ScotConnect - Training Courses

Accessible Web Design in Practice - Advanced Level

This course is aimed at web designers with an interest in accessible website design. It assumes that participants have a basic knowledge of HTML. It is a two day course and is designed to allow some flexibility so that it can be tailored to the needs of participants depending on their interests and priorities.

Day 1

The first day is all about learning the basic ideas - and developing the right 'mindset''.

The topics covered will include:

What is an accessible Web site?
An introduction to accessibility and particular impairments.
Design and accessibility - yes you can still have a fabulous looking site!
Standards based HTML - what it is, and why it's important.
Using the correct Document Type Definition.
Introduction to the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Accessibility Guidelines.
Developing an approach to using the guidelines.

Day 2 Accessible Web design in practice

The following topics are on offer - but the course content will be tailored to the needs of the group.

Making non-text elements accessible
Ensuring that the text on your Web pages is accessible to everyone
Understanding colour on the Web.
Web scripting and accessibility.
Making PDF documents accessible.
Accessibility and Frames.
Accessibility issues when using style sheets.
Creating client-side image maps.
Accessible hypertext links.
Accessible tables for data and page layout.
Navigation and information architecture.
Creating accessible Web pages with Frontpage.
Usability issues.

The final session of the second day will cover the following:

Checking and validating the accessibility of your site
Validating HTML.
Validating style sheets
Checking the accessibility of your pages with Bobby and other tools
Tools and techniques to keep your Web site accessible

Course Tutorials

A range of course materials have been developed to complement this course and will be available online

Topics include:

• What is an accessible website? - Finding a definition.
• Advantages of Using Valid HTML
• An introduction to Hypertext Markup Language.
• An approach to using The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Accessibility Guidelines
• Document Content, Structure, and Presentation
• Disabled people using the Web!
• Accessing the Web using screen readers or text only browsers
• Accessible web text: size issues
• Web Accessibility and PDF Documents
• Using Cascading Style Sheet
• Accessible Web design and Colour
• People with Particular Impairments and Web accessibility
• Accessibility and frames
• Creating accessible Tables for both layout and data
• Designing accessible Websites - Frontpage
• Useful tools and validators

Further Reading

• Making Websites Accessible - A Guide produced by Scottish Accessible Information Forum by Jim Byrne.
• Jim Thatcher tutorial: scripts and applets. (http://jimthatcher.com/webcoursea.htm)
• Jim Thatcher tutorial: accessible forms. (http://jimthatcher.com/webcourse8.htm)
• Jim Thatcher tutorial: alternative content for graphics. (http://jimthatcher.com/webcourse2.htm)
• Internet Glossary of Terms
• Articles and Guides of Interest to Web Designers
• Deafblind access to the Web by James Gallagher.
• Benefits and Challenges of Web Accessibility - Article by Pat Byrne.

Dates and Venues

Courses for groups of 8 - 10 people will run from Autumn 2002 in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Tailored courses can also be delivered inhouse to web design teams and website managers.

Cost is £475 per person (reduced rate for individuals and employees of Charitable Organisations).

Contact: info@scotconnect.com for further details

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