WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Thread: Books on making websites accessibe?

for

Number of posts in this thread: 20 (In chronological order)

From: Paul Remy
Date: Tue, Apr 15 2008 10:00PM
Subject: Books on making websites accessibe?
No previous message | Next message →

I am going to be designing a website. There are many books such as "Bulletproof Web Design," "CSS Mastery," and "Pro CSS Techniques" that explains how to make websites accessible for people with disabilities. What book of these is the best?

From: Peter Krantz
Date: Tue, Apr 15 2008 11:40PM
Subject: Re: Books on making websites accessibe?
← Previous message | Next message →

On Wed, Apr 16, 2008 at 12:54 AM, Paul Remy < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> I am going to be designing a website. There are many books such as "Bulletproof Web Design," "CSS Mastery," and "Pro CSS Techniques" that explains how to make websites accessible for people with disabilities. What book of these is the best?


Hi Paul!

You may also want to take a look at these books:

Jeremy Sydik: "Design Accessible Web Sites: 36 Keys to Creating
Content for All Audiences and Platforms"
http://www.pragprog.com/titles/jsaccess

Jim Thatcher: "Web Accessibility: Web Standards and Regulatory Compliance"
http://jimthatcher.com/book2.htm

John Slatin and Sharron Rush: "Maximum Accessibility: Making Your Web
Site More Usable for Everyone"

Regards,

Peter Krantz

From: Gareth Dart
Date: Wed, Apr 16 2008 12:50AM
Subject: Re: Books on making websites accessibe?
← Previous message | Next message →

Also, do not forget that there is a wealth of guidance available online,
for free. http://webaim.org/intro is a good place to start, and
http://www.webcredible.co.uk/user-friendly-resources/web-accessibility/
is also a good resource. There will be many more just a google away.

Cheers,

Gareth




Gareth Dart
Web Developer
Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)
95 Promenade, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 1HZ
T 01242 211128 F 01242 211122 W www.hesa.ac.uk


-----Original Message-----
From: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
[mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Paul Remy
Sent: Tuesday 15 April 2008 23:55
To: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
Subject: [WebAIM] Books on making websites accessibe?

I am going to be designing a website. There are many books such as
"Bulletproof Web Design," "CSS Mastery," and "Pro CSS Techniques" that
explains how to make websites accessible for people with disabilities.
What book of these is the best?

From: Shawn Henry
Date: Wed, Apr 16 2008 4:10AM
Subject: Re: Books on making websites accessibe?
← Previous message | Next message →

Books on Web accessibility specifically are listed at www.uiAccess.com/books.html

The WaSP "Street Team" notes that many web design books are outdated and the books provide advice that is no longer best practice (or wasn't even when they were published). Here's their list of up-to-date books: http://streetteam.webstandards.org/goodbooks/

Note that "Just Ask: Integrating Accessibility Throughout Design" is available free online at www.uiAccess.com/JustAsk/

Best,
~Shawn


-----------
Shawn Henry
+1-617-395-7664
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
www.uiAccess.com/profile.html
-----------------------------


Peter Krantz wrote:
> On Wed, Apr 16, 2008 at 12:54 AM, Paul Remy < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>> I am going to be designing a website. There are many books such as "Bulletproof Web Design," "CSS Mastery," and "Pro CSS Techniques" that explains how to make websites accessible for people with disabilities. What book of these is the best?
>
>
> Hi Paul!
>
> You may also want to take a look at these books:
>
> Jeremy Sydik: "Design Accessible Web Sites: 36 Keys to Creating
> Content for All Audiences and Platforms"
> http://www.pragprog.com/titles/jsaccess
>
> Jim Thatcher: "Web Accessibility: Web Standards and Regulatory Compliance"
> http://jimthatcher.com/book2.htm
>
> John Slatin and Sharron Rush: "Maximum Accessibility: Making Your Web
> Site More Usable for Everyone"
>
> Regards,
>
> Peter Krantz
>

From: Moore, Michael
Date: Wed, Apr 16 2008 7:00AM
Subject: Re: Books on making websites accessibe?
← Previous message | Next message →

One of my favorites is "Web Accessibility, Web Standards and Regulatory
Compliance" by Jim Thatcher et. al. The book includes sections by many
leading experts in the field of accessible web design including several
regular contributors to this list.

