| Evaluation instructions |
Source |
| Documentation |
|
Verify that margins no bigger than 1 inch are used on all documentation. |
Section 255, Telecommunications Act [1193.33(a)-Advisory Guidance] |
| Verify that documents are printed on 8.5 X 11 inch paper. |
Section 255, Telecommunications Act [1193.33(a)-Advisory
Guidance] |
| Verify that document text is available in large print (18 point). |
Section 255, Telecommunications Act [1193.33(a)-Advisory
Guidance] |
| Verify that dark colors and shades of red are not used. |
Section 255, Telecommunications Act [1193.33(a)-Advisory
Guidance] |
| Verify that all documentation is left-justified against the left
margin with 1.25 line spacing. |
Section 255, Telecommunications Act [1193.33(a)-Advisory
Guidance] |
| Inspect each aspect of the documentation and verify that the spaces
between letters of words (1/16 of uppercase letters), lines of text, and
differing topics is uniform and maximizes contrast. |
EITAAC, 1999 |
| Inspect each aspect of the documentation and verify that sans-serif
fonts have been used and that typeface with numerals that have tails
curling up has been avoided. |
EITAAC, 1999 |
| Inspect each aspect of the documentation and verify that lightweight,
extra bold, and condensed typefaces have been avoided. |
|
| Inspect each aspect of the documentation and verify that a text
description (label) has been provided for all graphics. |
EITAAC, 1999 |
| If separate documentation is available for low vision users, verify
that text is displayed in 18-point type, mixed case, without special
formatting. |
Section 255, Telecommunications Act [1193.33(a)-Advisory
Guidance] |
| Hardware |
Input/controls |
Verify that sufficient illumination of controls and instructions have been provided. |
|
| Inspect the control space and verify that the space between letters of words (1/16 of uppercase letters), lines of text, and differing topics is uniform and maximizes contrast. |
Section 255, Telecommunications Act [1193.41(b)(2)(b), Advisory Guidance] |
| Inspect each key and verify that keys used for typing tasks have tops of 1.27 sq cm. |
|
| Inspect each key and verify that keycaps are easily interchangeable. |
|
| Inspect each control label and verify that redundant color-coding has been used. |
Section 255, Telecommunications Act [1193.41(b)(2)(d), Advisory Guidance] |
| Ouput/displays |
Verify that visual output uses upper and lowercase type. |
|
| Verify that there is a text-equivalent element provided for every non-text element (i.e., there is a label for every graphic). |
Section 508, Workforce Investment Act [1194.22(a), 1194.21(d)] |
| Move a stand-alone light around near the device. Evaluate the plastic or glass that covers the display. Verify that glare has been minimized without a significant reduction in the quality of sharpness of characters or darkening of the background. |
Section 255, Telecommunications Act [1193.41(b)(2)(a), Advisory Guidance] |
| Verify that contrast and/or brightness is adjustable. |
Section 508, Workforce Investment Act [1194.21(g), 1194.21(j), 1194.25 (h)] |
| Verify that an auditory warning precedes all visual cues and messages. |
|
| Verify that a video jack has been provided for attaching larger-image displays or assistive devices. |
|
| Inspect each aspect of the display and verify that the use of lightweight, extra bold, and condensed typefaces has been avoided or minimized. |
|
| Inspect each aspect of the control space and verify that text and symbols are as simple and large as possible, and that sans-serif fonts have been used for text in non-prose form (e.g., text used on labels, dials). |
Section 255, Telecommunications Act [1193.43(b)(2), Advisory Guidance] |
| Inspect each aspect of the display and verify that high contrast (minimum contrast ratio is 3:1 or contrast must be greater than 70%) between text or graphics and background has been used. |
Section 255, Telecommunications Act [1193.43(b)(2)(a), Advisory Guidance] |
| If the display is an LCD verify that the viewing angle is adjustable. |
|
| If the display is a dot matrix verify that a cell of 9x7 minimum is used, with the addition of 4 rows to accommodate line spacing, lower case ascenders and descenders, and accents. |
|
| Software |
|
Verify that windows are resizable via the keyboard and mouse. |
EITAAC, 1999 |
| Verify that the user interface is customizable, including colors, fonts, font sizes, window sizes, toolbars, and other settings and preferences, and that a command to restore default settings is provided. |
EITAAC, 1999 |
| Verify that text content, text input caret location, and text attributes are provided through standard system function calls or through an application programming interface that supports interaction with assistive technology by attempting to access this information using assistive technology. |
EITAAC, 1999 |
| Verify that system settings can be used for object sizes by attempting to make a change for the entire system. |
EITAAC, 1999 |
| Verify that system settings can be used for font, size, and color of all user interface controls by attempting to make a change for the entire system. |
EITAAC, 1999 |
