Accessibility techniques used:
Priority 1 Checkpoints

• Text equivalents
• Colour
• Language changes
• Style sheet independence
• Updating multiple versions
• Flickering
• Content
• Images and image maps
• Tables
• Frames
• Scripts and applets
• Multimedia
• If all else fails...

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Text equivalents

WAI Guideline 1: Provide equivalent alternatives to auditory and visual content.

Checkpoint: Provide a text equivalent for every non-text element (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc", or in element content). This includes: images, graphical representations of text (including symbols), image map regions, animations (e.g., animated GIFs), applets and programmatic objects, ascii art, frames, scripts, images used as list bullets, spacers, graphical buttons, sounds (played with or without user interaction), stand-alone audio files, audio tracks of video, and video. [WAI Checkpoint 1.1 ]

This point is discussed in the DEMOS Accessibility Guide:

• Graphics and Colour
• Alternatives to DHTML/Multimedia content

All images used on the DEMOS site contain ALT description. For several larger images long descriptions are provided via a D-link. Currently there are no frames, animations, audio or video files.

Example:

• This report contains 2 images. A small [D] below the images links to detailed descriptions.

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Colour

WAI Guideline 2: Don't rely on color alone.

Checkpoint: Ensure that all information conveyed with color is also available without color, for example from context or markup. [WAI Checkpoint 2.1 ]

This point is discussed in the DEMOS Accessibility Guide:

• Graphics and Colour

Colour is not used to convey information on this site.

Colour is occasionally used to highlight certain paragraphs, e.g. the priorities on this page, or HTML code on other pages of the Access Guide. This makes text more scannable and does not effect understanding of content.

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Language changes

WAI Guideline 4: Clarify natural language usage.

Checkpoint: Clearly identify changes in the natural language of a document's text and any text equivalents (e.g., captions). [WAI Checkpoint 4.1 ]

This point is discussed in the DEMOS Accessibility Guide:

• Content: Language changes

Viewing the source of any HTML document on this site will reveal language declarations at the top of the page. Occasional language changes in the text are also labeled.

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Style sheet independence

WAI Guideline 6: Ensure that pages featuring new technologies transform gracefully.

Checkpoint: Organize documents so they may be read without style sheets. For example, when an HTML document is rendered without associated style sheets, it must still be possible to read the document. [WAI Checkpoint 6.1 ]

This point is discussed in the DEMOS Accessibility Guide:

• Cascading Style sheets

Style sheets are used here for layout and other presentational styles. Some browsers do not understand the latest CSS specifications. In this case, or when style sheets are turned off in the user's browser, the content is laid out in a linearized fashion, it 'transforms gracefully'. Font and colour characteristics and other presentational styles are correctly ignored when the style sheet is turned off. This makes it possible for users to take control over font sizes, link colours etc.

Example:

• This page with style sheet turned off

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Updating multiple versions

WAI Guideline 6: Ensure that pages featuring new technologies transform gracefully.

Checkpoint: Ensure that equivalents for dynamic content are updated when the dynamic content changes. [WAI Checkpoint 6.2 ]

Alternative versions are discussed in the DEMOS Accessibility Guide:

• Alternatives to DHTML/Multimedia content

No dynamic content on this site.
The only alternative versions of content on this site are the print versions of the modules (example). They are updated as the main content is updated.

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Flickering

WAI Guideline 7: Ensure user control of time-sensitive content changes.

Checkpoint: Until user agents allow users to control flickering, avoid causing the screen to flicker. [WAI Checkpoint 7.1 ]

No screen flicker on this site.

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Content

WAI Guideline 14: Ensure that documents are clear and simple.

Checkpoint: Use the clearest and simplest language appropriate for a site's content. [WAI Checkpoint 14.1 ]

This point is discussed in the DEMOS Accessibility Guide:

• Content

The content of this site is aimed at academics. However, jargon is avoided as much as possible, or explained in a glossary like the one for this section. Language changes are declared. Abbreviations and acronyms are marked up as explained in the section on Content, although this technique is only visible in the latest browsers.

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Images and image maps

WAI Guideline 1: Provide equivalent alternatives to auditory and visual content.

Checkpoint: Provide redundant text links for each active region of a server-side image map. [WAI Checkpoint 1.2 ]

WAI Guideline 9: Design for device-independence.

Checkpoint: Provide client-side image maps instead of server-side image maps except where the regions cannot be defined with an available geometric shape. [WAI Checkpoint 9.1 ]

This point is discussed in the DEMOS Accessibility Guide:

• Graphics and Colour

No image maps on this site.

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Tables

WAI Guideline 5: Create tables that transform gracefully.

Checkpoint: For data tables, identify row and column headers. [WAI Checkpoint 5.1 ]

Checkpoint: For data tables that have two or more logical levels of row or column headers, use markup to associate data cells and header cells. [WAI Checkpoint 5.2 ]

This point is discussed in the DEMOS Accessibility Guide:

• Tables

Header cells are identified and associated with rows or columns of data.

Example:

• There are several data tables in this report. View source to see how rows and columns are grouped.

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Frames

WAI Guideline 12: Provide context and orientation information.

Checkpoint: Title each frame to facilitate frame identification and navigation. [WAI Checkpoint 12.1 ]

This point is discussed in the DEMOS Accessibility Guide:

• Frames

No frames used on this site.

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Scripts and applets

WAI Guideline 6: Ensure that pages featuring new technologies transform gracefully.

Checkpoint: Ensure that pages are usable when scripts, applets, or other programmatic objects are turned off or not supported. If this is not possible, provide equivalent information on an alternative accessible page. [WAI Checkpoint 6.3 ]

This point is discussed in the DEMOS Accessibility Guide:

• Alternatives to DHTML/Multimedia content

No scripts or applets used on this site.

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Multimedia

WAI Guideline 1: Provide equivalent alternatives to auditory and visual content.

Checkpoint: Until user agents can automatically read aloud the text equivalent of a visual track, provide an auditory description of the important information of the visual track of a multimedia presentation. [WAI Checkpoint 1.3 ]

Checkpoint: For any time-based multimedia presentation (e.g., a movie or animation), synchronize equivalent alternatives (e.g., captions or auditory descriptions of the visual track) with the presentation. [WAI Checkpoint 1.4 ]

These points are discussed in the DEMOS Accessibility Guide:

• Alternatives to DHTML/Multimedia content

There is currently no multimedia on this site.

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If all else fails...

WAI Guideline 11: Use W3C technologies and guidelines.

Checkpoint: If, after best efforts, you cannot create an accessible page, provide a link to an alternative page that uses W3C technologies, is accessible, has equivalent information (or functionality), and is updated as often as the inaccessible (original) page. [WAI Checkpoint 11.4 ]

The DEMOS site uses W3C approved standard-compliant code, is accessible and does not require an alternative text-only version.

Don't agree? Email me: <iris at manhold.net>

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Last updated: 28 November 2002
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