This is an individual project to make your webpage more accessible. Learning goals include
- Some of the basic rules for web accessibility
- How to use an accessibility checker to assess whether a web page is accessible
- How to fix accessibility problems
- How to work within the constraints of end-user content editing tools and still make something accessible
This project has two phases.
Phase one: Assess problems
In phase one, you will assess problems with the web page you choose.
Picking a webpage
You can assess your own website, if you have one. If not, a next best option would be your personal social media site (such as your linked-in page). If you don’t have one, but use social media such as facebook and twitter you can assess your posts on one of those sites. Finally, if none of those are options, just pick any site you think makes sense.
Running an accessibility checker
Once you have selected a web page, you should run it through an accessibility checker. The WebAim accessibility checker, WAVE, is a great choice for many sites. However, if the site requires that you log in, you may need an alternative. A great choice is the Chrome plugin Axe.
What to bring to class from Phase one
You should not change anything about the website you selected before class. You should bring your accessibility checking results to class and have read them over. We will work together in class on addressing the problems you found.
Phase two: Fixing problems
In phase two, you will fix problems on the website you chose. We will talk about how to write alt text, set up proper header structures, simplify language, and what else is possible within the constraints of the technology you are using.