VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) Accessibility Statement

(a) A text equivalent for every non-text element shall be provided (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc", or in element content).

Fully compliant:
All <img> elements have appropriate alt attributes. Real text is used instead of images where possible. Transcripts are provided for audio and video content.

Illustrations are used throughout the content. In some cases the illustrations require alternative text. In other cases they are merely decorative, or enhance the "look and feel," in which case they are given null alt text or are included as CSS background images (to avoid providing screen reader users with useless information).

(b) Equivalent alternatives for any multimedia presentation shall be synchronized with the presentation.

Fully compliant:
Synchronous captions are included with video clips in SMIL format (for Quicktime) or SAMI format (for Windows Media Player).

(c) Web pages shall be designed so that all information conveyed with color is also available without color, for example from context or markup.

Fully compliant:
Color is used to supplement non-color methods of conveying information, but the same information is available whether or not the user can see the colors.

Color is occasionally used to enhance comprehension for visual users. Still, this "enhancement" is redundant. The meaning of the content would not change if the colors were removed.

(d) Documents shall be organized so they are readable without requiring an associated style sheet.

Fully compliant:
All of the content is formatted using CSS. When CSS is turned off, the content is still available and structured semantically using the appropriate XHTML elements.

Due to CSS inadequacies in some browsers (especially older browsers), the CSS is designed to fail completely in browsers with no support or partial support. In many cases, browsers which only partially support CSS browsers render CSS in a way that is inaccessible, so accessibility is achieved by ensuring the styles fail completely. The information and semantic markup are still intact even when the styles fail.

(e) Redundant text links shall be provided for each active region of a server-side image map.

(Not applicable):
No server-side image maps are used.

(f) Client-side image maps shall be provided instead of server-side image maps except where the regions cannot be defined with an available geometric shape.

Fully compliant:
Only client-side image maps are used.

The client-side image maps in this content are not central to the content itself. They only illustrate the techniques of how to make image maps accessible.

(g) Row and column headers shall be identified for data tables.

Fully compliant:
All data tables use the <th> element to identify row and column headers.

Tables are not used for layout in this content. They are only used to convey data.

(h) Markup shall be used to associate data cells and header cells for data tables that have two or more logical levels of row or column headers.

Fully compliant:
The <th> elements are associated with their corresponding data cells using scope="col", scope="row" or a combination of the headers attribute and id attribute.

(i) Frames shall be titled with text that facilitates frame identification and navigation

Fully compliant:
Frames are not used except in one case when providing an example of how to create accessible frames. The frameset is marked up appropriately.

(j) Pages shall be designed to avoid causing the screen to flicker with a frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz.

Fully compliant:
The graphics, videos, and other elements of the content do not flicker (with the exception explained in the next table cell).

Some of the tutorials intentionally show examples of content that does not comply with this guideline, to show users what not to do. Users are warned in advance and can avoid this content.

(k) A text-only page, with equivalent information or functionality, shall be provided to make a web site comply with the provisions of this part, when compliance cannot be accomplished in any other way. The content of the text-only page shall be updated whenever the primary page changes.

Fully compliant:
The vast majority of this content is designed to be directly accessible so no alternative text-only pages were necessary for the main content. However, transcripts of video content are included for those who cannot view the videos. This is particularly relevant to users who are both deaf and blind, and who have no other way to access video or audio content.

(l) When pages utilize scripting languages to display content, or to create interface elements, the information provided by the script shall be identified with functional text that can be read by Assistive Technology.

Fully compliant:
JavaScript is not used on this site except in the section explaining how to create accessible JavaScript. This section is accessible to assistive technologies (see note in next table cell).

Some of the tutorials intentionally show examples of content that does not comply with this guideline, to show users what not to do. Users are warned in advance and can avoid this content and/or are given instructions on how to proceed through the content despite its shortcomings.

(m) When a web page requires that an applet, plug-in or other application be present on the client system to interpret page content, the page must provide a link to a plug-in or applet that complies with 1194.21(a) through (l).

