Finding your way:

Accessible Web Page Design:
What's New?

• Changes in Design

• Changes in Content

If you have any comments or questions about these changes, please drop us a line at access@starlingweb.com

Changes in Design

• Thanks to an observant visitor who pointed out that I wasn't following my own accessibility rules on the Table of Contents page. There was a discrepancy between what was written about the accessibility of the page and what was implemented. I had omitted descriptive alt-text on some of the graphical symbols used to visually indicate the update status of pages on the site. That has been corrected.

  This incident serves to highlight a frequently forgotten guideline for any Web page developer: get somebody to proof-read your pages for internal consistency (and spelling, and grammar, and so on). It will save you from later embarrassment.

• Three visitors in one month complained (justifiably) that some of my pages with internal links were really annoying to print. To reduce the number of HTML files I had to manage, I "simulated" new pages by hiding text way down a display page using the <PRE> tags and lots of hard-returns. This meant that if you printed one of these pages, you would get lots of blank paper ejected before the last bits of text on the page would print. Now, in most cases, I have created links to new pages that supply the alternative text or descriptions that I refer to in an example. The pages in question are:
  • Making AUDIO accessible.
  • Making GRAPHS and CHARTS accessible.
  • Making PHOTOGRAPHS and IMAGES accessible.
• Another user mentioned that I had only referenced FONT problems on the page: Are BODY BACKGROUNDs accessible? Example 1. Since that page is practically unreadble on many systems, some visitors might have missed the important discussion of the FONT SIZE parameter. So, I created a new page: Using the <FONT> Tag.

• Thanks to Nathan Dors of the University of Washington for making me aware of potential problems with the HTML <!-- comment --> element. It seems that some browsers are fussy about what you put between the start and end tags. I fixed or removed all comments on my pages. For details about the problem, see: http://www.htmlhelp.com/reference/wilbur/misc/comment.html

• Starling Access Services has assumed complete responsibility for the content and maintenance of this site. The entire look of the site has been redesigned to reflect that change.

• The entire site has been edited to present a uniform look and feel.
• A button and link has been added at the top each page to allow you to switch between the French and English versions of the site.
• Some links and file names have been changed to make the site easier for the webmaster to maintain. I appologize if these changes cause you any difficulties.

• Simplified the site's home page by splitting the introductory text off to its own page (acint.htm).
• Changed the icon for links to the Table of Contents.

• The What's New? page was added to the site.
• A Site Plan page has been added. This is a text-only index of the pages that comprise this site. At this time, it seems little more than a duplicate of the Table of Contents page, but it is useful for persons browsing with non-graphical browsers or people studying the design of the site.
• A Starling Access Services logo now appears on every page, just below the link to page navigation aids. This should add some "corporate identity" to the site.
• The graphical navigation button bar that appeared at the top of each page has been removed. The icons that made up the button bar now appear in a combined text/graphics navigation menu at the bottom of each page. That menu can be reached by choosing the "Finding your way" link.
• The original Accessible Web Page Design home page (acces.htm) has been split in two: it was getting too long (and it may still be). Acces.htm now contains the introductory text. The table of contents has been moved to its own page (actoc.htm).
• The background graphics on the Body Background pages have been toned down somewhat. Even I couldn't tell what was on the first page... it was a bit too extreme.

Changes in Content

• I completely revised the document which discusses the accessibility of TABLES.

• Starling Access Services is beginning a long overdue review and overhaul of the content of this site to reflect changes in both adaptive and standard technologies that have occurred in the past six months. Please be patient as pages are updated.

• This site is now bilingual! Please report any errors or omissions to access@starlingweb.com

• Adobe Systems announced its accessible plug-in for Acrobat Reader. There is a link to the site on the Table of Contents Page.
• Added some explanatory text to the "Introduction" and "Navigating thWeb-Site" pages

• Added a section on Netscape-supported FRAMES.

• There is now a link in the Table of Contents to a single-page (print-friendly) summary of this site. The summary document is part of a growing body of (draft) information that will be offered as guidelines for people building Web pages for the federal government of Canada.
• Are COLUMNS accessible? A news flash about column-aware screen-readers, and a slightly enlarged discussion of Netscape 2.0-supported FRAMES.
• HTML Alternatives for JAVA Applets. Added more explanatory text and two news flashes: safety of Java applets, and a problem with Netscape Navigator 2.0.

Finding your way.

Main Menu.
Navigating this Web Site.