Accessibility On This Site
This web site is created to be as accessible as possible. Here are some of the key features.
Changing Text Size
The functionality for increasing and decreasing text size is friendly to browsers since text sizes are set with relative units, rather than absolute units.
back to top"Skip to" Feature
Also known as the "Skip Navigation" feature, this allows the user's online cursor to pass over the repeated content at the beginning of each page (such as the heading and navigation) and go straight to the main page content. This is especially useful to those with screenreaders because it gives the user a way to avoid listening through lengthy menus every time he or she enters a new page.
To try it, navigate to a new page, then press the Tab key. The "Skip to content" link should be selected. Press the Enter key to activate the link.
Forms
Many forms on web sites are not fully accessible; they are not properly coded for users with different types abilities and different types of web browsing devices. The most important technique in making an HTML form accessible is labeling each form element, such as a text input field, as done on this web site.
A simple check for this feature is to click on the text associated with a text input box (the label), and see if the cursor appears in the box. Go to the contact page and try it!
Special Links
Links which open in a new window and email links both have two methods to alert the user that it is not a "normal" hyperlink. The first is an icon displaying the type of link that is shown at the end of the link. The second is a Title attribute (the yellow text display, or tip tool) which is displayed when the link is moused-over (or is read by a screen-reader).
Headings
Page headings are used appropriately on every page of this site. Headings convey to the user the importance and hierarchy of the sections in a web page. Using heading correctly is especially important for those using text browsers and screen readers because the user can access a summary of the web page made directly from the headers. Headings are also important for many technical reasons such as separating style from content and Search Engine Optimization.
About Access Keys & Tab Index
Use of access keys and tab index is no longer considered good web accessibility practice; they are not used on this web site.
Access keys may interfere with assistive technology. A re-ordered tab index may be confusing to the user and is no longer needed since implementation of web standards allows a web page to be coded in reading order.