V' Beyond HTML: CSS, JavaScript, Plugins

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V. Beyond HTML CSS, JavaScript, Plug-ins
A Web Accessibility Primer Usability for
Everyone Office of Web Communications
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Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)

• CSS separates page appearance from page structure
  and content. Advantages
• Dont have to code each bit of formatting
  separately
• Users can turn off your style and use their own
  instead
• Not hard to learn. CIT offers training.

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JavaScript barriers

• Can create barriers by
• requiring mouse navigation
• hiding content from assistive technologies
• reducing user control
• disorienting users

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JavaScript guidelines

• Stay keyboard accessible.
• Make content and function available to assistive
  technologies (e.g., enlarging, screen readers)
• Dont override normal browser functionality.
• Provide accessible alternatives when your scripts
  are not accessible.

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Plug-ins

• Plug-in itself should work with assistive
  technologies.
• Your content must be accessible. E.g. synchronous
  captions and a transcript for a video.
• Dont make key functions (e.g., navigation)
  dependent on a plug-in.
• Provide link to where users can download plug-in.

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VI. CommonSpot and BlackBoard
A Web Accessibility Primer Usability for
Everyone Office of Web Communications
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CommonSpot

• Author mode not accessible. But authored pages
  can be made accessible.
• Turn on accessibility modes in author mode.
• Make sure any downloadable files (e.g.,
  PowerPoints, PDFs) are accessible.

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BlackBoard

• Not as accessible as it could be. Other options
  are under review.
• In the meantime, make sure any downloadable files
  you create (e.g., PowerPoints, PDFs) are
  accessible.
• If BlackBoard wont meet your students needs,
  consider using Cornells course site service to
  create your own site instead.

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VII. File Types Choosing and Converting
A Web Accessibility Primer Usability for
Everyone Office of Web Communications
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Choosing and Converting File Types

• No magic bullet, no one right answer.
• Consider your audience needs, your skills, your
  content, your budget.
• Consider providing more than one option (e.g.,
  PDF and HTML version)
• Use accessible conversion tool to make Microsoft
  Office files available as accessible HTML.