| Verify that software production technologies allow for and facilitate the creation of alternative modality formats (if the basic format is not modality independent) by inspecting the accessibility features of such technologies. |
EITAAC, 1999 |
| Verify that security testing of documents or other items is not specific to a particular browser or user agent. |
EITAAC, 1999 |
| Verify that graphic attributes, such as line, border, and shadow thickness are adjustable. |
EITAAC, 1999 |
| Verify that font sizes and styles are adjustable. |
EITAAC, 1999 |
| Verify that client area content can be magnified. |
EITAAC, 1999 |
| Verify that backgrounds may be optionally turned off. |
EITAAC, 1999 |
| Verify that application colors are adjustable. |
EITAAC, 1999 |
| Inspect each aspect of the application and verify that descriptive names have been provided for all interface components and any object using graphics instead of text. |
EITAAC, 1999 |
| Website |
|
Verify that content readable without requiring an associated style sheet. |
Section 508, Workforce Investment Act [1194.22(d)] |
| Wherever JavaScript is used, verify that the page functions correctly without the script or that a parallel page without JavaScript is provided. |
RNIB, 2000 |
| When there is no other way to make a web site compliant with Section 508 guidelines, verify that a text-only page, with equivalent functionality or information, is provided for every web page. |
Section 508, Workforce Investment Act [1194.22(k)] |
| Verify that web page documents are organized such that they may be read without style sheets. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Verify that web documents validate to published formal grammars. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Verify that there is an option to stop auto-redirect and that markup is not used to redirect pages automatically. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Verify that the user has some means of selecting how a page will be presented. |
RNIB, 2000 |
| Verify that the page makes sense if tables are de-columnized. |
RNIB, 2000 |
| Verify that text-only web pages are updated whenever the primary page changes. |
Section 508, Workforce Investment Act [1194.22(k)] W3C, 1999 |
| Verify that structural markup is used to properly represent the structure of the document and not simply to achieve particular effects. |
University of Washington, 2000 |
| Verify that quotations have been marked up and that quotation markup has not been used for formatting effects such as indentation. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Verify that pop-ups or other windows do not appear automatically and that the current window does not change without informing the user. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Verify that pages do not automatically refresh. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Verify that page readability is not dependent on style sheets. |
University of Washington, 2000 |
| Verify that navigation mechanisms have been used in a consistent manner. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Verify that methods for skipping over navigation links to get to a page's main content are provided. |
University of Washington, 2000 |
| Verify that metadata has been provided for adding semantic information to all pages in the site. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Verify that meaningful text descriptors are provided for all visual information. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Verify that markup rather than images is used to convey information, when the appropriate markup language exists. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Verify that logical event handlers have been specified instead of device-dependent event handlers. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Verify that lists and list items are marked up properly. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Verify that links are not presented directly next to each other. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Verify that large blocks of information have been divided into more manageable groups where natural and appropriate. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Verify that labels have been explicitly associated with their corresponding controls. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Verify that information about the general layout of the site has been provided. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Verify that if graphics are used as links that text based alternative links are also provided. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Verify that if a web page cannot be made accessible that an alternative has been provided. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Verify that if a table must be used for layout that structural markup has not been used for the purpose of visual formatting. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Verify that if a Flash movie is used on the entrance page that a plain text link is also available. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Verify that header elements are used according to specification to convey web document structure. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Verify that graph and chart content is summarized in a text format. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Verify that font sizes are adjustable. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Verify that equivalents for dynamic content are updated when dynamic content changes. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Verify that each link has descriptive link text (not just "click here") and that each link makes sense when read out of context (this is best evaluated by using a screen reading assistive device). |