Fully compliant:
Some parts of the content require Flash, media players, or other plug-ins. In all cases, links are provided to the appropriate plug-in.

None of the content requiring Flash or media players is necessary to understand the content itself. The media content is supplemental to the XHTML text. Still, the media content can be useful especially to people with certain types of cognitive disabilities, and so are included in the product.

(n) When electronic forms are designed to be completed on-line, the form shall allow people using Assistive Technology to access the information, field elements, and functionality required for completion and submission of the form, including all directions and cues.

Fully compliant:
The forms included in this content are not truly interactive, because their only purpose is to show examples of how to code form elements accessibly. Still, these form elements have the necessary markup to make them accessible to assistive technologies.

(o) A method shall be provided that permits users to skip repetitive navigation links.

Fully compliant:
The first link on every page allows users to skip pas the main navigation links. On some pages extra "skip links" are included to allow users to skip past long or tedious content. Also, each section is coded using the appropriate heading elements, allowing users of screen readers to jump from section to section or to hear an outline of the entire page if they like.

The "skip link" is accessible to keyboard users and screen reader users, but is rendered invisible to mouse users, who would not need this link. This may reduce some confusion on the part of mouse users who might not understand the purpose of such a link.

(p) When a timed response is required, the user shall be alerted and given sufficient time to indicate more time is required.

Fully compliant:
Timed responses are not necessary in this content, though there are some examples of timed responses for illustrative purpose (see note in next table cell).

Some of the tutorials intentionally show examples of content that does not comply with this guideline, to show users what not to do. Users are warned in advance and can avoid this content.

(a) When software is designed to run on a system that has a keyboard, product functions shall be executable from a keyboard where the function itself or the result of performing a function can be discerned textually.

Fully compliant:

(b) Applications shall not disrupt or disable activated features of other products that are identified as accessibility features, where those features are developed and documented according to industry standards. Applications also shall not disrupt or disable activated features of any operating system that are identified as accessibility features where the application programming interface for those accessibility features has been documented by the manufacturer of the operating system and is available to the product developer.

Fully compliant:

(c) A well-defined on-screen indication of the current focus shall be provided that moves among interactive interface elements as the input focus changes. The focus shall be programmatically exposed so that Assistive Technology can track focus and focus changes.

Fully compliant:

(d) Sufficient information about a user interface element including the identity, operation and state of the element shall be available to Assistive Technology. When an image represents a program element, the information conveyed by the image must also be available in text.

Fully compliant:

(e) When bitmap images are used to identify controls, status indicators, or other programmatic elements, the meaning assigned to those images shall be consistent throughout an application's performance.

Fully compliant:

(f) Textual information shall be provided through operating system functions for displaying text. The minimum information that shall be made available is text content, text input caret location, and text attributes.

Fully compliant:

(g) Applications shall not override user selected contrast and color selections and other individual display attributes.

Fully compliant:

(h) When animation is displayed, the information shall be displayable in at least one non-animated presentation mode at the option of the user.

Not applicable

(i) Color coding shall not be used as the only means of conveying information, indicating an action, prompting a response, or distinguishing a visual element.

Fully compliant:

(j) When a product permits a user to adjust color and contrast settings, a variety of color selections capable of producing a range of contrast levels shall be provided.

(Not applicable)

(k) Software shall not use flashing or blinking text, objects, or other elements having a flash or blink frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz.

Fully compliant:

(l) When electronic forms are used, the form shall allow people using Assistive Technology to access the information, field elements, and functionality required for completion and submission of the form, including all directions and cues.

Fully compliant: in either a direct access format during the installation or an alternative format (see remark in next table cell)

Some of the information is not available to screen reader users during the installation process, but this same information is available through the installed web-based content once the product is installed. Users can still complete the installation process with a screen reader. The software makes all other necessary prompts and information directly accessible to screen readers during the installation process.