Web Axe: web accessibility podcast and blog
Podcast and blog on practical web design accessibility tips.
What is web accessibility? | Email: web axe [at gmail] NOSPAM! dot com
Current Posts
Web Axe podcasts now monthly
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Due to personal and professional commitments, Web Axe podcasts will now be released once a month.Labels: administrative
Podcast #59: Jeffrey Frey on Accessible Podcasts
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Dennis speaks with Jeffrey Frey and discusses accessible podcasting, guidelines on audio/video web accessibility, and Jeff's role at Rice University.Jeff is the Web Services Manager for Enterprise Applications in the Information Technology Department at Rice University. He provides technology solutions for faculty, staff, and students on campus as well as teaches new technology courses at the School of Continuing Studies. He is available for podcasting consulting, is involved in the creation of podcasts for businesses and non-profits, and has owned a technical consulting company and an audio/video recording studio.
Download Web Axe Episode 59 (Jeffrey Frey on Accessible Podcasts)
Links from Jeffrey Frey’s Blog
- Section 508 Compliant Podcasting and Undue Burden
- Section 508 Compliant Podcasting
- Podcast Captioning
- Accessible Podcasts
Transcription and other related services
From Tom Brinck
Like myself, Tom is from Michigan but now works and lives in the Bay Area in California.Outsourcing accessibility testing is essential
Monday, November 19, 2007
In his article Outsourcing accessibility testing is essential, web accessibility and usability professional Peter Abrahams discusses why testing a web site for accessibility by an external third party is a good idea.Although the article is an obvious plug for a particular testing company, the point is quite valid. Testing for web accessibility is a critical step, and a company who specializes in that usually has the best resources to do the most complete job, including testing by people with a variety of disabilities.
Two related points made in the article are:
- Specify that accessibility is essential in your requirements definition.
- Once a site has gone into production it is advisable to re-test it on a regular basis to ensure the continued quality and accessibility.
Business Reasons for Web Accessibility
Thursday, November 15, 2007
In my article Business Reasons for Web Accessibility (posted under Web Axe's sponsor company, CheckEngine USA) I provide several reasons why an accessible web site is good for business (namely, the bottom line—finances). Points for web accessibility benefiting business include:- Increases Potential Market Share
- Lighter Code Saves Bandwidth
- No Alternative Formats Needed
- Increases Positive Image
- Avoid Lawsuits
Labels: article, business, expert
Podcast #58: Aural Style Sheets
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Dennis and Ross explain aural style sheets, a nifty part of CSS2.Download Web Axe Episode 58 (Aural Style Sheets)
News & Announcements
- ArbCamp - Great Success
- Ross now a Mac Person
- San Jose earthquake 5.6
- Web Design and Marketing Solutions - Looking for reviewers (graphicpush)
- Andrew Kirkpatrick - Web Standards and Regulatory Compliance
- Jared Smith of WebAIM helping revise Section 508
- Screen Readers sometime ignore display:none
- Email Spambot Buster
What are Aural Style Sheets?
A way of controlling speech synthesis and auditory icons with CSS2, usually through a screen reader.
H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, H6 {
voice-family: paul;
stress: 20;
richness: 90;
cue-before: url("ping.au")
}Supported by: Emacspeak, Fonix SpeakThis, and the Opera Browser
Benefits
- More control over how screen readers will render your documents
- Also beneficial for those who want your content in a mobile manor (on the road, exercising, almost podcast-esk)
- Near future, more devices may access internet that you may want read, such as car
Example: Speak-numeral element
digits: a string of numbers is spoken as a whole number (123 = one hundred twenty-three)
continuous: numbers in a string are read successively (123 = one two three)
Elements
- volume
- speak
- pause
- cure
- play-during
- spacial elements (ways to have two voices appear from different areas)
- voice character
- speech rate
- voice family
- pitch
- pitch-range
- stress
- richness
- speak-punctuation
- speak-numeral
Links
- Aural Style Sheets specification (W3C)
- Can You Hear Me Now? (Accessites.org)
- CSS2 Aural Reference (W3Schools)
Labels: audio, podcast, screenreader
Email Spambot Buster
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Web Axe host Dennis Lembree has published an article describing an accessible method of coding email addresses on web pages which blocks spammers, the Email Spambot Buster. Sample code is provided. The technique implements progressive enhancement and unobtrusive JavaScript. JavaScript-enabled browsers display a "normal" email link and other browsers display the email using "email munging".Labels: article, javascript
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Previous Posts
- Podcast #76: Web Accessibility Disasters
- Roundup: Accessibility Links on Twitter
- Accessible YouTube Sites
- Free Browsers for Visual Impairment
- Colorblind, Law, and Lightboxes
- Podcast #75: Jeremy Keith Interview, Google Wave
- ATIA Chicago 2009
- Accessibility Round-Up from Twitter
- Podcast #74: Awards, Events & Back to Basics
- Accessible Twitter Wins Award, Slidedeck
Related Sites
- Web Overhauls - tune-up your web site!
- Accessible Twitter - superior alternative to Twitter.com.
- 3.7crea.tv - web design and marketing blog.
- Refresh Detroit - regional group for web professionals.
- Detroit Podcasters Network.
- Website Design - seo friendly web design company.
About the Hosts
About Dennis
Dennis Lembree is the founder of web development company Web Overhauls, which specializes in web usability, standards, and accessibility. Follow Dennis on Twitter: @dennisl
About Ross
Ross Johnson runs a web design company (3.7 Designs) that takes a wholistic view on the web and art of constructing pages. They strive to be creative and unique. Follow Ross on Twitter: @3pointross