How People with Disabilities Use the Web
http://www.w3.org/WAI/EO/Drafts/PWD-Use-Web

• Scenarios of people with disabilities using the Web.
• Different disabilities that can affect web accessibility.
• Assistive technologies and adaptive strategies.

Introduction to Web Accessibility
http://www.webaim.org/intro/

• Explanation of barriers faced by Web users with various disabilities
• Includes facts and figures on Web use by people with disabilities.

Federal Web Accessibility Standards (summary)
http://usability.gov/accessibility/508.html

• Requires that federal agencies' electronic and information technology be accessible to people with disabilities.
• Technical standards for compliance were published on December 21, 2000 and took effect June 21, 2001.
• Applies to all federal and federally funded Web sites.
• Full text of Section 508 standards published in Federal Register.
  http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/508standards.htm

Federal IT Accessibility Initiative: Section508.gov
http://section508.gov/

• Official home page of Section 508.
• Comprehensive resource on laws and regulations, training, and current news.
• "Buy Accessible" - A new service for federal procurement staff.
• "Section 508 Universe" - Training for webmasters.

World Wide Web Consortium's Web Accessibility Initiative (W3C WAI)
http://www.w3.org/WAI

• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (WCAG 1.0) - The guidelines on which the Section 508 regulations are based.
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 Working Draft - Published for public comment on 24 August 2001.
• WAI Resources - Tips, FAQs, training, policy links, technical references, and much more.
• WCAG 1.0 Checklist - For evaluating a site's accessibility.
• WCAG 1.0 Techniques - Technical guidance to help Web developers implement the Guidelines.

508 Checklist
http://webaim.org/standards/508/checklist

• Good checklist for 508 compliance, provided by the nonprofit WebAIM (Web Accessibility In Mind).

Considering the Color Blind: Web Techniques
http://www.webtechniques.com/archives/2000/08/newman/

• A graphic designer explains what color blindness really is, how it affects Web users in real-life situations, and what Web designers can do to make their sites more accessible to color-blind people.

Accessibility Features of Cascading Style Sheets
http://www.w3.org/TR/CSS-access

• Detailed technical discussion of features in W3C's Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) that support and enhance accessibility of Web content when CSS is used to control the "presentation" (visual or auditory display) of HTML documents.

AWARE: Accessible Web Authoring Resources and Education
http://aware.hwg.org/

Note: There are a number of tools that can assist with diagnosing and repairing accessibility problems, but they cannot do the job on their own. It takes a well-informed Web developer to interpret and act on the messages these tools generate. Making a site accessible requires human judgment and informed decisions. It is a process that cannot be automated.

Free Accessibility Tools

Vischeck and Daltonize Color Blindness Tools
http://vischeck.com/index.php

• Vischeck simulates color blindness. Daltonize corrects images for colorblind users.
• Available as a free online tool, Photoshop plug-in, or Java application.

Delorie Lynx Viewer
http://www.delorie.com/web/lynxview.html

• Free web-based service simulating a text-only browser.
• Shows approximately how your pages will sound to a speech user.

Opera
http://www.opera.com/

• A free, fast, highly standards-compliant Web browser.
• Toggle images, style sheets, scripting, and tables on and off with a single mouse click.
• Allows site managers to check alt-text, see how tables linearize, and ensure that pages work with style sheets turned off.

NIST WebMetrics Tool Suite
http://zing.ncsl.nist.gov/WebTools/

• A set of tools used to test the usability and accessibility of a site.

HTML Validation Service and CSS Validator

• Minor HTML and CSS syntax errors can have serious consequences for accessibility.
• Free online validators from W3C help ensure your pages are error-free, accessible, and cross-platform compatible.

access.adobe.com
http://access.adobe.com/

• Online tools for converting PDF files to HTML or ASCII.
• Resources for visually impaired users and more.

Bobby
http://bobby.watchfire.com/bobby/html/en/index.jsp

• Tool for checking Web page accessibility and 508 compliance.
• Online service is free. Desktop version is paid.
• Requires understanding of HTML.

