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Using Dreamweaver
Accessible web content may be created using practically
any authoring tool. Unfortunately, many of the more useful accessibility
features of HTML are not programmed directly into the Dreamweaver interface
(or any of the other commonly used HTML editors). However there are some
things that you can do in Dreamweaver without having to go to the
source code.
Formatting the default Dreamweaver
template
The default Dreamweaver template needs some adjustment for
HTML4.0 compatibility. You can follow the instructions here: http://www.webaim.org/howto/dreamweaver#h21.
or save this page
to replace the existing template (in Dreamweaver>Configuration>Templates).
From WebAIM,
here is a summary list of the features that either are or aren't available
in the Dreamweaver graphical interface (WYSIWYG interface: What You See
Is What You Get).
Edits that CAN be done
from the WYSIWYG interface
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Edits that CANNOT be done
from the WYSIWYG interface
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Adding alt tags to images, java applets, image maps.
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Adding a method to skip over long lists of links (e.g. "skip
to main content" links).
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Adding table headers (using TH).
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Providing redundant text links to server-side image maps.
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Creating client-side image maps rather than server-side image
maps.
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Changing the contrast of a page or element.
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Controlling the destination of links (to avoid opening up new
windows).
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Marking up quotations.
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Creating valid lists.
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Using relative size units (e.g. for tables) rather than absolute
sizes.
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Adding headings and subheadings.
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Creating templates that can be used across pages (so that you
can have a consistent navigational scheme and style of presentation).
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Providing transcripts for videos or audio clips (you have to
do the work, but you can type it into the WYSIWYG page).
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Adding empty alt tags for decorative images, spacer gifs, etc.
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Adding the LONGDESC attribute.
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Associating table headers with data cells (using ID, HEADERS,
SCOPE, AXIS, etc.)
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Adding alt tags for embedded plug-ins.
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Adding form accessibility features (LABEL, OPTGROUP, FIELDSET
and LEGEND).
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Captioning videos.
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Checking for color-blindness compatibility.
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Checking the flicker rate of images or animations.
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Giving titles to frames.
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Identify the natural language of the document, or changes in
the natural language.
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Creating ACRONYM tags.
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Adding the TABINDEX feature.
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Providing keyboard shortcuts.
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Providing summaries for tables.
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Adding meta-data.
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How to implement each of the above items is explained in
some detail at: http://www.webaim.org/howto/dreamweaver.
This page also describes how to enhance the accessibility features of
Dreamweaver.
A similar tutorial on creating accessible sites using FrontPage
is at: http://www.webaim.org/howto/frontpage.php
Back to HTML
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