WaSP InterACT

Course Description

This course provides the student with a foundation in designing accessible web sites, which apply Universal Design concepts to accommodate individuals with visual, auditory, speech, motor control, and cognitive disabilities. Students will design, and test web pages for compliance with accessibility guidelines (such as WCAG 2.0), and legal requirements (such as Section 508). Coding techniques for accessible (X)HTML and CSS are emphasized. Other topics include accessibility issues related to Adobe PDF, Adobe Flash, scripting, mobile devices, and rich media captioning.

Prerequisites

• FED-110 Web Design 2

Recommended Textbook(s)

• Thatcher, Jim, Andrew Kirkpatrick, Mark Urban, Bruce Lawson, Shawn Lawton Henry, Michael R. Burks, Cynthia Waddell, Christian Heilmann, Richard Rutter, Bob Regan, and Patrick H. Lauke. Web Accessibility: Web Standards and Regulatory Compliance. Berkeley, CA: Apress, 2006.
• Henry, Shawn Lawton. Just Ask: Integrating Accessibility Throughout Design. Madison, WI: ET\Lawton, 2007.

Recommended Reading

• Hawkes-Lewis, Benjamin. "26: Accessibility testing - Opera Developer Community." Dev.Opera. 26 Sep 2008. Opera Software. 24 Oct 2008.
• Hughes-Croucher, Tom. "25: Accessibility basics: Opera Developer Community." Dev.Opera. 26 Sep 2008. Opera Software. 24 Oct 2008.
• Pilgrim, Mark. "Dive Into Accessibility." Dive Into Accessibility. 2002. 24 Oct 2008.
• Thatcher, Jim. "Web Accessibility - Section 508." JimThatcher.com. 2008. 24 Oct 2008.
• "The Accessibility Institute: How-tos and Demos." The Accessibility Institute. 2008. The University of Texas at Austin. 24 Oct 2008.
• "Web Accessibility 101." Web Accessibility 101: Policy, Standards, and Design Techniques. 2003. University of Wisconsin-Madison. 24 Oct 2008.

Technologies Required

• Students will need their own web server to post their assignments
• Mac or PC computers with internet connection
• Web Browsers (Firefox, Opera, Safari, Internet Explorer)
• Firefox Browser Addons
  • Firefox Web Developer Extension
  • WAVE Toolbar
  • Firefox Accessibility Extension from UIUC
  • Fire Vox Firefox Extension
• Internet Explorer Browser Toolbars
  • Web Accessibility Toolbar for IE
  • AIS Web Accessibility Toolbar
• Web page editor that fosters the development of valid (X)HTML and CSS code
• Screen Reader Demo Software
  • Jaws OR Window-Eyes
  • CLiCk, Speak

Note: The Accessibility & PDFs Module requires use of a word processor and Adobe Reader. Optionally, Adobe Acrobat may also be used in this module.