While trying to put together my own Accessibility Training package, I found
some very useful information on the WebAIM site at http://www.webaim.org/

Specifically, there is information about how to produce accessible pages
with FrontPage 2000 at
http://www.webaim.org/howto/frontpage

All things considered, I would not recommend trying to do this in FrontPage
98 if you can help it!

Purely a personal opinion, as usual.

David Hume
E-Learning Support Officer
University of Abertay, Dundee
Bell Street
Dundee
DD1 1HG
01382 308882

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-----Original Message-----
From: John Conway [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 24 April 2002 10:23
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: provision for dyslexic undergraduates - web accessibility


I almost wish I hadn't started this - but thank you to those who have
pointed me [us] at various useful websites, and I shall try and go to the
conference mentioned.

Lest anyone get the wrong impression, I asked the question initially because
I want to make our site accessible, not to seek a comforting excuse to leave
it as it is. My problem, despite being reasonably familiar with HTML, is
that we use MS Frontpage to author our pages, with corporate colours and
images for the most part, yet the W3C validator couldn't even examine these
because a first line [DOCTYPE] was missing. I got past this one to be faced
with a seemingly endless list of problems, even on our homepage, so I can
recognise and fix, others I don't even know where to start. If any real
"techi" would be so kind as to look at W3C's comments on my homepage [link
below] and give me some pointers, I'd be most grateful [and as a quick
learner, I promise to use this to good effect] !

Dr. John S Conway
Principal Lecturer in Soil Science
Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, Glos. GL7 6JS
Phone +44 (0) 1285 652531 ext 2234
Fax +44 (0) 1285 650219
http://www.royagcol.ac.uk/~john_conway/
<http://www.royagcol.ac.uk/~john_conway/>

Declaration : CONFIDENTIALITY: The contents of this message are the views of
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        -----Original Message-----
        From: Peter Hill [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
        Sent: Tuesday, April 23, 2002 11:02 PM
        To: [log in to unmask]
        Subject: Re: provision for dyslexic undergraduates - web
accessibility

        Hi

        The TechDis section is password protected - and I can't get at that
from
        home (but I'll have a look when at college).

        However, I found my way to a TechDis recommended resource at WebAIM:

        http://www.webaim.org/

        The opening page uses multiple fonts, at least 8 different font
sizes on
        7 different background colours, images devoid of alt text tags,
images
        of text (which can't be read by talking browser).

        Accessibility?

        The next bit goes right back to the start of this thread - I'm
fairly
        confident in my ability to create accessible web pages. However,
I'm
        certainly not confident about my ability to keep up to speed with
the
        latest W3C (or similar) guidelines or my ability to construct pages
that
        will satisfy accessibility validators. However, as Ian suggested,
the
        way to go is to make your pages as accessible as possible, and I'll
        always do my very best to achieve that.

        My concern is that webpage validators and close adherence to W3C
        guidelines are often touted as important, or even vital. They can
be
        intimidating and may deter potential authors from creating materials
for
        the web. Given the way things are developing, It seems likely that
        almost everyone in Education will need to be authoring pages before
very
        long.

        I hope that in the near future writing a few pages and whacking them
on
        a server (eg lecture notes and additional resources) will be as
        commonplace an activity as word-processing a handout for
photocopying.

        The people on this list now have links to resources that they can
use in
        order to facilitate the design of accessible online and PC-based
        materials (not just web pages, I know). However, other folk who go
to
        the Internet for guidance may find the advice and the volume of
        information quite daunting (and heaven help anyone who finds their
to
        the WebAIM site - which I'd describe as excellent example of naff
        practice!).

        Info on accessibility needs to be more accessible!

        Anyway...whinge over.

        Regards

        Peter

        ----------------------------------------
        Mrs E.A.B.Draffan wrote:

        > As David and Ian mentioned TechDis have some pages on the subject
including
        > a set of 7 easy to follow guidelines which link to the WAI web
pages and
        > also have educationally specific comments, for instance how to lay
out Maths
        > equations on web pages etc. Please go to
http://www.techdis.ac.uk/seven/.
        >
        > There are also several advice pages for each subject and links to
different
        > software programs for testing pages as well a guide to using clear
written
        > language.
        >
        > http://easi.cc leads to a webcast by Laurie Harrison from the
University of
        > Toronto who talks about the latest in
        > Web evaluation tools.
        >
        > Best wishes
        > E.A.
        >
        >
        > Mrs E.A. Draffan,
        > TechDis Accessibility Database, USIE,
        > Education Development Building,
        > University of Sussex, Falmer,
        > Brighton BN1 9RG
        > Tel: 01273 873600
        > http://www.techdis.ac.uk
        >
        >
        > -----Original Message-----
        > From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support
staff.
        > [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Peter Hill
        > Sent: Tuesday, April 23, 2002 14:47
        > To: [log in to unmask]
        > Subject: Re: provision for dyslexic undergraduates
        >
        >
        > Ian Webb wrote:
        >
        >
        >>To sum up:
        >>
        >>
        > snip
        >
        >
        >
        >
        >>WAI guidelines are simple to follow even for non techies and
should
        >>be used as a measure.
        >>
        >
        >
        > Hi
        >
        > Sorry Ian
        >
        > I'm inclined to disagree. There is a mind boggling array of
information
        > on the WAI site (which refers you to the W3C guidelines) and
TechDis is
        > not particularly easy to navigate either (in my opinion).
        >
        > There's a real need for a simple list of do's and dont's for those
who
        > never made it to post-grad study in IT.
        >
        > Regards
        >
        > Peter Hill
        >
        > --
        > 01527 500324
        > [log in to unmask]
        > www.study-pro.com
        >
        > Dyslexia Consultancy and Resources
        >
        >
        >
        >


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