http://www.socialblogroll.com/rss/ social blog roll http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AccessibleDesign/~3/290479299/ Use the Color Contrast Tester Some time ago, while pondering whether web accessibility posed limitations on design, the thought occurred to me that there are presumably some colors which simply cannot be used for text or text backgrounds in any site. WCAG 1 does not, in fact, provide any specific guidelines concerning color contrast. The formulas ...] http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AccessibleDesign/~3/252660923/ It wasn’t long ago that I wrote an article on authoring an effective text-resizing widget. In that article, I made a point not to espouse the use of text-resizing tools, since it’s generally more effective to allow people to use their browser’s built-in text-resizing functionality. In fact, browser’s allow you a great deal more control ...] http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AccessibleDesign/~3/260398349/ Here’s the first clue: it’s not creating a pixel-perfect replication of your ideal version of a site in all browsers. In fact, cross-browser compatibility ultimately has very little to do with what a web site looks like, and a lot more to do with how it functions. It also has relatively little to do with ...] http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AccessibleDesign/~3/262891830/ This is just cool: “Sitelinks” are additional links Google generates from the contents of a site in order to help users navigate your site — they provide these links in their search results for selected terms. Most sites don’t have site links, so I’m finding it pretty cool to notice them for myself! If you can’t see ...] http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AccessibleDesign/~3/263326310/ This is part 1 of 2. Part 2 is my Guide to the use of Semantic HTML Elements I’ve seen a lot of articles discussing the importance of HTML and XHTML semantics. I’ve seen articles describing what it means for a document to be semantic. Most of these articles, however, don’t provide a serious overview of ...] http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AccessibleDesign/~3/263330158/ This is part 2 of 2. Part 1 is Why use Semantic HTML? digg_url = 'http://digg.com/programming/Guide_to_Semantic_Use_of_HTML_Elements'; This guide only deals with elements which have a specific, human-readable meaning. The semantics of elements such as link, which are not seen in normal browsing, have been left out, as have replacement elements like img or object. In some cases, ...] http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AccessibleDesign/~3/270310728/ Example Poll Download the .zip archive It didn’t quite take 2 years, at least. But very, very close. The last release of this script was May 25th, 2006 — so I made it just under the wire. But this is also a bit more than just a script update. In fact, this is a complete overhaul. I’m ...] http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AccessibleDesign/~3/274990742/ This new book from Packt Publishing and Nirav Mehta is a quick and effective introduction to developing websites specifically targeted at mobile device users. I say “users” for a reason — one of the strongest advantages to the book is a strong focus on considering your user and their needs as a key element of ...] http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AccessibleDesign/~3/275483768/ Hat tip to Henny Swan. “WebAnywhere” is a new screen reading product (available in May of 2008) from the University of Washington and the WebInSight project. The basic concept is simple: it’s a web-based service which provides a proxy service as a screen reader. Fantastic tool for anybody requiring a screen reader at a computer which ...] http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AccessibleDesign/~3/282992418/ Thanks to an off-hand comment from Steve Green while discussing a forthcoming Accessites article, I’ve spent some time today thinking about what it takes to write for accessibility. Most of the time, the primary focus of information about accessibility has to do with making non-text information available as text. Captioning and audio description for video, ...] http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ablereach/~3/287937183/ This is a tribute to all my "moms" and all my "kids," and an encouragement to be the drop in a bucket that tipped the scales that helped someone know they're good, good, good just as they are. Sometimes kids are like visiting deer. Certain telltale signs show how connected we are, no matter how ...] http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ablereach/~3/286645996/ A massage therapist gets a phone call: Hello. I was referred to you by my doctor. I work long hours at a desk and... Before the massage therapist hears another word, he is anticipating a series of topics. He already has an idea of which complaints are likely, and which muscle and nerve groups ...] http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ablereach/~3/288674534/ From here on out until I'm satisfied I'll be blogging through the process of revamping the WordPress Default theme into a new home for my blog. WP Default has good bones and was based on Kubrick, another theme with good bones; it will provide a good foundation. If I keep to the same ...] http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ablereach/~3/291198528/ My oh my, that's a serious title! Anyhoo... I have this theory that those who come to my site from from an RSS Feed will click through to different posts than social media users, who will in turn head to different pages than Search Engine users. I want a sense of what characteristics draw ...] http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ablereach/~3/290495401/ Hello Wednesday! On Monday I promised to post on Tuesday about plugins that switch themes, either for a private theme preview or as a theme switcher that all visitors of a site can use. The post was half done as of a few days ago, so I felt safe taking a little mental health break ...] http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AccessibilityBlog/~3/210626313/ Nielson Group offers research data as a gift for the New Year. Jacob Nielson, whom I have long admired for his excellent research into web usability, is offering a fantastic PDF report for free on his website. I am not sure if this is a limited time offer, so go ... http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AccessibilityBlog/~3/83511549/ I had the privilege of attending accessibility testing for an enterprise-level software application and found some interesting issues that are not typical to many projects. Actual user testing is strange like that – dealing with humans brings out all of the random factors. First Issue: User Interaction with JAWS One of ... http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AccessibilityBlog/~3/111846284/ Hattip to Joe Clark. The Target v NFB lawsuit seems to be cruising to the netherworld of settlement. Meaning that it will be even longer until there is substantial (or intelligent) legislation or precedent establishing the responsibility of companies in developing an accessible presence online. Who would ... http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AccessibilityBlog/~3/244878509/ Webcredible got some press recently with their survey of UK retailer websites. According to their study, 35% of retailers fail to meet the Disability Discrimination Act. In disabled access tests, the average score was 57%, but H Samuel topped the list with a 76% accessibility rating. Webcredible ... http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AccessibilityBlog/~3/103189382/ Posting has been light lately at the Accessibility Blog, as things have been very busy. So I thank you for being patient. Because of this, I am making the following request: The Accessibility Blog is experiencing a higher than normal demand for consulting services. If you are an ... http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AccessibilityBlog/~3/216060004/ Target loses an appeal of the class action status of the Lawsuit brought by the National Federation of the Blind. Target had appealed the class-action status of the suit to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The petition was denied and the lawsuit will proceed "on behalf of ... http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AccessibilityBlog/~3/216069500/ Matt Bailey, founder of the AccessibilityBlog.com, will present an Accessibility and Usability training class in London. The four-hour class will take place on February 22nd from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the Business Design Center, 52 Upper Street, Islington. The class will focus on the development of accessible,yet usable ... http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AccessibilityBlog/~3/91304616/ The World Wide Web is significant because of the boundaries it traverses. The web places the opportunity to buy from, learn from or interact with companies outside your neighborhood, your state, or your country right at your fingertips. This is a fantastic opportunity for everybody, and the nature ... http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AccessibilityBlog/~3/201683336/ The Accessibility Interoperability Alliance, AIA (http://www.accessinteropalliance.org) has been formed from some of the World's biggest technology companies: Adobe, BayFirst Solutions, HP, Microsoft, and Novell. Included in the founding of this alliance are a number of specialist assistive technology companies: Claro Software, Dolphin Computer Access, GW Micro, HiSoftware, Mandentec, TextHelp ... http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AccessibilityBlog/~3/223075930/ Courtesy: Good Experience Blog The number one reason to build an accessible website (or to be accessible, no matter what the subject): You lose money, and potential customers have bad experiences. Good Experience Blog shows an experience at Bloomingdales when a father with a stroller asks a store clerk if there ...