Mike Moore

-----Original Message-----
From: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
[mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Paul Remy
Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2008 5:55 PM
To: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
Subject: [WebAIM] Books on making websites accessibe?

I am going to be designing a website. There are many books such as
"Bulletproof Web Design," "CSS Mastery," and "Pro CSS Techniques" that
explains how to make websites accessible for people with disabilities.
What book of these is the best?

From: Jared Smith
Date: Wed, Apr 16 2008 8:20AM
Subject: Re: Books on making websites accessibe?
← Previous message | Next message →

On Tue, Apr 15, 2008 at 4:54 PM, Paul Remy < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> What book of these is the best?

As others have noted, most everything you'll need is available freely
online (with most of it here on the WebAIM site). If you're looking
for something that puts it all in one place, WebAIM has The WebAIM
Guide to Web Accessibility (http://webaim.org/products/training/)
which is a CD-ROM reference guide with over 1000 printed pages of
materials and media - much more than you'll get in any book.
</shamelessplug>

In addition to the ones the others have noted, you can get Joe Clark's
Building Accessible Websites for free at http://joeclark.org/book/
It's a bit dated (though Joe is apparently working on an update), but
in my opinion is the most complete, comprehensive, and accurate
accessibility book out there.

Jared Smith
WebAIM

From: Paul Remy
Date: Wed, Apr 16 2008 7:30PM
Subject: Re: Books on making websites accessibe?
← Previous message | Next message →

Hi Jared,

Thanks for the information. Does WebAIM have information and examples on how
to design Em-Based layout websites?

Paul
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jared Smith" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
To: "WebAIM Discussion List" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 3:11 PM
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Books on making websites accessibe?


> On Tue, Apr 15, 2008 at 4:54 PM, Paul Remy < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>> What book of these is the best?
>
> As others have noted, most everything you'll need is available freely
> online (with most of it here on the WebAIM site). If you're looking
> for something that puts it all in one place, WebAIM has The WebAIM
> Guide to Web Accessibility (http://webaim.org/products/training/)
> which is a CD-ROM reference guide with over 1000 printed pages of
> materials and media - much more than you'll get in any book.
> </shamelessplug>
>
> In addition to the ones the others have noted, you can get Joe Clark's
> Building Accessible Websites for free at http://joeclark.org/book/
> It's a bit dated (though Joe is apparently working on an update), but
> in my opinion is the most complete, comprehensive, and accurate
> accessibility book out there.
>
> Jared Smith
> WebAIM
>

From: Paul Remy
Date: Wed, Apr 16 2008 8:10PM
Subject: Re: Books on making websites accessibe?
← Previous message | Next message →

Hi, Shawn,

Thanks for the information. I would like to know what books are good in
explaining and giving examples in designing Em-Based layout websites. Is CSS
Mastery better than Pro CSS Techniques?

Take care,
Paul

----- Original Message -----
From: "Shawn Henry" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
To: "WebAIM Discussion List" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 11:08 AM
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Books on making websites accessibe?


