“The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect.”
—Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director and inventor of the World Wide Web
Explore these resources to learn what you can do to make the web more accessible and usable to everyone. For topics not covered here, contact accessibility@ua.edu and we will do our best to help.
What is Web Accessibility?
- Introduction to Web Accessibility – This introduction from WebAIM should help you understand how people with disabilities use the web, the frustrations they feel when they cannot access the web, and what you can do to make your sites more accessible.
- Web Accessibility Perspectives – Web accessibility is essential for people with disabilities and useful for all. This video compilation from the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) illustrates the impact of accessibility and the benefits for everyone in a variety of situations. For links to individual videos and more information on each topic, please see Web Accessibility Perspectives: Explore the Impact and Benefits for Everyone.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
The University adopts Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0, Level AA (includes A) (WCAG
2.0 AA) as its standard to address the accessibility of public-facing web resources, campus-wide web resources, and web resources needed to conduct core University administrative and academic functions.
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 – Official guidelines produced by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) as part of its Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI).
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Overview – W3C WAI’s paraphrased summaries of WCAG 2.0 and 2.1 and other resources.
- How to Meet WCAG 2 (Quick Reference) – W3C WAI’s customizable quick reference to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2 requirements (success criteria) and techniques. According to the W3C WAI, “Most people use this quick reference as the main resource for working with WCAG.”
- WCAG 2.0 Checklist – WebAIM’s checklist presents their recommendations for implementing accessibility principles and techniques for those seeking WCAG conformance. The language “significantly simplifies and condenses” the official specification and supporting materials.
Web Accessibility Fundamentals
- Web Accessibility Tutorials – W3C WAI’s cover various accessibility topics, based on common tasks in web projects, including:
- Introduction to Web Accessibility – This introduction from WebAIM should help you understand how people with disabilities use the web, the frustrations they feel when they cannot access the web, and what you can do to make your sites more accessible.
- Technology Accessibility “Top Five” – We all share some responsibility when it comes to creating accessible content. Members of the UA community can create a more inclusive and accessible campus by paying particular attention to these five things (all resources from WebAIM):
- Keyboard accessibility
- Meaningful alternative text
- Color contrast
- Documents, including PDF files, Microsoft Word documents, and PowerPoint presentations
- Meaningful captions
- Creating Accessible Electronic Content – One-page accessibility resource from NCDAE.
Web Accessibility Evaluation
- Accessibility Management Platform– Available for all members of the University of Alabama community, AMP is a web-based tool that evaluates web and PDF accessibility through automated, guided manual, and functional testing and generates reports. AMP allows web developers and content managers to prioritize web accessibility efforts; it also offers best practices, remediation steps, and code examples to educate and guide users to repair issues.
- WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool – WAVE can help you evaluate the accessibility of your web content by presenting your page with embedded icons and indicators that present some information about the accessibility of your page.
- Identifying Web Accessibility Issues – One-page accessibility resource from NCDAE.
- Easy Checks – A First Review of Web Accessibility – This WAI resource helps you start to assess the accessibility of a web page. With these simple steps, you can get an idea whether or not accessibility is addressed in even the most basic way.