A Review of Free, Online Accessibility Tools
Additional Features

Many accessibility tools include features that expand the overall functionality of the product. This can enhance their overall value for specific audiences. Web developers, designers, and evaluators who understand these additional features will be prepared to select an accessibility tool that meets their needs. Some additional features include:

• Checks structural/semantic elements
• Simulates a text only view
• Displays an outline of the heading organizational structure
• Exposes/Highlights accessibility features
• Displays source code according to the document tree order
• Checks quality content defects
• Checks searchability and page content
• Checks Webpage data collection information
• Provides an Alternative Text Quality Report

Checks Structural/Semantic Elements

This feature checks web sites for structural and semantic elements which are used by developers to organize and layout web pages. The feature highlights the structural and semantic tags to help developers determine if they are use properly. Structural elements include div tags, layout tables, data tables with header rows and columns, table row or column header tags, and client side image maps. This feature displays the linearized reading order of both design and layout tables from the perspective of how screen readers would read a table.

In contrast to structural elements, semantic elements generally make up the organization of an online document. Semantic elements include headers, lists (ordered, unordered, definition), strong and emphasized items, quotes, block quotes, and titles. As with the structural elements, this feature highlights the elements to help developers determine if they are being used appropriately. Thus when the bold tag is used (which is deprecated) rather than a strong tag, the code is highlighted thereby helping designers recognize that they should use style sheets rather than a discontinued tag.

Tools that use this format: Wave 3.0, Wave 3.5 (Icon view)

Intended Audience: Web Designers and Developers

Simulates a Text Only View

This feature displays site content as plain text without images, formatting, colors, or multimedia. This feature allows developers to check the linear reading order of the web page, the appropriateness of image alt text, and determine if the page is still usable.

Tools that use this format: Wave 3.5 (Text view)

Intended Audience: Web Designers and Developers

Displays an Outline of the Heading Organizational Structure

This feature analyzes the semantic elements of a web page and displays an outline of the page based on header levels. If a web page has no headers an outline will not be created. Outlines are used by screen readers to quickly read over the page and help users determine the importance of the content.

Tools that use this format: Wave 3.5 (Outline view)

Intended Audience: Web Designers and Developers

Exposes/Highlights Accessibility Features

This feature checks a page for accessibility features used in a page. Showing accessibility features allows developers to check their work in the context of the page. Accessibility elements include: alt text, null alt text, long desc tags, form labels, fieldset/legend tags, frame titles no script tag (when Java is turned off), and same page links to skip to content. Additionally, this feature warns developers about problematic accessibility elements that may not be supported by all browsers or assistive technologies including: invisible same page links (for blink users), keyboard shortcuts, and tab order specification.

Tools that use this format: Wave 3.5 (Icon view)

Intended Audience: Web Designers, Developers, and Evaluators

Displays Source Code According to the Document Tree Order

This feature displays a web page as HTML code in the document tree order with the code highlighted. Valid code is green, deprecated code is orange, and bogus code is red. This feature allows users to quickly examine the state of their code to determine what code may need to be changed for greater compatibility.

Tools that use this format: Accessibility Valet Demonstrator

Intended Audience: Web Designers and Developers

Checks Quality Content Defects

This feature checks a web page for link defects. The quality checker examines a page for broken, defective, or outdated external or internal links. This feature should save developers some time as they examine the overall functionality of their web site.

Tools that use this format: WebXact

Intended Audience: Web Developers and Designers

Checks Searchability and Page Content

This feature scans a page for searchability issues including metadata summaries, page content, and links. Additionally this feature determines the file size of pages which is an issue for individuals with slower internet connections.

Tools that use this format: AccMonitor Online and WebXact

Intended Audience: Web Designers and Developers

Checks Web Page Data Collection Information

This feature checks the page to determine if it tracks visitors and how this information is used by the company it scans the page for Platform for Privacy Preferences or P3P compliance. This means that the feature checks to make sure the site informs visitors how their site information will be used (i.e. sold to third party customer etc).

Tools that use this format: AccMonitor Online and WebXact

Intended Audience: Web Designers and Developers

Provides an Alternative Text Quality Report

This feature scans the alt text used on the page and generates a quality report. The report checks alt text for errors including:

• Use of the word "image"
• Use of file extensions (jpg, gif, bmp, jpeg)
• Length of text that that is greater than 7 and less than 81 characters
• Use of repeated words

Tools that use this format: Cynthia Says, Torquemada, Wave 3.5, WebXact

Intended Audience: Web Developers, Designers, and Evaluators