Design for Device Independence:

How do you do this?

• Provide client-side image maps instead of server-side image maps except where the regions cannot be defined with an available geometric shape (WCAG Checkpoint 9.1)
• Ensure that any element that has its own interface can be operated in a device-independent manner (WCAG Checkpoint 9.2)
• For scripts, specify logical event handlers rather than device-dependent event handlers, for example, when using javascript, use onFocus and onBlur to trap keyboard use for users who cannot use a mouse, rather than relying on MouseOver scripting (WCAG Checkpoint 9.3)
• Create a logical tab order through links, form controls, and objects (WCAG Checkpoint 9.4)
• Provide keyboard shortcuts to important links (WCAG Checkpoint 9.5)

WHY? The user should be able to access a site with their preferred input (or output) device - mouse, keyboard, voice, head wand, or other.

• W3C Web Content Accessibility Guideline 9

Next Tip: Create Forms with correctly placed labels and logical tab order

• Return to Index of Accessibility Tips
• One Page Checklist of 'W3C Quick Tips' for Accessibility

These tips may be applied to any web site or Vista course, and are derived from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative but are not intended to reinterpret them. Web developers are encouraged to access the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Version 1.0, directly.