W3C, 1999 |
| Verify that depreciated features have been avoided. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Verify that contrast is adequate by inspecting it using a grayscale image (contrast must be greater than 70%). |
University of Washington, 2000 |
| Verify that client-side image maps instead of server side maps have been provided, except where regions cannot be defined with an available geometric shape. |
W3C, 1999;Section 508, Workforce Investment Act [1194.22(f)] |
| Verify that changes in the natural language of the page's text are clearly identified. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Verify that alternate content for scripts, applets, and plug-ins are provided by attempting to use the site with those features turned off or unavailable. |
University of Washington, 2000 |
| Verify that all information conveyed with color is also available without color (e.g., from context or markup). |
Section 508, Workforce Investment Act [1194.22(c)] |
| Test the site without Flash capability to verify that if a Flash movie is used on the entrance page that all meaningful content is available to users who cannot access Flash. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Test site with graphics turned off and verify that graphics have not been used as a substitute for text. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Inspect the site without graphics to verify that client-side image maps have alternative text for map hot spots. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Inspect the site with graphics turned off to verify that text or audio descriptions of important video content are provided. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Inspect the site with graphics turned off to verify that menu alternatives for image maps are provided. |
University of Washington, 2000 |
| Inspect the site with graphics turned off to verify that form elements have labels associated with them. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Inspect each page in the site to verify that, where possible, forms and databases have been avoided. |
University of Washington, 2000 |
| Inspect each page in the site to verify that tables and frames have been used sparingly. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Inspect each page in the site to verify that backgrounds are simple, using a solid color. |
University of Washington, 2000 |
| Inspect each page in the site and verify that sentences are not typed in ALL CAPS, unless emphasis is intended. |
W3C, 1999 |
| Inspect each page in the site and verify that large blocks of text are neither italicized nor underlined. |
W3C, 1999 |
| If server-side maps cannot be avoided, inspect the site without graphics to verify that server-side maps have equivalent text links. |
W3C, 1999; Section 508, Workforce Investment Act [1194.22(e)] |
| If scripts and/or applets are used, verify that event handlers are input device-independent. |
W3C, 1999 |
| If PDF documents are provided, verify that alternative HTML or plain text versions are also provided, and that charts or graphs in the PDF files are accessible (this is best evaluated by using a screen reading assistive device). |
W3C, 1999 |
| If images are essentially functional, verify that the function is conveyed with text. |
W3C, 1999 |
| If functionality is important and not presented elsewhere, verify that programmatic elements such as scripts and applets are directly accessible by or compatible with assistive devices. |
W3C, 1999 |
| If frames are used, verify that meaningful NOFRAMES content, which contains links to other pages in the site, has been provided (i.e., navigation is facilitated). |
W3C, 1999;Section 508, Workforce Investment Act [1194.22(i)] |
| If frames are used, verify that each frame and frame page have titles by attempting to track frames by title. |
W3C, 1999 |
| If an image is a bullet or horizontal section divider, verify that the text equivalent represents the same thing by inspecting the site with graphics turned off. |
W3C, 1999 |
| For data tables, verify that row and column headers are identified. |
W3C, 1999;Section 508, Workforce Investment Act [1194.22(g)] |
| For data tables that have more than 2 logical levels of row or column headers, verify that markup has been used to associate data cells and header cells. |
W3C, 1999;Section 508, Workforce Investment Act [1194.22(h)] |
| For any element that has its own interface, verify that it can be operated in a device-independent manner. |
W3C, 1999 |
| For all form controls with implicitly associated labels, verify that the labels are properly positioned. |
W3C, 1999 |