(Portions of this guideline were adapted from various sources, including accessibility guidelines and policies adopted by the State of Texas and the State of Connecticut.)
Continuing Goals
Maintain accurate and up-to-date information.
Recognize that information created by a government agency is largely considered to be in the public domain.
Follow current XHTML 1.0 standards, and use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS 2.1), while maintaining some accessibility to older browsers.
Maintain a standard Web site page layout and navigation scheme.
Use consistent headings, lists and other page structure.
Avoid the use of frames.
Avoid unnecessary icons, graphics and photographs.
Design Web pages so that all information conveyed with color is also available without color.
Organize Web pages so they are readable without requiring an associated style sheet.
Use proper HTML tags and provide other directions and cues to help those with disabilities correctly complete and submit online forms.
Use plain backgrounds; keep layouts simple.
Make sure text color and background color provide sufficient contrast for easy reading.
Include a text-only index and site map.
Provide textual navigation aids.
Avoid abbreviations of words and dates.
Avoid dynamic content or provide an alternative for those unable to view it.
Do not use moving elements or designs that cause screen flicker.
Test pages with a variety of Web browsers and technologies, including older browsers and software used by the disabled. (Include views of pages via http://browsershots.org.)
Avoid HTML tags or extensions supported by only one browser.
Check Web pages and images at various monitor resolutions, monitor sizes and color depth settings.
Include file size and type with descriptions of downloadable files.
Always allow users to skip repetitive navigation links.
Use various accessibility checklists and guidelines to increase accessibility of pages.
Text
End all sentences, headers and list items with a period or other suitable punctuation.
If possible, avoid side-by-side presentation of text in columns or tables.
As an alternative to forms, consider using a list of information that can be submitted via a mailto link or e-mail form.
Provide access to text-only versions of pages that are always updated whenever the primary page changes.
Minimize the number of hyperlinks in a single line of text, with one hyperlink the best. Vertical lists are a good way to handle links.
Avoid using text in the form of bitmap images, unless a text version is provided as an alternative.
Use table summary to provide extra details to text readers and Identify row and column headers for data tables.
Use special markup to associate data cells and header cells in data tables that have two or more logical levels of row or column headers.
With lists, begin a description that identifies the items and their number. That gives users a better idea of what is coming and the length. Using numbers instead of bullets also helps someone remember items of interest.
Use hypertext links that make sense when read out of context. Don't use short hand, such as "click here." Use the following kinds of link text: "Follow this link to our News Page." (Screen readers can search specifically for linked text. As a result, "click here" links provide no indication of where the link will take them.) If documents are provided in a specialized format, such as PDF (Portable Document Format), provide a link to equivalent material in plain text or HTML format.
Graphics
Minimize the number of colors in images.
Minimize file size and number of images on a page.
Keep background images at the lowest color depth and resolution possible.
Make sure text is clear and readable against any graphic background.
Limit use of image maps. Provide alternate text links if an image map is used.
Use the "ALT" attribute in IMG tags to provide meaningful text for all graphics.
Use a linked document or the IMG tag's long description attribute if a detailed description of an image is needed.
If an image is used as a bullet, put an " o " in the "ALT" attribute. Do not describe the bullet.
Audio/Video
If possible, avoid audio or video material that does not include text transcriptions (captions), descriptions or other written explanations of critical information.
Include file format and file size in kilobytes with each description of an audio or video file.
Scripts, Applets and Plug-ins
Provide an alternative if dynamic content is inaccessible or unsupported or eliminate the need for it.
Consult Access Adobe resources for the latest methods in making Adobe PDF files accessible.
Key Accessibility and Usability Features
Skip Navigation - A "Skip Navigation Link" option should be available at the top of every Web page. This allows users with mobility impairments and those who use screen-reader software to go directly to the main content of a Web page without having to deal with repetitive navigation links.
Spanish Translations - We provide key consumer documents in Spanish through our En Español Link. Some TDI Web site pages also offer rough machine translation of pages into a number of languages, including Spanish, French, German, Chinese and several other languages.
Text and Textual Equivalents - We try to ensure that alternative text (ALT tags) are provided for all non-text elements used on our Web site.
Documents Not Tied to Hardware - Our Web pages are designed and tested to be usable by people without a mouse, with only voice or text output and with alternative keyboards.