Access - by Design

Checklist of Checkpoints for How Our Websites meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0

(Priority 1)
Our websites:

• 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.
• Ensure that all information conveyed with color is also available without color, for example from context or markup.
• Clearly identify changes in the natural language of a document’s text and any text equivalents (e.g., captions).
• 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.
• Ensure that equivalents for dynamic content are updated when the dynamic content changes.
• Avoid causing the screen to flicker.
• Use the clearest and simplest language appropriate for a site’s content.
• And if a wesbite uses images and image maps (Priority 1) we;
  • Provide redundant text links for each active region of a server-side image map.
  • Provide client-side image maps instead of server-side image maps except where the regions cannot be defined with an available geometric shape.
• We never use tables for layout
• If our websites you use tables for data (Priority 1) we:
  • identify row and column headers.
  • For data tables that have two or more logical levels of row or column headers, use markup to associate data cells and header cells.

• We never use Frames on our websites
• We do not use applets
• If our website use scripts (Priority 1) we;
  • 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.

• If our websites use multimedia (Priority 1) we;
  • provide an text or auditory description of the important information of the visual track of a multimedia presentation. 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.
  • And if all else fails (Priority 1) and If, after best efforts, we cannot create an accessible page, we 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.

Priority 2 checkpoints

Our websites;

• ensure that foreground and background color combinations provide sufficient contrast when viewed by someone having color deficits or when viewed on a black and white screen.
• When an appropriate markup language exists, use markup rather than images to convey information.
• Create documents that validate to published formal grammars.
• Use style sheets to control layout and presentation.
• Use relative rather than absolute units in markup language attribute values and style sheet property values.
• Use header elements to convey document structure and use them according to specification.
• Mark up lists and list items properly.
• Mark up quotations. Do not use quotation markup for formatting effects such as indentation.
• Ensure that dynamic content is accessible or provide an alternative presentation or page.
• avoid causing content to blink (i.e., change presentation at a regular rate, such as turning on and off).
• do not create periodically auto-refreshing pages.
• do not use markup to redirect pages automatically. Instead, we configure the server to perform redirects.
• do not cause pop-ups or other windows to appear and do not change the current window without informing the user.
• Use W3C technologies when they are available and appropriate for a task and use the latest versions when supported.
• Avoid deprecated features of W3C technologies.
• Divide large blocks of information into more manageable groups where natural and appropriate.
• Clearly identify the target of each link (only relevant if transitional rather than strict xhtml)
• Provide metadata to add semantic information to pages and sites.
• Provide information about the general layout of a site (e.g., a site map or table of contents).
• Use navigation mechanisms in a consistent manner
• We never use tables for layout
• If we use tables (Priority 2) for data we;
  • Make sure tables makes sense when linearized. Otherwise, if the table does not make sense, provide an alternative equivalent (which may be a linearized version).
  • We never use a table for layout, and so do not use any structural markup for the purpose of visual formatting.

• We do not use frames (Priority 2)
• When we use forms (Priority 2) we:
  • ensure that the label is properly positioned*
  • Associate labels explicitly with their controls.

• We do not use use applets
• If we use scripts (Priority 2) we;
  • ensure that event handlers are input device-independent.
  • avoid movement in pages.
  • Make programmatic elements directly accessible or compatible with assistive technologies [Priority 1 if functionality is important and not presented elsewhere, otherwise Priority 2.]
  • Ensure that any element that has its own interface can be operated in a device-independent manner.
  • specify logical event handlers rather than device-dependent event handlers.

Priority 3 checkpoints

Our websites;

• Specify the expansion of each abbreviation or acronym in a document where it first occurs.
• Identify the primary natural language of a document.
• Create a logical tab order through links, form controls, and objects.
• Do not Provide keyboard shortcuts to important links (including those in client-side image maps), form controls, and groups of form controls. (please see Navigating our websites for why we do not follow this priority)
• Include non-link, printable characters (surrounded by spaces) between adjacent links.
• Provide information so that users may receive documents according to their preferences (e.g., language, content type, etc.)
• Provide navigation bars to highlight and give access to the navigation mechanism.
• Group related links, identify the group and provide a way to bypass the group.
• If search functions are provided, we enable different types of searches for different skill levels and preferences.
• Place distinguishing information at the beginning of headings, paragraphs, lists, etc.
• Provide information about document collections (i.e., documents comprising multiple pages.).
• Provide a means to skip over multi-line ASCII art.
• Supplement text with graphic or auditory presentations where they will facilitate comprehension of the page.
• Create a style of presentation that is consistent across pages.
• If we use images and image maps (Priority 3)
  • We provide redundant text links for each active region of a client-side image map.

• We do not use tables for layout
• If we use tables for data (Priority 3) we:
  • Provide summaries for tables.

• Provide abbreviations for header labels.
• Provide a linear text alternative (on the current page or some other) for all tables that lay out text in parallel, word-wrapped columns
• If we use forms (Priority 3) we include default, place-holding characters in edit boxes and text areas.

We also believe that even full compliance of  this list does not automatically make a website accessible.

* unless supplied by a third party and outside our control