Introduction to WCAG 2

Joe — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:42:00 GMT

While I was researching for my post What's new in WCAG 2, a new podcast was published in a podcast show I like to watch: Boagworld.

It is very interesting, and I think people might find it interesting. The sound is not that great here (there’s a whole bunch of apologies for that on the podcast’s site itself ).

If you prefer to see the video on the original site, here’s the link: Video: Introduction to WCAG 2.

If you want to read the transcript of this presentation, it is available on the original page as well (below the video).

Introduction to WCAG 2.0. from Paul Boag on Vimeo.

Enjoy

Accessibility is for people

Joe — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 14:24:26 GMT

A few days ago, I was asked to give my opinion regarding the accessibility level of a web site. The lead UI designer said something like “If I understand the guidelines correctly, there is no need to change the design, to comply with WCAG 2.0”.

This phrase got me thinking: the person who said it, is a person I appreciate a lot; but yet, something in this phrase didn’t sound right.

The point is, that the accessibility guidelines are meant to give the web-developer with some rules and explanations on how to make your code (and hence the resulting web page) more accessible.

The success criteria are sort of a QA check lists.

But the idea behind it is not just a badge. The idea is to allow as many people as possible, use your site, in the same manner, no matter what user-agent they are using.

The idea is people.

Some of the success criteria on level AA and AAA, are only there because they are a little bit more difficult to accomplish. Not because they are more important. Images’ contrast, as an example, is an AA criteria; but yet, many people will have difficulties reading gray text over black background.

So, next time you’re going to write an accessible page (or should I say, next time you write a page), keep in mind the people, your users, who should use this page. Make the page accessible to the highest possible level, not or the badge,but for the people.

Remember this: if a person can use your site (technically), he will! And he will come back. It’s a win-win situation, and how many of those do we have?

A Regular Joe : User Interface, ממשק

Introduction to WCAG 2

Accessibility is for people