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Please also see my current work at The Enabled Web.

Accessibility quick-check

This check assumes that the page has been written to W3C standards for HTML and CSS. Techniques are based on the Firefox browser (www.tomjewett.com/accessibility/508-eval-tools.html#ff)with the Illinois accessibility extensions toolbar. (www.tomjewett.com/accessibility/508-eval-tools.html#ffill) To use the quick-check effectively, you should be thoroughly familiar with the Manual evaluation procedure and its associated references. (www.tomjewett.com/accessibility/508-eval.html)

The page should not use frames or server-side image maps, and should not have a "text-only" counterpart page. This takes care of Section 508 (e),(f),(i), and (k).

If the page contains forms, plug-ins, applets, Flash, multimedia, and so on, or requires a timed response, separate checks will be required to insure compliance with the applicable paragraphs (b),(m),(n), or (p).

In performing each check, you are looking for truly equally effective access for all readers, not just rote compliance with Section 508 (or WCAG).

  1. Visual check: All text should be easily legible to fully-sighted readers. Enlarge/reduce text in browser; all text should respond and nothing should overlap. Make sure that information is not conveyed by color alone. Make sure nothing is flickering or flashing. Visually evaluate color contrast; verify with analyzer program if questionable. (www.tomjewett.com/accessibility/508-eval-tools.html#cca) (With toolbar v.1.3, use Style -> Colour Contrast.)
  2. Headings list: headings should match the actual semantic structure of the document, and should be properly nested by level.
  3. Links list: all links must have text; each link's text should describe its destination clearly; if link titles are present, they should not duplicate the link text; duplicate link text should not point to different destinations; no link should have "javascript" as the target.
  4. Images: with images replaced by their text equivalents, no information or navigation should be lost to any visitor to the page.
  5. Styles: with CSS off, the semantic structure of the page content should be readily understandable from the browser's default rendering (of headings, lists, and so on) and navigable by assistive technologies. No content should appear that was made visible by CSS solely with mouse action (hover). There should be no change in appearance when "Tag" (embedded) styles are disabled.
  6. Tables: with layout tables removed, the page should read in logical order from top to bottom. Remaining data tables should have each data cell associated with its column (and row, if appropriate) header(s).
  7. JavaScript: without JavaScript, all content and functionality should still be available to any visitor to the page, with or without use of the mouse and without user intervention such as changing browser settings. You may have to look at the code to determine if JavaScript is used on the page, and if so what functionality it provides.