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Re: Checking color contrast, keyboard focus and webpage look/ARIA as a blind user

for

From: Tim Harshbarger
Date: Feb 15, 2013 8:39AM

Unless someone else knows of another method, I would recommend just reading the HTML, CSS, and Javascript. Inspecting the DOM can also be useful.

Another option is to make a virtue of necessity. My environment might differ from yours, but I'll often meet with the people creating or maintaining the user interface and walk through it with them. I'll do things like teach them how to check the colour contrast and keyboard navigation. We also will discuss the parts of the user interface, how they work, and what they do. Basically, I walk them through the mental processes of evaluating the user interface. It provides opportunities to educate them on aspects of accessibility they don't know. It also gives us an opportunity to discuss different solutions. Sometimes, there are limitations on what the team can do which can alter what kinds of solutions will work best for the situation.

I think this more active style of engagement with the designers and developers tends to lead to better results. They learn more about accessibility. They get some insight into the evaluation process. And working together that closely leads to them being more willing to drop by or call if they have any questions. Well, actually, I have even had a few people stop me in public to ask accessibility questions.

Thanks,
Tim
-----Original Message-----
From: <EMAIL REMOVED> [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Birkir R. Gunnarsson
Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2013 10:14 AM
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: [WebAIM] Checking color contrast, keyboard focus and webpage look/ARIA as a blind user

Hey gang

For color contrast, I know of the BX toolbox for Jaws, which I am
experimenting with, but I was wondering if there is some other way to
check color contrast on a webpage as a blind user.
I was also wondering if there is a way for me as a screen reader user
to test whether the keyboard focus indicator (outline) is vissible or
not on a webpage.
I usually ask a sighted colleague to do these checks for me, it is
quite quick for them, but I'd like to do as much checking of this as
possible independently.

Finally, I was wondering if it were possible to include a description
of a webpage and how it relates to an ARIA role, may be put it on a
website somewhere.
For instance, I see a long long list of links and I suspect this is an
example of RWD/tabbed browsing, but I'd like to know a bit what it
would look like visually, so I could suggest the ARIA tabbed interface
solution.
Same with flyout menus, carousels, tree controls etc.
(for many of these things the look seems obvious to me, such as trees,
but if I could ask a lay person to look at a site or part of a site,
tell me what it looks like and then I could relay that to an ARIA
solution, it would be great).
This is probably impossible, but I was just wondering about it.
Cheers
-B