W3C's List of Evaluation and Repair Tools
http://www.w3.org/WAI/ER/existingtools.html

• Descriptions and links to over 30 different kinds of tools.
• Help with evaluation, retrofitting, and transformation of Web content.

Commercial Products

Inclusion in this list does not imply endorsement by The Department of Health and Human Services.

Corda Technologies
http://www.corda.com/

• Software for creating accessible, dynamically generated graphs and charts from complex data.

Colorfield Insight Color Blindness Simulator
http://www.colorfield.com/

• Photoshop plug-in (Macintosh) for designers of Web graphics.

LIFT for Macromedia Dreamweaver
http://www.usablenet.com/lift_dw/lift_dw.html

• Accessibility tool that works within the Dreamweaver Web-editing application.
• Allows Web authors to build accessibility into their pages at the development stage.
• Iterative accessibility checking reduces need for post-launch repairs.
• Produced by the Macromedia-UsableNet partnership.

InFocus
http://www.ssbtechnologies.com/products/InFocus.php

• Accessibility software from SSB Technologies.

AccVerify
http://www.hisoftware.com/access/newvIndex.html

• Accessibility software from HiSoftware.

PageScreamer
http://www.crunchy.com/

• Accessibility software from Crunchy Technologies.

Accessibility Labs

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA): TARGET Center
http://www.usda.gov/oo/target/

• Hands-on demonstrations and evaluations of assistive technologies.

Assistive Technologies

These are some of the devices and applications that help people with disabilities use their computers and access the web. This list is not exhaustive.

Screen Readers and Combination Software

• JAWS for Windows - Freedom Scientific
  http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_jaws.asp
  
• HAL Speech and Braille - Dolphin
  http://www.dolphinuk.co.uk/products/hal.htm
  
• Supernova Speech, Braille, Magnification - Dolphin
  http://www.dolphinuk.co.uk/products/cipher.htm
  
• OutSPOKEN for Macintosh with Mac Braille - Alva Access Group
  http://www.aagi.com/catalogue/ProductVersion.asp?308020
  
• OutSPOKEN for Windows - Alva Access Group
  http://www.aagi.com/catalogue/ProductVersion.asp?SerieOSW

Talking Browsers

• IBM HomePage Reader
  http://www-3.ibm.com/able/hpr.html

Screen Magnification

• ZoomText - AI Squared
  http://www.aisquared.com/
  
• Lunar and Lunar Plus - Dolphin
  http://www.dolphinuk.co.uk/products/lunar.htm
• MAGic - Freedom Scientific
  http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_magic.asp

Braille

• Freedom Scientific Braille Displays
  http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/displays.asp
  
• Alva Access Group Braille Displays
  http://www.aagi.com/catalogue/ProductType.asp?Braille
• Cipher Braille Translator - Dolphin
  http://www.dolphinuk.co.uk/products/cipher.htm
  
• Braille Printers - Enabling Technologies
  http://www.brailler.com/

Voice Recognition

• Dragon Naturally Speaking - Scansoft
  http://www.scansoft.com/naturallyspeaking/
• IBM ViaVoice for Mac or Windows
  http://www-3.ibm.com/software/speech/
  
• iListen for Mac - MacSpeech
  http://store.macspeech.com/#ilisten

Alternative Input Devices

• One-handed keyboards, head mouse/pointer devices, touch screens, joysticks, switches, and many other technologies have been developed to help people with mobility impairments use computers. United Cerebral Palsey Dallas maintains a list of companies that make these assistive devices.

Training and Webcasts

NIH Accessible Technology Expo: July 26, 2001 - Streaming RealVideo
http://videocast.nih.gov/ram/access072601.ram

• Presentations from Government and Industry experts on Section 508, universal access, and assistive technologies.
• Requires RealPlayer. See the NIH Videocasting FAQ if you encounter difficulties with the broadcast.

Developing Accessible Web Pages: July 5, 2000 - Streaming RealVideo
http://www.broadcast.noaa.gov/access/webacc.ram

• Three-hour training seminar on making Web pages accessible in compliance with Section 508.
• Requires RealPlayer. See the NIH Videocasting FAQ if you encounter difficulties with the broadcast.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA): TARGET Center
http://www.usda.gov/oo/target.htm

• Features an accessibility lab that provides hands-on demonstrations and evaluations of assistive technologies

The W3C's WAI has a number of listservs on accessibility topics. Searchable archives are available online. The Web Accessiblity Initiative Interest Group and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group archives are an excellent resource.

