The W3C guidelines provide 14 key points that if followed, will help ensure the creation of at least a level 'A' accessible site. The guidelines and a short explanation are listed below.

Note: A full version can be found at this link. and the latest proposed guidelines at this link.

 1. Provide equivalent alternatives to auditory and visual content

If you have sound or picture content on a page, you should provide a text alternative that allows users to understand what that content is. This is particularly important if the image is something like a navigation arrow that is required for accessing further content.

W3C also suggests that there are times when developers should consider using images instead of text. The guidelines suggest that:

""The provision of non-text equivalents (e.g. pictures, videos, and pre-recorded audio) of text is also beneficial to many users, especially those for whom reading is difficult or impossible. In movies or visual presentations, actions such as body language and other visual cues may not be accompanied by enough auditory information to convey the same information. Unless verbal descriptions of this visual information are provided, people who can't see (or look at) the visual content will not be able to perceive it.""

2. Don't rely on color alone

For users that have trouble perceiving different colors, those with black and white displays or people accessing websites from handheld devices in bright sunlight, it can be very difficult to use sites where the background and foreground colors are similar. Thus, care should be taken to ensure that page design has sufficient contrast between the colors so the sites can be seen and understood in all conditions.


3. Use mark-up and style sheets and do so properly

It is important to create websites using the correct coding standards rather than using shortcuts. Badly coded webpages are difficult to use and are unlikely to work properly with assistive technologies or for users requiring accessible pages..

4. Clarify the usage of natural language

Natural language is the language in which the webpage is developed.

It's important to identify this in the code for each page; for example, LANG=EN tells the browser that the page is written in English. This allows browsers, screen readers and other technologies to choose the correct language to use with the page.

It is also important to specify abbreviations within a webpage using the appropriate Tags.

5. Create tables that transform (work for users that can't see tables) gracefully

Tables should be created so that users that do not see them can understand their contents easily. Tables should also should be used to present data only and should not be used to create page layouts or designs.

If a table is used, it should be built so that a user with a screen reader can understand it. A summary of the information contained in the tables should also be provided.

6. Ensure that pages featuring new technologies transform (work for users without the technology) gracefully

Many users do not have access to the latest technologies. Thus websites should be created so that users who do not have plug-ins such as Flash and JavaScript installed can still fully access and understand the content.

7. Ensure user control of time-sensitive content changes

Moving, blinking, scrolling etc. content is very difficult to interpret for visually impaired users and almost impossible for screen readers to play.

If you use moving or changing content on a website, there should be a way to pause or stop the movement to ensure that everyone can read it.

8. Ensure direct accessibility of embedded user interfaces

If you add functionality into the webpage that directly [?IS THAT RIGHT?] controls any part of the site, not all users will be able to access the page.

For all embedded interfaces, there must be an alternate way to control the functionality used.

9. Design for device-independence

Users may interact with webpages in many different ways -- mouse, keyboard, voice, or head wand, to name a few.

Functionality on pages must be designed so that it will work for all the possible ways a user may interact with a page, not just for mouse clicks, for example.

10. Use interim solutions
Website technology is constantly evolving and improving, but not all users will have the latest technologies available to them.

Interim solutions bridge the gap between current technology and older technology. These solutions should be used so that assistive technologies and older browsers will still operate correctly.

11. Use W3C technologies and guidelines

W3C's technologies and guidelines [link to http://www.w3.org/] are constantly being updated and improved. They are a valuable resource to which all web designers and developers should regularly be referring.

12. Provide context and orientation information

Complex content spread across a webpage can be difficult to understand for some users.

Try to group similar elements together, provide contextual information, and break large blocks of copy into smaller parts so that users can more easily understand the content.

13. Provide clear navigation mechanisms

Complex navigation design is difficult for all users to understand, not just those with accessibility needs.

Design and build navigation so that it is straightforward and easy to use.

14. Ensure that documents (webpages) are clear and simple

Using clear and simple language makes things easier for all site visitors. Make sure that the information you provide is well thought out and written in a way that is easy for your target audience to understand.