HTML and CSS Reference
In-Depth Information
Providing a Text-Only Equivalent
If you cannot modify a page to match the previous accessibility guidelines, as a last
resort you can create a text-only page:
§1194.22 (k)
A text-only page, with equivalent information or functionality, shall
be provided to make a Web site comply with the provisions of this
part, when compliance cannot be accomplished in any other way. The
content of the text-only pages shall be updated whenever the primary
page changes.
To satisfy this requirement, you should:
• Provide an easily accessible link to the text-only page.
• Make sure that the text-only page satisfi es the Section 508 guidelines.
• Duplicate the essential content of the original page.
• Update the alternate page when you update the original page.
By using the Section 508 guidelines, you can work towards making your Web site
accessible to everyone, regardless of disabilities.
Understanding the Web Accessibility Initiative
In 1999, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) developed its own set of guidelines for
Web accessibility called the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) . The WAI covers many of
the same points as the Section 508 rules, and expands on them to cover basic Web site
design issues. The overall goal of the WAI is to facilitate the creation of Web sites that are
accessible to all, and to encourage designers to implement HTML in a consistent way.
The WAI sets forth 14 guidelines for Web designers. Within each guideline is a col-
lection of checkpoints indicating how to apply the guideline to specifi c features of a
Web site. Each checkpoint is also given a priority score that indicates how important the
guideline is for proper Web design:
Priority 1: A Web content developer must satisfy this checkpoint. Otherwise, one or
more groups will fi nd it impossible to access information in the document. Satisfying
this checkpoint is a basic requirement for some groups to be able to use Web
documents.
Priority 2: A Web content developer should satisfy this checkpoint. Otherwise, one or
more groups will fi nd it diffi cult to access information in the document. Satisfying this
checkpoint will remove signifi cant barriers to accessing Web documents.
Priority 3: A Web content developer may address this checkpoint. Otherwise, one or
more groups will fi nd it somewhat diffi cult to access information in the document.
Satisfying this checkpoint will improve access to Web documents .
The following table lists WAI guidelines with each checkpoint and its corresponding
priority value. You can learn more about the WAI guidelines and how to implement them
by going to the World Wide Web Consortium Web site at www.w3.org .
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