WebAIM (Web Accessibility In Mind)
http://www.webaim.org/

• Reliable accessibility information, tutorials, articles, and resources.
• Continually updated.

The Trace Center at University of Wisconsin-Madison
http://trace.wisc.edu/

• Center for research on accessible information technology and telecommunications.

National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM)
http://ncam.wgbh.org/

• Research and development initiatives on technologies for public mass media.
• Rich Media Resource Center for developing accessible multimedia content.
• Developers of MagPIE (Media Access Generator) tool multimedia-captioning tool.

Accessible Web Page Design
http://www.makoa.org/web-design.htm

• Extensive collection of accessible-design resources and links.

World Association of Persons with Disabilities
http://www.wapd.org/index.html

• Current information, assistance, and activism for the physically and mentally disabled.

WebAIM
http://www.webaim.org/

• Web Accessibility In Mind: a non-profit organization devoted to Web Accessibility.
• Delivers a wealth of accessibility information and resources.

World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Links

Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
http://w3c.org/wai/

• Entry point into the W3C's web-accessibility activities and resources.

W3C Listserv Archives
http://www.w3.org/Mail/Archives

• Browse or search to find answers to web-accessibility questions.
• Especially relevant: Web Accessiblity Initiative Interest Group and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group listserv archives.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0
http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/

• The accessibility standards on which Section 508 is based.
• Adopted by many countries as law.

Federal IT Accessibility Initiative: Section508.gov
http://www.usda.gov/oo/target.htm

• Official home page of Section 508.
• Comprehensive resource on laws and regulations, training, and current news.
• "Buy Accessible" - A new service for federal procurement staff.
• "Section 508 Universe" - Training for webmasters.

Department of Justice (DOJ)
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/508

• The DOJ is responsible for the enforcement of Section 508. Site includes self-evaluation tools and background documentation.

• There are a lot of HTML resources on the Web, but most of them are out of date or incomplete, and none of them is as useful and well written as this book. A hardcover professional reference edition is also available.

• Stand-alone HTML editor for Windows. Has HTML tools, build-in syntax checker, and integrates well with Dreamweaver (see below).

• This powerful and intuitive WYSIWYG ("what-you-see-is-what-you-get") HTML authoring tool produces cleaner HTML than competing products. Includes scripting tools, easy imagemap-creation utilities, and many advanced features.

Disability Information and Resources

DisABILITY Information and Resources
http://www.makoa.org/

• Gateway to all kinds of disability information.
• Created and are maintained by Jim Lubin, who is a C2 quadriplegic, completely paralyzed from the neck down and dependent on a ventilator to breathe, using an keyboard/mouse emulator with a sip and puff switch to type morse codes.

World Association of Persons with Disabilities
http://www.wapd.org/index.html

• Current information, assistance, and activism for the physically and mentally disabled.

American Foundation for the Blind Web Site
http://www.afb.org/

• Includes information and statistics on blindness and low vision.
• Tips for accessible web design; technology in the lives of people with visual impairments, more.

How People With Disabilities Use the Web
http://www.w3.org/WAI/EO/Drafts/PWD-Use-Web/Overview.html

• Scenarios showing how people with disabilities use assistive technologies to access Web sites.
• Simple steps web authors can take to improve user experience.

Thirty-Something (Million): Should They Be Exceptions?
http://www.w3.org/WAI/EO/Drafts/PWD-Use-Web/Overview.html

• The economic and universal benefits of accessible design.

Screen Reader Simulation
http://www.webaim.org/tutorials/simulations/screenreader

• Demonstrates how a visually-impaired person using a screen-reader experiences the Internet.

Considering the Color Blind: Web Techniques
http://www.webtechniques.com/archives/2000/08/newman/

• A graphic designer explains what color blindness really is and how it affects Web users
• What Web designers can do to make their sites more accessible to color-blind people.