This post is for those interested in tools or ways to check web pages for Accessibility.
The good people over at webaim.org [webaim.org] have adopted the WAVE web page checker(original - at PIAT - Pennsylvania's Initiative on Assistive Technology) and are developing more features. They have released a beta form ready for use.
This tool is a different type of check for web accessibility and will give ideas, info, and help regarding critical items found on most web pages. The check is also more visual, using symbols and description. The tool is Free to use.
WAVE 3.0 beta [wave.webaim.org]*
What's New in WAVE 3.0 [wave.webaim.org]
Explanation of Icons [wave.webaim.org]
[* beta format, so changes and updates will be made. 3 Methods for checking pages offered: submit URI, upload a page, and or save a checking bookmarklet to your browser toolbar or favorites - IE4+, NN6+,Opera browsers ] Other tools I find useful to check web pages for Accessiblity.
Delorie.com : web Tools [delorie.com] - Lynx viewer [delorie.com] available, link checker, browser version or HTML version checks available, and my favorite, the Web Page Backwards Compatibility Checker [delorie.com] which allows you to turn off a combination of web features to see how that page works without these items... frames, javascript, tables, css, missing Alts, etc...
BOBBY [bobby.watchfire.com] - sometimes this one can be difficult to understand or intimidating to use. But it is a good one. Checks available for Section 508 and WAI guidelines.
Vischeck [vischeck.com] [checks for forms of color blindness via simulation]
Diamond Demo Tools [508compliant.com] Bookmarklets to use with your Win IE browser: grayscale the page[for visual and color blindness checks], kill style sheets, check for alt text on images. Once installed to the browser - Just click the bookmarklet while a page is in the IE browser and these will give feedback or change the page accordingly. Reloading page or refreshing browser returns page to original state.
=== Validating the page HTML at the W3C validator [validator.w3.org] is always good. Mistakes in mark up could equate to delivery problems for others and alternative devices. At W3C the CSS can also be checked [jigsaw.w3.org] for errors and warnings.
holly
