LIS 390W1A - Lab 18: Using Accessibility Validators

Assignment

Overview

In this lab, we will be testing out some of the Accessibility Evaluators that Jon Gunderson mentioned in his guest lecture. In particular, we will be testing out:

You may find using the CITA firefox extension (version on Firefox site) to be useful in this lab.

In addition, Jon Gunderson has asked us to provide him with any feedback we may have regarding either the Functional Accessibility Evaluator or the CITA Firefox Extention. Please email either him or me with any such feedback you have.

Process

  1. Open this file and its CSS file in new tabs or windows, leaving this page still open.
  2. Now download both these files by right-clicking on the links in this page.
  3. Now open the downloaded version of the HTML file in yet another new tab or window.
  4. Now, take a moment to read the page, the source code for the page, and to examine the different versions of the page.
  5. Each of the bullet points in the page contains an accessibility guideline which has been violated in the construction of the page. Can you identify them all?
    • Make a brief list of how each guideline has been violated (many have been violated in more ways than one).
  6. Now, run this page through each of the following accessibility checkers or evaluators:
  7. Which violations did each checker catch? Which violations did each checker miss?
  8. Write the answers to these questions in a new HTML page that is styled, be sure to include a general discussion of 250-500 words that explains what kinds of violations the checkers/evaluators caught, and what they did not.
  9. Make sure your files validate both XHTML 1.0 and CSS, includes the standard footer links, and have been run through the Functional Accessibility Evaluator to locate accessibility problems.

Submission

To turn in your assignment, please upload it to your GSLIS webspace and email me a link.

Grading Criteria

Out of 25 points total.

  • HTML validation (link + successful validation): 1 point
  • CSS validation (link + successful validation): 1 point
  • Scoring 95% or better with the Functional Accessibility Evaluator, or providing a reasonable explanation in your forum post as to why the score was less: 2 points
  • A complete list of accessibility violations: 1 point
  • An examination of the violations caught and missed by each tool: 4 points per tool (16 points total)
  • The discussion about what errors the checkers catch, and what they do not: 4 points