[WG: Accessibility] Accessible dynamic DOM > WAS: Re: Alternate interfaces?

[Eli Cochran]

Hi Tim,
I won't speak to the correctness of building alternative interfaces at this time... I leave that to the project managers on the project. But I will speak to accessibility. 

There is nothing inherently inaccessible about UIs that are built with JS. Whether a page is generated client-side or server-side, the end result is DOM and the structure and design of the DOM is what determines accessibility. So if your design is good and your code is spitting out well-structured accessible DOM then you're on par with a server-side generated page. 

However, because we can do so much client-side, we do need to take extra measures (no matter where the DOM is coming from initially) to make sure that as we change the page dynamically, we do it in ways that a "visible" to adaptive devices and users with special needs.

Unfortunately 508 offers no guidance here. Luckily, there are tons of great references available based on the experience and knowledge of accessibility users, designers and developers [1][2][3]. Additionally there is WCAG 2.0 [4] and the upcoming WCAG 3.0 guidelines, and ATAG 1.0 [5] and the upcoming ATAG 2.0 guidelines.

We also have a very knowledgeable and active Sakai Accessibility WG [6][7]. The Accessibility WG is available to answer questions and review code and design. And we're working on a set of guidelines and techniques to be applied generally to Sakai 3 to ensure a high level of accessibility. 

Sorry to be a bit long winded... I just can't pass up an opportunity to beat the accessibility drum.

- Eli

[1] http://fluidproject.org/
[2] http://www.webaim.org/
[3] http://www.w3.org/WAI/
[4] http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/
[5] http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-AUTOOLS/
[6] http://confluence.sakaiproject.org//x/MIDtAg
[7] accessibility at collab.sakaiproject.org

On Feb 2, 2010, at 7:03 PM, Tim Caswell wrote:

> And two, would the site still be section 508 compliant if I'm generating the proper html, but it's not there in the source html.  I don't care so much about 508 for my particular needs since I'm doing this for a private institution, but I'd like something that can be contributed back to the community.

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Eli Cochran
manager of user experience design
ETS, UC Berkeley

"The opportunity lost by increasing the amount of blank space is gained back with enhanced attention to what remains."
    - John Maeda