Internet Accessibility Criteria

In addition to general criteria of web accessibility, which help users to navigate easily – such as clear navigation, design and language, other specific criteria exist, which make a website accessible also for persons with disabilities.

When it comes to the programming of an accessible website, the principle of less is more is often valid: not to define the font size, so that persons with low vision can enlarge the text easier using their browsers or other tools, like magnifiers, not to use frames, and to leave out graphs or features, which are not accessible (e.g. drop down menus with redirections, graphs or videos without alternative texts).

A short checklist of standards is provided by the web accessibility initiative (WAI): www.w3.org

The WAI also lists criteria to do a short test of the accessibility of a website, e.g.:

1. Turn off images, and check whether appropriate alternative text for the images is available.
2. Turn off the sound, and check whether audio content is still available through text equivalents.
3. Use browser controls to vary font-size: verify that the font size changes on the screen accordingly; and that the page is still usable at larger font sizes.

Further information: www.w3.org - WAI Webcontent Guidelines
www.webstyleguide.com

Read more:

E-mail accessibility
Accessibility of www.cbm.org

The human right to information
What is meant by accessibility?
Access to information in developing countries
E-Accessibility
E-Accessibility - International Day of Persons with Disabilities