Accessible web design is not about creating boring sites

Accessible websites can look fabulous, be interactive, and use up-to-date multimedia capabilities (e.g., images, sound, movies, Javascript, photographs and server-side technologies like PHP or ASP).

Yes, you can use all the ‘stuff’ that as a designer you deem appropriate to your audience and message, and still have a site that is accessible, and passes ‘Bobby’ (and other accessibility tools) accessibility checks.

However, what is required when using these technologies is a bit of clear thinking about what their purpose is on your site, and how, if the content is important, their functionality or message can be provided in alternative ways.

For example, provide alt attributes and title tags for your images and photographs, ensure that your site still functions if the user browser doesn’t support Javascript, provide captions or transcripts of your movies and sound.

Admittedly it is not all easy, captioning of multimedia for instance is a specialist and difficult skill to master, but most accessibility techniques are not ‘rocket science’ and will actually add to the ‘richness’ of the experience for your visitors, rather than detract from it.

Links

• CSS Zen Garden: http://www.csszengarden.com/
• Accessify.com: Attractive accessible Websites; http://accessify.com/features/articles/good-lookers/

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