- From: Adam Alonzo <Adam.alonzo@wright.edu>
- Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 12:22:51 -0500
- To: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
Dear List Members, I'd like to introduce Access Art, a new Web site produced by The Dayton Art Institute in collaboration with Wright State University. Though it includes a great deal of visual and aural content, it was designed to be as accessible as possible to everyone. A summary of its accessibility features is included below. I encourage you to visit the site at: http://tours.daytonartinstitute.org/accessart/ Please feel free to contact me with suggestions on ways to improve the accessibility of the site. You can respond to me directly at: adam.alonzo@wright.edu Please note that Access Art is a new addition to the Art Institute's overall Web site, and that the general site does not yet conform to the same accessibility standards. I look forward to your feedback, Adam Alonzo Accessible Arts! Coordinator Office of Disability Services Wright State University 3640 Colonel Glenn Highway Dayton, Ohio 45435-0001 adam.alonzo@wright.edu (937) 775-5806 ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES OF ACCESS ART >From its initial planning stages, Access Art was designed to be as accessible as possible to everyone, particularly people with disabilities using adaptive computer equipment. This commitment to accessibility has been implemented throughout the site in many ways, some obvious and some subtle. This section contains details about these accessibility features in order to provide guidelines for other museum Web sites to follow. Accessibility Standards Access Art was developed using the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines as its standard for accessible design. These guidelines are provided by the Web Accessibility Initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium. Image Alternatives All images within Access Art are accompanied by a brief text phrase that serves as an alternative for visitors who cannot see the image. This is suitable for logos, icons and other simple graphics. Image Descriptions In addition to the brief text alternatives for simple graphics, all works of art are accompanied by a lengthy text paragraph that describes the appearance of the object for visitors who cannot see it. Also, all icons and graphics used within Access Art are described on the Graphic Descriptions page. Keyboard Access Access Art is designed to be fully accessible to individuals who use a keyboard or similar device instead of a mouse. The EyeSpy image enlargement system allows visitors to view works of art in detail without having to use a mouse. Text Transcripts There are many audio segments included in Access Art, so text transcripts are provided for the benefit of those who cannot hear the recordings. Cascading Style Sheets Certain design elements of this site, such as text size and color, are implemented with Cascading Style Sheets, a flexible system that can be changed by users to make text easier to read. Language Specification While the primary language of Access Art is English, there are many instances of other languages throughout the site. For the benefit of those using screen readers to vocalize the Web pages to them, such changes in language are clearly identified. Hyperlink Text and Titles Hyperlinks within Access Art avoid ambiguous phrases such as "Click Here," and they include embedded titles to further amplify their purpose. Navigation Menus Access Art provides a dynamic menu at the top of each page that makes navigation easier and informs users of their position within the site. It also includes a "hidden" link that allows people using adaptive equipment to skip the navigation menu and move to the main content of the page. Table Layout and Markup While tables are used for layout on this site, they are never used to place sections of text side by side, avoiding potential problems for visitors using screen readers. Also, tables use embedded titles and summaries to explain their purpose and layout. JavaScript Alternative There is only one usage of JavaScript within Access Art, and it is accompanied by a script-free alternative for visitors whose Web browsers do not support JavaScript. Accessibility Testing The design of Access Art was evaluated using alternative browsers, adaptive technology and accessibility testing tools such as Bobby, an online service provided by CAST. Accessibility Review The accessibility of Access Art was also tested by a panel of advisors with a variety of disabilities, and by experts in the field of Web accessibility.
Received on Thursday, 13 December 2001 12:23:25 UTC