loads faster, and is easier to translate. Use CSS to add visual style. Watch the Use of CAPS CAPS! All caps can be difficult to read and can be read incorrectly by screen readers. Use Adequate Font Size 10pt+ Font size can vary based on the font chosen, but 10 point is usually a minimum. Remember Line Length Don't make it too long or too short. Abcdefg| Make Sure Links are Recognizable Link Differentiate links in the body of the page with underlines or something other than color alone. Design Link Focus Indicators Ensure keyboard users can visually identify a focused link. Use the standard dotted line or other non-color designators. Design a "Skip to Main Content" Link Skip A link for keyboard users to skip navigation should be at the top of the page. It can be hidden, but should be visible when it receives keyboard focus. Ensure Link Text Makes Sense on Its Own Click Here Avoid "Click Here" in link text. Other ambiguous links, such as "More" or "Continue", can also be confusing. Use Animation, Video, and Audio Carefully If used, provide a play/pause button. Avoid flashing or strobing content: It can cause seizures. Don't Rely on Color Alone Because users often can't distinguish or may override page colors, color cannot be the only way information is conveyed. Design Accessible Form Controls Ensure form controls have descriptive labels and instructions. Pay close attention to form validation errors and recovery mechanisms. Search © 2011 WebAIM For a text version, visit: Web Accessibility in Mind http://webaim.org webaim.org/resources/designers WebAccessibility FOR Designerś Great web accessibility starts in the design. Plan Heading Structure Early Ensure all content and design fits into a logical heading structure. Consider Reading Order The reading order should be the same as the visual order. Provide Good Contrast Good Bad Be especially careful with light shades of gray, orange, and yellow. Use True Text Whenever Possible Abc True text enlarges better, loads faster, and is easier to translate. Use CSS to add visual style. Watch the Use of CAPS CAPS! All caps can be difficult to read and can be read incorrectly by screen readers. Use Adequate Font Size 10pt+ Font size can vary based on the font chosen, but 10 point is usually a minimum. Remember Line Length Don't make it too long or too short. Abcdefg| Make Sure Links are Recognizable Link Differentiate links in the body of the page with underlines or something other than color alone. Design Link Focus Indicators Ensure keyboard users can visually identify a focused link. Use the standard dotted line or other non-color designators. Design a "Skip to Main Content" Link Skip A link for keyboard users to skip navigation should be at the top of the page. It can be hidden, but should be visible when it receives keyboard focus. Ensure Link Text Makes Sense on Its Own Click Нere Avoid "Click Here" in link text. Other ambiguous links, such as "More" or "Continue", can also be confusing. Use Animation, Video, and Audio Carefully If used, provide a play/pause button. Avoid flashing or strobing content: It can cause seizures. Don't Rely on Color Alone Because users often can't distinguish or may override page colors, color cannot be the only way information is conveyed. Design Accessible Form Controls Ensure form controls have descriptive labels and instructions. Pay close attention to form validation errors and recovery mechanisms. Search © 2011 WebAIM For a text version, visit: Web Accessibility in Mind http://webaim.org webaim.org/resources/designers WebAccessibility FOR Designerś Great web accessibility starts in the design. Plan Heading Structure Early Ensure all content and design fits into a logical heading structure. Consider Reading Order The reading order should be the same as the visual order. Provide Good Contrast Good Bad Be especially careful with light shades of gray, orange, and yellow. Use True Text Whenever Possible Abc True text enlarges better, loads faster, and is easier to translate. Use CSS to add visual style. Watch the Use of CAPS CAPS! All caps can be difficult to read and can be read incorrectly by screen readers. Use Adequate Font Size 10pt+ Font size can vary based on the font chosen, but 10 point is usually a minimum. Remember Line Length Don't make it too long or too short. Abcdefg| Make Sure Links are Recognizable Link Differentiate links in the body of the page with underlines or something other than color alone. Design Link Focus Indicators Ensure keyboard users can visually identify a focused link. Use the standard dotted line or other non-color designators. Design a "Skip to Main Content" Link Skip A link for keyboard users to skip navigation should be at the top of the page. It can be hidden, but should be visible when it receives keyboard focus. Ensure Link Text Makes Sense on Its Own Click Нere Avoid "Click Here" in link text. Other ambiguous links, such as "More" or "Continue", can also be confusing. Use Animation, Video, and Audio Carefully If used, provide a play/pause button. Avoid flashing or strobing content: It can cause seizures. Don't Rely on Color Alone Because users often can't distinguish or may override page colors, color cannot be the only way information is conveyed. Design Accessible Form Controls Ensure form controls have descriptive labels and instructions. Pay close attention to form validation errors and recovery mechanisms. Search © 2011 WebAIM For a text version, visit: Web Accessibility in Mind http://webaim.org webaim.org/resources/designers WebAccessibility FOR Designerś Great web accessibility starts in the design. Plan Heading Structure Early Ensure all content and design fits into a logical heading structure. Consider Reading Order The reading