> Books on Web accessibility specifically are listed at
> www.uiAccess.com/books.html
>
> The WaSP "Street Team" notes that many web design books are outdated and
> the books provide advice that is no longer best practice (or wasn't even
> when they were published). Here's their list of up-to-date books:
> http://streetteam.webstandards.org/goodbooks/
>
> Note that "Just Ask: Integrating Accessibility Throughout Design" is
> available free online at www.uiAccess.com/JustAsk/
>
> Best,
> ~Shawn
>
>
> -----------
> Shawn Henry
> +1-617-395-7664
> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> www.uiAccess.com/profile.html
> -----------------------------
>
>
> Peter Krantz wrote:
>> On Wed, Apr 16, 2008 at 12:54 AM, Paul Remy < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>>> I am going to be designing a website. There are many books such as
>>> "Bulletproof Web Design," "CSS Mastery," and "Pro CSS Techniques" that
>>> explains how to make websites accessible for people with disabilities.
>>> What book of these is the best?
>>
>>
>> Hi Paul!
>>
>> You may also want to take a look at these books:
>>
>> Jeremy Sydik: "Design Accessible Web Sites: 36 Keys to Creating
>> Content for All Audiences and Platforms"
>> http://www.pragprog.com/titles/jsaccess
>>
>> Jim Thatcher: "Web Accessibility: Web Standards and Regulatory
>> Compliance"
>> http://jimthatcher.com/book2.htm
>>
>> John Slatin and Sharron Rush: "Maximum Accessibility: Making Your Web
>> Site More Usable for Everyone"
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Peter Krantz
>>

From: Jared Smith
Date: Wed, Apr 16 2008 8:30PM
Subject: Re: Books on making websites accessibe?
← Previous message | Next message →

On Wed, Apr 16, 2008 at 2:28 PM, Paul Remy < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

> Thanks for the information. Does WebAIM have information and examples on how
> to design Em-Based layout websites?

Nothing too specific, but then again, that's a pretty specific topic
and one you're not likely to find addressed in a lot of depth in any
*accessibility* book. If you're talking about broader development
books (which it appears you are), then I can't really provide much
info (and it is only marginally on-topic for this list).

If you can be more specific about what you are wanting to accomplish,
I'm sure you can get some assistance and references here. Are you
trying to make just the fonts em-based
(http://www.webaim.org/techniques/fonts/)? Or are you ensuring that
the page layout accommodates user-resized fonts? Or are you trying to
make your page width and entire layout based upon the user's default
font size? Or some combination of the above?

In general, ems are something you need to experiment with in order to
understand how they really work. While I've seen some pages that use
ems for page widths, I don't really see the benefit in this. I've
played around with this a bit and it's rather complex - you need lots
of negative margin in ems to account for the fact that ems are a
height and when applied to width, they get BIG fast.

I think something like the Jello Mold
(http://positioniseverything.net/articles/jello.html) approach that
WebAIM uses is better - the page width adjusts based upon viewport
size, but has both minimum and maximum widths to accommodate
readability (not so narrow that things break and not so wide that it's
difficult to read long lines of text).

Hopefully that helps a bit.

Jared Smith
WebAIM

From: Shawn Henry
Date: Thu, Apr 17 2008 3:50AM
Subject: Re: Books on making websites accessibe?
← Previous message | Next message →

Hi, Paul,

Sorry I don't know either one well enough to say which is better...

(Perhaps you could try emailing the authors and ask them if they cover that in their book?)

~Shawn


Paul Remy wrote:
> Hi, Shawn,
>
> Thanks for the information. I would like to know what books are good in
> explaining and giving examples in designing Em-Based layout websites. Is CSS
> Mastery better than Pro CSS Techniques?
>
> Take care,
> Paul
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Shawn Henry" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> To: "WebAIM Discussion List" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 11:08 AM
> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Books on making websites accessibe?
>
>
>> Books on Web accessibility specifically are listed at
>> www.uiAccess.com/books.html
>>
>> The WaSP "Street Team" notes that many web design books are outdated and
>> the books provide advice that is no longer best practice (or wasn't even
>> when they were published). Here's their list of up-to-date books:
>> http://streetteam.webstandards.org/goodbooks/
>>
>> Note that "Just Ask: Integrating Accessibility Throughout Design" is
>> available free online at www.uiAccess.com/JustAsk/
>>
>> Best,
>> ~Shawn
>>
>>
>> -----------
>> Shawn Henry
>> +1-617-395-7664
>> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
>> www.uiAccess.com/profile.html
>> -----------------------------
>>
>>
>> Peter Krantz wrote:
>>> On Wed, Apr 16, 2008 at 12:54 AM, Paul Remy < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>>>> I am going to be designing a website. There are many books such as
>>>> "Bulletproof Web Design," "CSS Mastery," and "Pro CSS Techniques" that
>>>> explains how to make websites accessible for people with disabilities.
>>>> What book of these is the best?
>>>
>>> Hi Paul!
>>>
>>> You may also want to take a look at these books:
>>>
>>> Jeremy Sydik: "Design Accessible Web Sites: 36 Keys to Creating
>>> Content for All Audiences and Platforms"
>>> http://www.pragprog.com/titles/jsaccess
>>>
>>> Jim Thatcher: "Web Accessibility: Web Standards and Regulatory
>>> Compliance"
>>> http://jimthatcher.com/book2.htm
>>>
>>> John Slatin and Sharron Rush: "Maximum Accessibility: Making Your Web
>>> Site More Usable for Everyone"
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>>
>>> Peter Krantz
>>>

