Dreamweaver And Accessibility - Adobe 38040334 - Dreamweaver CS3 User Manual

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Chapter 23: Accessibility
Adobe® Dreamweaver® CS3 includes a number of features that let you design and develop accessible web pages.
Additionally, the application itself is accessible to people with disabilities.

Dreamweaver and accessibility

Accessible content
Accessibility refers to making websites and web products usable for people with visual, auditory, motor, and other
disabilities. Examples of accessibility features for software products and websites include screen reader support, text
equivalents for graphics, keyboard shortcuts, change of display colors to high contrast, and so on. Dreamweaver
provides tools that make it accessible to use and tools that help you author accessible content.
For Dreamweaver developers who need to use accessibility features, the application offers screen reader support,
keyboard navigation, and operating system accessibility support.
For web designers who need to create accessible content, Dreamweaver assists you in creating accessible pages that
contain useful content for screen readers and comply with federal government guidelines. For example, dialog boxes
prompt you to enter accessibility attributes—such as text equivalents for an image—when you insert page elements.
Then, when the image appears on a page for a user with visual disabilities, the screen reader reads the description.
Dreamweaver also provides sample web pages that were designed for accessibility and an accessibility report that you
can run to test your page or site against the Section 508 accessibility guidelines.
Note: For more information about two significant accessibility initiatives, see the World Wide Web Consortium Web
Accessibility Initiative (www.w3.org/wai) and Section 508 of the U.S. Federal Rehabilitation Act (www.section508.gov).
No authoring tool can automate the development process. Designing accessible websites requires you to understand
accessibility requirements and make ongoing decisions about how users with disabilities interact with web pages.
The best way to ensure that a website is accessible is through deliberate planning, development, testing, and evalu-
ation.
Dreamweaver accessibility validation feature
The accessibility validation feature in Dreamweaver uses technology from UsableNet. UsableNet is an industry
leader in developing easy-to-use software to automate usability and accessibility testing and repair. For additional
assistance with accessibility testing, try the UsableNet LIFT for Macromedia Dreamweaver, a solution for developing
usable and accessible websites. UsableNet LIFT for Macromedia Dreamweaver includes fix wizards for complex
tables, forms, and images; a global ALT text editor; customizable reporting; and a new active monitoring mode that
ensures content is accessible as pages are being built. Request a demo of LIFT for Macromedia Dreamweaver at
www.usablenet.com.
September 4, 2007