order should be the same as the visual order. Provide Good Contrast Good Bad Be especially careful with light shades of gray, orange, and yellow. Use True Text Whenever Possible Abc True text enlarges better, loads faster, and is easier to translate. Use CSS to add visual style. Watch the Use of CAPS CAPS! All caps can be difficult to read and can be read incorrectly by screen readers. Use Adequate Font Size 10pt+ Font size can vary based on the font chosen, but 10 point is usually a minimum. Remember Line Length Don't make it too long or too short. Abcdefg| Make Sure Links are Recognizable Link Differentiate links in the body of the page with underlines or something other than color alone. Design Link Focus Indicators Ensure keyboard users can visually identify a focused link. Use the standard dotted line or other non-color designators. Design a "Skip to Main Content" Link Skip A link for keyboard users to skip navigation should be at the top of the page. It can be hidden, but should be visible when it receives keyboard focus. Ensure Link Text Makes Sense on Its Own Click Нere Avoid "Click Here" in link text. Other ambiguous links, such as "More" or "Continue", can also be confusing. Use Animation, Video, and Audio Carefully If used, provide a play/pause button. Avoid flashing or strobing content: It can cause seizures. Don't Rely on Color Alone Because users often can't distinguish or may override page colors, color cannot be the only way information is conveyed. Design Accessible Form Controls Ensure form controls have descriptive labels and instructions. Pay close attention to form validation errors and recovery mechanisms. Search © 2011 WebAIM For a text version, visit: Web Accessibility in Mind http://webaim.org webaim.org/resources/designers WebAccessibility FOR Designerś Great web accessibility starts in the design. Plan Heading Structure Early Ensure all content and design fits into a logical heading structure. Consider Reading Order The reading order should be the same as the visual order. Provide Good Contrast Good Bad Be especially careful with light shades of gray, orange, and yellow. Use True Text Whenever Possible Abc True text enlarges better, loads faster, and is easier to translate. Use CSS to add visual style. Watch the Use of CAPS CAPS! All caps can be difficult to read and can be read incorrectly by screen readers. Use Adequate Font Size 10pt+ Font size can vary based on the font chosen, but 10 point is usually a minimum. Remember Line Length Don't make it too long or too short. Abcdefg| Make Sure Links are Recognizable Link Differentiate links in the body of the page with underlines or something other than color alone. Design Link Focus Indicators Ensure keyboard users can visually identify a focused link. Use the standard dotted line or other non-color designators. Design a "Skip to Main Content" Link Skip A link for keyboard users to skip navigation should be at the top of the page. It can be hidden, but should be visible when it receives keyboard focus. Ensure Link Text Makes Sense on Its Own Click Нere Avoid "Click Here" in link text. Other ambiguous links, such as "More" or "Continue", can also be confusing. Use Animation, Video, and Audio Carefully If used, provide a play/pause button. Avoid flashing or strobing content: It can cause seizures. Don't Rely on Color Alone Because users often can't distinguish or may override page colors, color cannot be the only way information is conveyed. Design Accessible Form Controls Ensure form controls have descriptive labels and instructions. Pay close attention to form validation errors and recovery mechanisms. Search © 2011 WebAIM For a text version, visit: Web Accessibility in Mind http://webaim.org webaim.org/resources/designers WebAccessibility FOR Designerś Great web accessibility starts in the design. Plan Heading Structure Early Ensure all content and design fits into a logical heading structure. Consider Reading Order The reading order should be the same as the visual order. Provide Good Contrast Good Bad Be especially careful with light shades of gray, orange, and yellow. Use True Text Whenever Possible Abc True text enlarges better, loads faster, and is easier to translate. Use CSS to add visual style. Watch the Use of CAPS CAPS! All caps can be difficult to read and can be read incorrectly by screen readers. Use Adequate Font Size 10pt+ Font size can vary based on the font chosen, but 10 point is usually a minimum. Remember Line Length Don't make it too long or too short. Abcdefg| Make Sure Links are Recognizable Link Differentiate links in the body of the page with underlines or something other than color alone. Design Link Focus Indicators Ensure keyboard users can visually identify a focused link. Use the standard dotted line or other non-color designators. Design a "Skip to Main Content" Link Skip A link for keyboard users to skip navigation should be at the top of the page. It can be hidden, but should be visible when it receives keyboard focus. Ensure Link Text Makes Sense on Its Own Click Нere Avoid "Click Here" in link text. Other ambiguous links, such as "More" or "Continue", can also be confusing. Use Animation, Video, and Audio Carefully If used, provide a play/pause button. Avoid flashing or strobing content: It can cause seizures. Don't Rely on Color Alone Because users often can't distinguish or may override page colors, color cannot be the only way information is conveyed. Design Accessible Form Controls Ensure form controls have descriptive labels and instructions. Pay close attention to form validation errors and recovery mechanisms. Search © 2011 WebAIM For a text version, visit: Web Accessibility in Mind http://webaim.org webaim.org/resources/designers