From: Christophe Strobbe
Date: Thu, Apr 17 2008 4:10AM
Subject: Re: Books on making websites accessibe?
← Previous message | Next message →

Hi Paul,

At 23:03 16/04/2008, you wrote:
>(...) I would like to know what books are good in
>explaining and giving examples in designing Em-Based layout websites. Is CSS
>Mastery better than Pro CSS Techniques?

I highly recommend the book review section of Roger Johansson's blog
456 Berea St:
<http://www.456bereastreet.com/archive/categories/reviews/>;.
Both CSS Mastery and Pro CSS Techniques are reviewed there.

Best regards,

Christophe


>Take care,
>Paul
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Shawn Henry" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
>To: "WebAIM Discussion List" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
>Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 11:08 AM
>Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Books on making websites accessibe?
>
>
> > Books on Web accessibility specifically are listed at
> > www.uiAccess.com/books.html
> >
> > The WaSP "Street Team" notes that many web design books are outdated and
> > the books provide advice that is no longer best practice (or wasn't even
> > when they were published). Here's their list of up-to-date books:
> > http://streetteam.webstandards.org/goodbooks/
> >
> > Note that "Just Ask: Integrating Accessibility Throughout Design" is
> > available free online at www.uiAccess.com/JustAsk/
> >
> > Best,
> > ~Shawn
> >
> >
> > -----------
> > Shawn Henry
> > +1-617-395-7664
> > = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> > www.uiAccess.com/profile.html
> > -----------------------------
> >
> >
> > Peter Krantz wrote:
> >> On Wed, Apr 16, 2008 at 12:54 AM, Paul Remy < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> >>> I am going to be designing a website. There are many books such as
> >>> "Bulletproof Web Design," "CSS Mastery," and "Pro CSS Techniques" that
> >>> explains how to make websites accessible for people with disabilities.
> >>> What book of these is the best?
> >>
> >>
> >> Hi Paul!
> >>
> >> You may also want to take a look at these books:
> >>
> >> Jeremy Sydik: "Design Accessible Web Sites: 36 Keys to Creating
> >> Content for All Audiences and Platforms"
> >> http://www.pragprog.com/titles/jsaccess
> >>
> >> Jim Thatcher: "Web Accessibility: Web Standards and Regulatory
> >> Compliance"
> >> http://jimthatcher.com/book2.htm
> >>
> >> John Slatin and Sharron Rush: "Maximum Accessibility: Making Your Web
> >> Site More Usable for Everyone"
> >>
> >> Regards,
> >>
> >> Peter Krantz
> >>

From: Paul Remy
Date: Thu, Apr 17 2008 2:30PM
Subject: Re: Books on making websites accessibe?
← Previous message | Next message →

Hi, Jared,

I am thinking about designing a elastic layout website so that when the font
is resized the layout expands or contracts. Many sites are using the elastic
method. However, I would seriously consider using the WebAIM.com design
technique to develop my website if it is equally accessible to people with
disabilities like the elastic layout. Can you recommend a book on how to
design a WebAIM.com style website? I have Cerebral Palsy and on a low-fixed
income. The $100 WebAIM training CD is too expensive for me.

