Assessing Webpage Accessibility

Now that we know WCAG 2.0 standards, what now? 

As I mentioned in my last post, there are tools available to check the accessibility of a web page, and also give you tips on how to correct any errors. One of my personal favorites is the WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation) tool created by the WebAim (Web Accessibility In Mind) team. 

WAVE is a very straightforward tool: simply copy the URL of the website or page you would like to check, and paste the URL into WAVE. After hitting the next button, the tool will assess the site and create a report. Here's an example of the tool in use:

1. Users paste or type in the URL of the page they would like to check:

2. After a few moments of analyzing, WAVE produces a short report of the errors (or lack of errors) encountered on the page. (Not shown in image is the web page with errors indicated by symbols on the applicable page sections.): 

3. Users can click on the symbols listed to the left of the summary menu for more detailed descriptions of the errors as well as the explanation of the symbols marking the page:

While one cannot use the tool to perform the corrections, this report does allow the user to modify the appropriate content or submit this information to your IT department. Another cool feature is the contrast checker, which allows you to see if the contrast meets WCAG 2.0 standards for website visitors with low-vision or color deficits. The person can even enter different font colors to see if they pass or fail contrast checks!

Pretty neat, huh? This tool is just one of the many ways that web developers and site editors can verify that they are meeting accessibility requirements. As always, for more information about web accessibility standards, review the WCAG 2.0 technical standards for a comprehensive guide. However, for beginners and other users like myself, this is a great way to get started!