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Can everyone can use your wonderful web site? A screen reader takes the text on your web site and reads it out loud for people who might have difficulty reading the screen. Can a screen reader read your web site? Can a person using a screen reader navigate and find the information you offer? Do you want everyone to use be able to use your site? Do you know whether they can? If I put this comment When last visited this web site did not provide full access. next to your link it means your web site is excluding some people. Changing this is not expensive, nor is it difficult. The first step is to ask "Does my site have a problem with accessibility"? A quick check - turn off the graphics in your browser. Now access the site. If you can't see any text chances are neither will the screen reader. There is more to it than that, but that takes care of the obvious, and most common problem, not labeling images with text tags, and poor naming of links. Using frames can exclude people if the frames are not properly names and if the individual frames lack navigation. To continue your check look at the links below for a "validator" that can help you find out if there are problems, and if there are, what it takes to fix them. Hey, listen up this should not be expensive or difficult. To make your web site accessible you don't need fancy software, no special equipment required And, no, you don't (usually) need to add sound tracks. Just a little thought and attention to detail. It's pretty straightforward stuff. It is kind of sad to dedicate a lot of time and effort into designing a web site that excludes many people. If you use Flash , check that you have set it up so it doesn't act as a barrier. Is what you are using Flash for so important that you would rather people who can't/won't use it just stay away from your site entirely? If not, then don't make it so that is what you force people to do. A few people I've contacted have rejected the idea of full access without so much as taking a moment to find out what it involves. That kind of reaction angers me. It is a deliberate refusal to so much as consider making reasonable accommodations. It is so easy to make sites accessible. A decision not to try is nothing short of intentional exclusion. Why not at least try? Visitors to your site deserve the same kind of information even if they are using a screen reader. If you have a spacer graphic the tag should be alt="" so the screen reader knows you intended that graphic to be ignored. Remember that "blind" does not usually mean sightless. It is incorrect to decide that everyone using a screen reader can't use your graphics. Describe the graphic - the person may decide they want to make the effort to view it. Please do not write me with accessibility questions. While I'm fully committed to the concept I have no expertise. I make my site accessible by keeping it simple. If you want to use bells and whistles, you can still make it accessible. I really want you to support accessible web sites so I provide, here, the information on why and how to do it. I don't have any other information. This is it. If you wish to support full access you may use the Full Access button http://www.dogplay.com/Images/full_access.gif on your site. Here are the sites to explore: Wikipedia on Web Accessibility http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_accessibility Excellent overview of the various accessibility needs and resources. It is a good reminder that accessibility isn't just about screen readers. Site for Accessible Web Design http://www.umich.edu/~webacces/About.html Tutorials, commonly asked questions, great resources for the non-professional web page developer. Web Accessibility http://www.itc.virginia.edu/desktop/web/accessibility/simulation.html OK. So you are a little confused and a little worried. You aren't very technical so how the heck do you know whether your page provides full access, and is there anything practical you can do about it? This site should help you answer those questions. Getting Started: Making a Web Site Accessible http://www.w3.org/WAI/gettingstarted/ This site is designed to provide information to people new to the concept of designing accessible web pages. It is, however, not designed for the casual web page designer. It is very complete and very detailed, intended for professionals in the web design business. Please don't let the apparent complexity scare you. Do what you can, a little at a time. Screen Reader Simulation http://www.webaim.org/simulations/screenreader You are asking me to do what?! A sighted person used to pointing and clicking with a mouse may have just a bit of difficulty imagining exactly how it is that a blind person uses the web. Well, quit imagining and read this! Web Accessibility in Mind http://www.webaim.org/ Want help? Do you want to learn how to check your site for accessibility? Do you want to learn how to make it accessible? If you do, this is a great place to start. Not only are there tutorials, but also a message board where other web designers can offer some suggestions and problem solving. It isn't hard! Plunge in and give it a try. People will help if you are open to trying. Electronic Curbcuts: How to Build an Accessible Web Site http://www.icdri.org/CynthiaW/ecc.htm

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