Accessibility Guideline
There are a countless variety of users who visit homepages. There are users who are senior citizens, persons with visual or hearing impairments, individuals with physical disabilities, children, as well as users whose native tongue is not Japanese. We hope that all visitors of a homepage can enter without trouble and enjoy the content, even feel a touch of hospitality. This guideline was not created to limit the use of graphical or multimedia forms of expression, but to offer suggestions that may allow users of different environments to view a site with more ease.
When creating a site, acknowledge that the below users may be visiting your site:
- Users who have difficulty seeing, hearing, moving, and processing certain forms of information.
- Users who have difficulty reading text and/or understanding the context.
- Users who have difficulty using the keyboard and/or mouse.
- Users using screens that are small or screens that only display text. There are also users who have a slow Internet connection.
- Users who cannot understand the language or have difficulty understanding the written language on the site.
- Users who may have eyes, ears, hands that are temporarily occupied or not functional.
- Users who are using an early-type browser, various types of browsers, voice browsers, and numerous types of operating systems.
Accessibility Guideline
Total Site
* Employ HTML 4.0 as much as possible.
* Use JIS Code if possible.
* Use Style Sheets to control font size, color, placement, pictures, and objects.
* When using Style Sheets, the site should be easy to navigate even when
seen from browsers that do not accommodate Style Sheets.
* Make certain of a distinct color contrast between background and text color.
* By keeping in mind that there are individuals who have difficulty
differentiating between green and red, refrain from using these color
combinations.
* One page should be a reasonable length. When pages must be long, anchors should be available.
* The TITLE for HEAD should be a title that is appropriate for the context.
* For any HR, a TITLE should be given to state its purpose.
* Refrain from using tables for page layout.
Pictures¥Image Maps
* Pictures should be as light as possible.
* The format of a picture (JPG, GIF) should be decided upon appropriate weight and graphic clarity.
* ALT feature should be applied to all pictures.
* Pictures of design purposes and graphics that do not have to be explained, should have a space as its ALT feature.
* Image Maps should be of the client side rather than the server side.
* Links of each client-side image map should have an ALT feature explaining its content.
* Important graphics (tables and graphs) should be linked to an explanation.
* All pictures that represent link buttons should have an ALT feature explaining the destination of the link.
* Refrain from using pictographs. Use pictures and text instead.
Links
* A text link should be understandable without reading its context and should be concise.
* When there are a number of links in one line, make a clear
distinction between links by using symbols that represent separation.
* Make certain that the length of text links are not too small; they should be easy to see and to click.
* Avoid deleting lines below links without careful thought.
Audio / Video
* When information is expressed in audio format, have an alternative text version available.
* For information in video format, have accompanying audio information available.
* For information in video format, have a text explanation available.
Text
* Refrain from placing a space or a new line within one word.
* Refrain from using signs when expressing an important message.
* For English words to be read aloud with little problem, use lower case letters.
* When drawing a line indicating 'Cancellation,' make certain that this message is clearly understandable.
* Careful distinction between elements and context which are placed for
structural purposes versus elements and context which are placed for
appearance reasons should be made.
* Refrain from using text which uses blinking and scrolling features.
* Headings should be placed in a strategic order.
* A list should be created to precisely indicate the structure of its content and not based on appearance.
* Keep in mind that numbers of numbered lists are not read aloud.
* When using colors to express a message, it should also be possible for the same message to be conveyed without colors.
* When creating a Japanese site avoid using foreign languages.
* Explanations for abbreviations and terms that are not common should be available.
* Use CSS to adjust font size and line spacing, to create an easy-to-read document.
Tables
* Structure tables in a manner which the relationship between lines and columns are easy to comprehend.
* Place title of table before the table begins.
* Refrain from combining cells.
* When creating tables using letters and numbers, have alternate forms of information available.
Frames
* Refrain from using frames.
* Give all FRAME features titles.
* Create a site that can be read without the use of frames.
* Refrain from placing pictures directly within frames. Opt to create a separate HTML file for pictures.
Forms
* Refrain from using pictures for the 'submit' button.
* Have a default value for all text boxes and text areas.
* Prepare an alternate means of text input when a form must be filled.
JavaScript / Java Applet
* Prepare an alternative for speech-enabled browsers that do not support JavaScript.
* Prepare an alternative for speech-enabled browsers that do not support Java Applets.
Checking Methods
* Check using both Explorer and Netscape browsers.
* Check navigation of site after removing all Style Sheets.
* Check that all operations are possible with the keyboard.
* Listen to the site with a speech-enabled browser.
* From a distance of 1 meter from the monitor, check if colors and structures can be differentiated.
* Use the Bobby or i-checker and confirm the site's accessibility.
Important Notice Upon Using this Guideline
Note that this guideline was independently created by UDIT
Corporation based on the below sources and may not include all points
stated within the WAI Guidelines:
- 'Web Contents Accessibility Guideline 1.0' by the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium), WAI (Web Accessibility Initiative)
(¢http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/WAI-WEBCONTENT-19990505£)
- 'Guidelines for Creating Accessible Content on the Internet' by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, Japan
- Homepages, Mailing Lists, and Opinions.
All operating systems, and speech-enabled browsers have not been tested
based on this guideline. Clearing all items of this guideline does not
declare a site to be fully accessible. In addition, as a result of
amendments to the WAI Guideline, and new speech-enabled software and
browsers, the content in this guideline may require a revision. Please
understand that in a case a problem occurs on a site that is created
based on this guideline, UDIT Corporation cannot be held accountable.
Text written by: UDIT Corporation, Senior Researcher Hideo Hamada