Paul
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jared Smith" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
To: "WebAIM Discussion List" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2008 3:08 AM
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Books on making websites accessibe?


> On Wed, Apr 16, 2008 at 2:28 PM, Paul Remy < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>
>> Thanks for the information. Does WebAIM have information and examples on
>> how
>> to design Em-Based layout websites?
>
> Nothing too specific, but then again, that's a pretty specific topic
> and one you're not likely to find addressed in a lot of depth in any
> *accessibility* book. If you're talking about broader development
> books (which it appears you are), then I can't really provide much
> info (and it is only marginally on-topic for this list).
>
> If you can be more specific about what you are wanting to accomplish,
> I'm sure you can get some assistance and references here. Are you
> trying to make just the fonts em-based
> (http://www.webaim.org/techniques/fonts/)? Or are you ensuring that
> the page layout accommodates user-resized fonts? Or are you trying to
> make your page width and entire layout based upon the user's default
> font size? Or some combination of the above?
>
> In general, ems are something you need to experiment with in order to
> understand how they really work. While I've seen some pages that use
> ems for page widths, I don't really see the benefit in this. I've
> played around with this a bit and it's rather complex - you need lots
> of negative margin in ems to account for the fact that ems are a
> height and when applied to width, they get BIG fast.
>
> I think something like the Jello Mold
> (http://positioniseverything.net/articles/jello.html) approach that
> WebAIM uses is better - the page width adjusts based upon viewport
> size, but has both minimum and maximum widths to accommodate
> readability (not so narrow that things break and not so wide that it's
> difficult to read long lines of text).
>
> Hopefully that helps a bit.
>
> Jared Smith
> WebAIM
>

From: Tim Beadle
Date: Thu, Apr 17 2008 2:50PM
Subject: Re: Books on making websites accessibe?
← Previous message | Next message →

On Thu, Apr 17, 2008 at 4:22 PM, Paul Remy < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> I am thinking about designing a elastic layout website so that when the font
> is resized the layout expands or contracts. Many sites are using the elastic
> method.

Hi Paul,

Do you have some examples of elastic sites? I'm a big fan of the
elastic layout technique in theory, but in practice it is more
difficult to implement a good-looking design than with a fixed or even
liquid layout.

Regards,

Tim

From: Karl Groves
Date: Fri, Apr 18 2008 6:00AM
Subject: Re: Books on making websites accessible?
← Previous message | Next message →

> I think something like the Jello Mold
> (http://positioniseverything.net/articles/jello.html) approach that
> WebAIM uses is better - the page width adjusts based upon viewport
> size, but has both minimum and maximum widths to accommodate
> readability (not so narrow that things break and not so wide that it's
> difficult to read long lines of text).
>

Not to totally derail this thread, but I'd like to point out that the belief
that long lines of text is bad is rather unfounded. I've read a number of
usability studies which have come to the conclusion that reading performance
(speed and accuracy) does not differ significantly between line lengths[1].
Some studies indicate there is a preference difference but I'm not convinced
that's significant enough evidence to avoid long lines of text because by
shortening lines of text you also run into issues with content being pushed
below the fold. In my experience observing users in the lab, having
important content placed below the fold is far more likely to cause
information to go unnoticed by users.

1 - http://hubel.sfasu.edu/research/textmargin.html is just one of maybe 8
studies I know of.

Karl Groves


From: Jukka K. Korpela
Date: Fri, Apr 18 2008 11:30AM
Subject: Re: Books on making websites accessible?
← Previous message | Next message →

Karl Groves wrote:

> Not to totally derail this thread, but I'd like to point out that the
> belief that long lines of text is bad is rather unfounded.

You would need very hard evidence for such a claim. There's a widespread
typographers' consensus on about 55 characters being optimal, and there
are actual studies that suggest that for readability, the optimum is
much smaller - but there are practical considerations that make the
consensus acceptable. After all, readability isn't everything.

