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WAI: Strategies, guidelines, resources to make the Web accessible to people with disabilities

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   1. Introduction to Accessibility
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   3. »Quick Tips to Make Accessible Sites
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Quick Tips to Make Accessible Web Sites

See updated Web Accessibility QuickTips: WCAG 2.0 at a Glance

Status note: These quicktips were based on WCAG 1.0, which was published in 1999. WCAG 2.0 was published in 2008. Although most of these tips are still relevant, this list is not necessarily the top accessibility issues for most current sites.
For the latest information on WCAG, see the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Overview.

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Introduction

The following ten "Quick Tips" summarize key concepts of accessible Web design. These tips are not complete guidelines; they are only excerpts of concepts from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (WCAG 1.0).

WCAG 1.0 includes information critical to understanding and implementing the Quick Tips. See the WCAG Overview for descriptions of WCAG documents.

Quick Tips are available as a free business-card-size reference card in 11 languages, through the order form below. The previous online version is available in over 40 languages.

10 Quick Tips

1. Images & animations: Use the alt attribute to describe the function of each visual.
2. Image maps. Use the client-side map and text for hotspots.
3. Multimedia. Provide captioning and transcripts of audio, and descriptions of video.
4. Hypertext links. Use text that makes sense when read out of context. For example, avoid "click here."
5. Page organization. Use headings, lists, and consistent structure. Use CSS for layout and style where possible.
6. Graphs & charts. Summarize or use the longdesc attribute.
7. Scripts, applets, & plug-ins. Provide alternative content in case active features are inaccessible or unsupported.
8. Frames. Use the noframes element and meaningful titles.
9. Tables. Make line-by-line reading sensible. Summarize.
10. Check your work. Validate. Use tools, checklist, and guidelines at http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG

© W3C (MIT, INRIA, Keio) 2001/01

How to Order

Complete the form below to order the Quick Tips on a vinyl business-card-sized reference card, in large print, and in braille. If you cannot use the form, please e-mail all of the information from the form to wai-quicktips@w3.org.

Up to 500 cards are available at no charge. For quantities over 500, please send information about your intended distribution plans to wai-quicktips@w3.org, and we can discuss different options for getting you the cards.

Currently, braille and large print formats are only available in English.

Document Information

Content last updated: The 10 Quick Tips were last updated in January 2001. (This page will be updated to reflect new recommendations in WCAG 2.0.)
Feedback welcome to wai-eo-editors@w3.org.

Editors: Shawn Lawton Henry and Pasquale Popolizio. Developed by the Education and Outreach Working Group (EOWG).
File (not content) last updated on $Date: 2009/01/13 21:43:58 $ by $Author: shawn $

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