Web Accessibility
People rely on technology access to perform a variety of tasks and enhance productivity. At the University of Minnesota, the Internet is used to register for classes, make assignments, take exams, schedule appointments, submit forms, monitor operations, conduct research and much more. The form and format of information on a Web site can either help or hinder access. It is the responsibility of the web page author to present information in a way that ensures access by a diverse audience — including individuals with disabilities.
Standards
Navigation and Orientation
- Pages possess a unique TITLE element and at least one level 1 heading that is a subset of the page TITLE element.
- Menus and navigation bars possess titles using heading tags to provide orientation.
- Expanded menus and controls change heading tags appropriately, relevant to the spawning menu/control.
- Major/minor topics include appropriate heading tags (H2-H6) that provide useful orientation/structural information.
- Links are clear, descriptive and meaningful out of context.
Content and Data
- Form controls possess clear and descriptive labels.
- Form control labels are structurally associated with corresponding form controls.
- Relationships among form controls are indicated using structural mark-up.
- Changes in content language are indicated by appropriate structural markup.
- Data tables include appropriate structural mark-up, identifying cells and indicating relationships among cells.
- Appropriate structural mark-up is used for lists.
- The use of frames is avoided.
- Frames possess useful/meaningful TITLE attributes.
- Content makes sense when the page is linearized.
Text Equivalents
- Decorative and layout images possess empty alt attributes or useful metadata.
- Icons and non-decorative/layout images possess meaningful and useful ALT attributes.
- ALT attributes for icons and form controls match the onscreen image text.
- Objects/applets include text descriptions and accessible alternative content/functionality is provided.
- Audio, audio/video and other multimedia elements are accompanied by text transcripts.
- Text captioning is synchronized with the audio, and audio/video content.
- Multimedia content is accessible using external players.
Styling and Layout
- Content reflows when the display text size is changed.
- Content reflows when the browser window is resized.
- Content remains usable when style sheets are disabled or alternative style sheets are applied.
- Foreground and background color combinations shall provide sufficient contrast at all color depths or when viewed on a black and white screen.
- Preference is given to the use of background images for decorative styling, rather than inline images.
- Images are not used to stylize text, other than in logos and other branding icons.
- Preference is given to the use of cascading style sheets (CSS) to style/format content, rather than in-line markup.
- Dynamic CSS pseudo-classes produce corresponding dynamic focus pseudo-class events.
Scripting and Automation
- All functions of the web page can be performed from the keyboard.
- Preference is given to separate activation controls for select list options, rather than the use of onChange event handlers.
- The method for select list option activation remains consistent across a Web site.
- Session time-outs are user adjustable where appropriate.
- Animations shall be user controlled.
- Content does not flicker between 2-55 Hz.
- Accessible alternatives for embedded Java, Flash, other APPLETS and OBJECTS are available.
Document Specifications
- The DOCTYPE is specified.
- The default language is specified.
- The character encoding is specified.