If you mainly write for people with slow understanding,
you should write short lines
and not worry too much about the "looks".
This may mean varying-length lines.
The idea is to use line division
in a manner that aids understanding.
You divide the text into short "chunks"
and you put one "chunk" on one line.
This illustrates that line length is a tool
and not a goal.

> 1 - http://hubel.sfasu.edu/research/textmargin.html is just one of
> maybe 8 studies I know of.

Please give me a break. That's a 10 years old study that is described as
very specialized - not about readability or understandability but about
scannability (for given words)

Jukka K. Korpela ("Yucca")
http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/

From: Karl Groves
Date: Fri, Apr 18 2008 12:40PM
Subject: Re: Books on making websites accessible?
← Previous message | Next message →

> -----Original Message-----
> From: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = [mailto:webaim-forum-
> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Jukka K. Korpela
> Sent: Friday, April 18, 2008 1:23 PM
> To: 'WebAIM Discussion List'
> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Books on making websites accessible?
>
> Karl Groves wrote:
>
> > Not to totally derail this thread, but I'd like to point out that the
> > belief that long lines of text is bad is rather unfounded.
>
> You would need very hard evidence for such a claim. There's a
> widespread
> typographers' consensus on about 55 characters being optimal, and there
> are actual studies that suggest that for readability, the optimum is
> much smaller - but there are practical considerations that make the
> consensus acceptable. After all, readability isn't everything.

"Typographers' consensus"? Weird, I didn't know typographers also did
human-computer interaction.


>
> If you mainly write for people with slow understanding,
> you should write short lines
> and not worry too much about the "looks".
> This may mean varying-length lines.
> The idea is to use line division
> in a manner that aids understanding.
> You divide the text into short "chunks"
> and you put one "chunk" on one line.
> This illustrates that line length is a tool
> and not a goal.
>
> > 1 - http://hubel.sfasu.edu/research/textmargin.html is just one of
> > maybe 8 studies I know of.
>
> Please give me a break. That's a 10 years old study that is described
> as

So what you're saying is that we should discount any science produced before
1998? Come on, Jukka. I've been reading your site & your posts to usenet and
this list long enough to know you're smarter than that.


> very specialized - not about readability or understandability but about
> scannability (for given words)

Surely you don't think people actually *read* what's on screen
word-for-word, do you?

Karl



From: Patrick H. Lauke
Date: Fri, Apr 18 2008 1:00PM
Subject: Re: Books on making websites accessible?
← Previous message | Next message →

Karl Groves wrote:

> "Typographers' consensus"? Weird, I didn't know typographers also did
> human-computer interaction.


Nah, but they've been involved in human-text interaction for a few
hundreds of years.

> Surely you don't think people actually *read* what's on screen
> word-for-word, do you?

If they have cognitive disabilities, or their first language isn't the
language of the text, they may well do that...

P
--
Patrick H. Lauke
______________________________________________________________
re·dux (adj.): brought back; returned. used postpositively
[latin : re-, re- + dux, leader; see duke.]
www.splintered.co.uk | www.photographia.co.uk
http://redux.deviantart.com
______________________________________________________________
Co-lead, Web Standards Project (WaSP) Accessibility Task Force
http://webstandards.org/
______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________
To manage your subscription, visit http://list.webaim.org/
Address list messages to = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =

From: Paul Remy
Date: Fri, Apr 18 2008 2:20PM
Subject: Re: Books on making websites accessible?
← Previous message | Next message →

Hi, Karl,

Thanks for the information. Do you know of any books about how to design
Jello Mold style websites? I am a novice at using CSS. I've read
"Bulletproof Web Design." Should I read "CSS Mastery" or "Pro CSS
Techniques" too?

Paul
----- Original Message -----
From: "Karl Groves" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
To: "'WebAIM Discussion List'" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Sent: Friday, April 18, 2008 12:51 PM
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Books on making websites accessible?


