Site Modifications To Accommodate Disabilities

by Muchbetter

1. Ensure EVERY graphic you put on your page uses an "alt tag" for example < img src="enter.gif" Alt="Picture of an eagle" or "Click here to go to the next page">
   
   The only graphics you don't need to use an "alt tag" are your background gifs and line gifs if you are using line gifs on your pages. Visually impaired people run their mouse across your picture and your alt comment will pop up at them, giving them more information.
    
2. Remember, systems that "read" a screen out loud to the computer user cannot read graphics. They have no way of knowing if there are words on the graphic. They only read the actual text on the page. The Visually impaired and those with severe learning disabilities use these software.
    
3. Consider limiting the amount of shining flashing stars and falling flowers and such on your sites. They look pretty but for people with learning disorders, they are VERY distracting. Flashing script and graphics can trigger migraine headaches and worse for some people.
    
4. Consider limiting graphics period. No need to have 30 graphics on one page, really, unless it's a page that is just to display cool graphics. If it is, list it as so, so someone looking for actual textual content can move to the page on your site where you discuss anything of interest to them.
    
5. Place navigation buttons always in the same place. Use intuitive locations and shapes for your buttons place the Home button always in the same place
    
6. Inform the user: if you are suggesting a link, provide link titles that give the user an idea of where he is going.
    
7. Help the user navigate the web site: provide a logical organization of your site that the user could easily follow.
    
8.  Remember that some visual impaired are not completely blind. Some needs to get very close to their monitor to be able to read text on a page. To help you can use an increase/decrease option on those pages, get a script here, But keep in mind that it WONT increase text within a table or text within an image.
    
9. Try stay away from underline text, underlined text will suggest a linkable to most people. Keep underlined for links if possible.
    
10. Some disabilities for example, any disability that causes spasm, has a very hard time with scrolling. To help you could provide them an option of  "Back to top" for example, after so much information.
     
11. If you use Flash on some pages, make sure to provide a "Skip intro" in html so they can find it.
     
12. If you have a page of links that people can refer to for information...You may use a tag that will open a new window. This will help if by mistake they click on the wrong link, and keep them from clicking back...back....back till they get get back to your info page ( A note telling them that each link will open a new window would be appreciated too ).