While coming up to speed on recent trends on web content accessibility, I came across a number of great resources, which I’d like to share. These resources are especially helpful for developing accessible web content for those with disabilities.
Many of the same principles apply to the overall usability of your site and are considered best practices for any site visitor, including mobile users.
1. World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) provides guidelines/standards on making accessible Web content, as well as related best practices for making content mobile-friendly.
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is a guide for making Web sites accessible to people with disabilities.
The Mobile Web Best Practices (MWBP) is a guide for making Web sites usable from a mobile device.
Web Content Accessibility and Mobile Web: Making a Web Site Accessible Both for People with Disabilities and for Mobile Devices describes the considerable overlap between the WCAG and MWBP standards, providing additional links about the similarities.
Techniques for WCAG 2.0 describes specific authoring practices, which can help you implement WCAG 2.0 guidelines.
21 new PDF Techniques for WCAG 2.0 provides tips for Producing Accessible PDF Files, with examples from Adobe Acrobat Pro, Adobe Reader 9, Microsoft Word 2007, and other applicable tools. (These tips are from Techniques for WCAG 2.0.)
2. STC AccessAbility SIG
An Accessibility and Technical Communication Blog The AccessAbility SIG is a Special Interest Group, supported by the Society for Technical Communication, which serves as a clearinghouse to match people with products, services, and/or relevant literature, relating to a variety of accessibility needs. The blog for the AccessAbility provides additional links to other Accessibility Blogs.
Accessibility and Usability Topics at #STC11 provides a great list of current topics of interest, relating to accessibility and usability, as to be presented at the STC Summit 2011. (Stay tuned for information about the recorded presentations, available at SUMMIT@aClick.)
3. Boston Internet-Accessibility
The Boston-IA site provides education on the accessibility of electronic information, including these resources:
4. Vendors
Microsoft’s Accessibility Overview lists resources on the latest developments in accessibility, and includes a link to Microsoft’s Web Accessibility Handbook.
Adobe Accessibility provides information and news about accessibility in Adobe products, for people with disabilities.
5. Blog Accessibility
At Blog Accessibility, Glenda Watson Hyatt blogs about how to create a more accessible blogosphere. She also provides a free e-book, with related tips.
So, that’s my round-up of links, on web content accessibility. Do you have any other good resources to share?
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Contacting the Author: Content for a Convergent World – Peg Mulligan’s Blog
Peg Mulligan's Blog 
Thanks for the mention, Peg. I’d also add http://www.webaim.og – a wealth of web accessibility information.
Thanks Glenda for dropping by, and for pointing out the additional resource, on web content accessibility, at webaim. I will check it out.
I was also glad to find your site and a resource, dedicated to improving accessibility in the blogosphere. Your ebook looks very helpful.
I’m a blog and podcast about web accessibility.
Great to learn about another resource, with writing tips for web content accessibility:
http://webaxe.blogspot.com/
Here is a useful book. Just Ask: Integrating Accessibility Throughout Design: http://www.uiaccess.com/accessucd/
Thanks for the suggestion, Jennifer…
Hi Peg. I’d also like to suggest the IBM Developer Accessibility Guidelines at http://www-03.ibm.com/able/guidelines as a resource. The guidelines are based on US Section 508 and w3C recommendations, and we use them internally at IBM. The Web Accessibility Checklist is quite extensive.
Hi Holly,
Thank you for the suggestion…I have referred to IBM’s excellent guidelines in the past for usability and will make sure to swing by, for accessibility resources…
~Peg