>> I think something like the Jello Mold
>> (http://positioniseverything.net/articles/jello.html) approach that
>> WebAIM uses is better - the page width adjusts based upon viewport
>> size, but has both minimum and maximum widths to accommodate
>> readability (not so narrow that things break and not so wide that it's
>> difficult to read long lines of text).
>>
>
> Not to totally derail this thread, but I'd like to point out that the
> belief
> that long lines of text is bad is rather unfounded. I've read a number of
> usability studies which have come to the conclusion that reading
> performance
> (speed and accuracy) does not differ significantly between line
> lengths[1].
> Some studies indicate there is a preference difference but I'm not
> convinced
> that's significant enough evidence to avoid long lines of text because by
> shortening lines of text you also run into issues with content being
> pushed
> below the fold. In my experience observing users in the lab, having
> important content placed below the fold is far more likely to cause
> information to go unnoticed by users.
>
> 1 - http://hubel.sfasu.edu/research/textmargin.html is just one of maybe 8
> studies I know of.
>
> Karl Groves
>
>
>

From: Paul Remy
Date: Fri, Apr 18 2008 2:30PM
Subject: Re: Books on making websites accessibe?
← Previous message | Next message →

Hi, Mike,

Thanks for the information. Does the book you mention below have the codes
showing how accessible websites are designed? I've read "Bulletproof Web
Design" I am a Novice at CSS.

Take care,
Paul
----- Original Message -----
From: "Moore, Michael" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
To: "WebAIM Discussion List" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 1:56 PM
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Books on making websites accessibe?


> One of my favorites is "Web Accessibility, Web Standards and Regulatory
> Compliance" by Jim Thatcher et. al. The book includes sections by many
> leading experts in the field of accessible web design including several
> regular contributors to this list.
>
> Mike Moore
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Paul Remy
> Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2008 5:55 PM
> To: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> Subject: [WebAIM] Books on making websites accessibe?
>
> I am going to be designing a website. There are many books such as
> "Bulletproof Web Design," "CSS Mastery," and "Pro CSS Techniques" that
> explains how to make websites accessible for people with disabilities.
> What book of these is the best?
>

From: Moore, Michael
Date: Fri, Apr 18 2008 3:10PM
Subject: Re: Books on making websites accessibe?
← Previous message | No next message

It has a lot of code examples and is organized so that you can quickly
find what you need. For example if you were designing a form you would
go the sections on form. My reference shelf also includes several
design/css books, most written by Molly Holzschlag or Eric Meyer, many
of the other resources listed on this thread are also excellent,
scanning the thread I think that I have all of the on-line ones
mentioned in my own bookmarks folder.

For me there is no single reference that will answer all my questions
every time, when I have time or need to take the time, like when
designing a new site, I draw inspiration from many sources. Have you
looked at CSS Zen Garden for example. (not always accessible but usually
inspiring)

Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
[mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Paul Remy
Sent: Friday, April 18, 2008 10:17 AM
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Books on making websites accessibe?

Hi, Mike,

Thanks for the information. Does the book you mention below have the
codes showing how accessible websites are designed? I've read
"Bulletproof Web Design" I am a Novice at CSS.

Take care,
Paul
----- Original Message -----
From: "Moore, Michael" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
To: "WebAIM Discussion List" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 1:56 PM
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Books on making websites accessibe?


> One of my favorites is "Web Accessibility, Web Standards and
Regulatory
> Compliance" by Jim Thatcher et. al. The book includes sections by
many
> leading experts in the field of accessible web design including
several
> regular contributors to this list.
>
> Mike Moore
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Paul Remy
> Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2008 5:55 PM
> To: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> Subject: [WebAIM] Books on making websites accessibe?
>
> I am going to be designing a website. There are many books such as
> "Bulletproof Web Design," "CSS Mastery," and "Pro CSS Techniques" that
> explains how to make websites accessible for people with disabilities.
> What book of these is the best?
>