Is your Web site accessible to disabled users? In educational settings, access for all people is a common goal. It was a surprise for me to find that, until two corrections were made, this site did not pass the basic test. Did you know that some people use screen readers to access the Web? Without good "alt" tags, for example, a disabled user may not be able to navigate your site at all. Good Web design will allow all to access the resources you provide.

Get Educated: Improving Access

The first step towards better access is to read the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Many of their guidelines will also ensure that your Web site follows good general design principles, reason enough to spend the time. Then, pay a visit to Bobby, a Web-based program that will check your site for accessibility and generate an html report. Bobby can't check everything, however, so it is up to you to ensure that all guidelines are respected; in return, you will receive a favourable mention in the Center for Applied Special Technology database.