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ERIC Number: EJ948580
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011
Pages: 10
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1932-2909
EISSN: N/A
Browser-Based Accessibility Evaluation Tools for Beginners
McHale, Nina
Journal of Web Librarianship, v5 n4 p334-343 2011
There are hundreds of Web accessibility software options out in the world that serve many different functions. Not surprisingly, many of them are designed for users with a wide range of abilities, with the intent of making the use of computers and the Internet easier for both work and entertainment. There are, however, numerous products available for developers and librarians that assist in ensuring the computer and Web programs they develop are accessible for users with disabilities. Commercial software can be expensive. Products that are open source or that come standard with certain operating systems have a steep learning curve that makes simple accessibility evaluation tasks very difficult for librarians and library staff who are not experts in the Section 508 and/or WCAG 2.0 standards. How, then, can the librarians and library staff who make purchasing decisions about electronic resources and who develop content for their Web sites learn about accessibility and how to evaluate Web sites and products without having to devote significant time and resources? Even for Web and systems librarians who may be knowledgeable about Web standards, using a screen reader to evaluate can be time-consuming, as it can take a long time to read all of the screens. Short of pausing and taking notes, it is difficult to identify and track issues and make necessary changes. In this article, the author reviews the Fangs browser plug-in for Firefox, the WebAIM Wave Toolbar, also for Firefox, GoogleShades for Chrome, and the Web Accessibility Toolbar for Internet Explorer. Screen captures are provided to give a sense how each of these tools works. (Contains 7 figures.)
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A