Creating Accessible Web Content in Dreamweaver
Introduction
Dreamweaver is a popular web authoring tool developed by Adobe. It is often used as a WYSISYG (What you see is what you get) editor, meaning it allows people to create web pages without spending as much time in the markup or code. This tutorial outlines how to create accessible web content in Dreamweaver.
Unless specified, instructions are for Dreamweaver CC 2014 or newer.
Image Alternative Text
Every <img> element should have alternative text that presents the content or function of the image to screen reader users. To give an image alternative text, select the image and enter the alternative text in the field, located in the panel at the bottom of the page.
If the panel is not visible, select .
When you insert an image in Dreamweaver, it is given null alternative text (alt="") by default. If the image is decorative, or if the alternative text of the image is provided in nearby text, then you can leave this field blank. Otherwise, make sure to add appropriate alternative text.
Images in older versions of Dreamweaver
In older versions (CS6 and earlier), Dreamweaver prompts the user for alternative text when an image is inserted into a document. A dialog appears with fields for and .
Type the appropriate and equivalent alternative text into the area. If the image does not convey content and does not provide page functionality, select from the menu.
The dialog also includes an option to add a long description (longdesc attribute of the img tag) for complex images. We do not recommend using the longdesc attribute—it is not well supported and has been removed from HTML5. However, if you choose to use it anyway, enter a URL into the field. Remember, the image still needs descriptive alternative text. If nothing is selected for , then the longdesc attribute is not added to the image.
Form Labels
Most types of form elements (text boxes, text areas, checkboxes, radio buttons, etc.) need descriptive labels. When adding a form control to the page, Dreamweaver will automatically add a <label> element with generic text (e.g., "Text Field"). Update the label text so that it is unique and descriptive.
If the control is inserted while in the frame, only the form control will appear, not the label.
If the form control already has a text description that should be the label, select the label text and choose . Then go to the panel for the label, select dropdown menu, and choose the value that matches the id of the form control you want to label.
The <label> element cannot be used to provide multiple labels for a single form control, or to associate a single label with multiple form controls. If your form control has more than one label (or vice-versa), see our article on advanced form labels.
If the label text is adjacent to the form control, select the text and form control and then insert the label. Dreamweaver will wrap a <label> tag around the text and the form. Do not add a for attribute to wrapped labels.
Form labels in older versions of Dreamweaver
When adding form controls in older versions of Dreamweaver, a dialog will prompt you to add a form label:
If desired, enter an id value in the first field (a generic id will be added if this is left blank). Remember, this value must be one word (no spaces) and unique on the page. Next, type the appropriate form label into the dialog. You can then select the label . We recommend you leave the default value of selected. This dialog also provides options for specifying and . These are typically misused and should be left blank.
Older versions of Dreamweaver incorrectly provide the dialog box when you insert button and image input elements into your web page. Neither of these form elements should be given labels. A screen reader will read the value attribute of the button input element and will read the alt attribute of the image input element, both of which can be provided using the panel.
Fieldsets
The <fieldset> and <legend> elements provide a mechanism to add a higher-level label to a group of form controls. The <fieldset> identifies the entire grouping and <legend> identifies the grouping's descriptive text. This is often used for groups of radio buttons and checkboxes. To add <fieldset> and <legend> in Dreamweaver, highlight the group of elements and select . The selected content will be wrapped in a <fieldset> and a dialog will appear where you can enter the .
Data Tables
There are three principles involved in making data tables accessible to screen reader users:
- Designate table headers (
<th>). - Assign a
scopeto row and/or column headers. - If appropriate, give the table a <
caption>.
When inserting a table, a dialog box is presented. Under the options choose whether the table has no headers (), row headers (), column headers (), or row AND column headers ().
Dreamweaver will designate table headers with the correct scope (e.g., <th scope="col">).
The dialog also has fields for a table , which presents a title or description of the table. While not all data tables need captions, they are often helpful. A table should typically be left blank—the summary attribute it is not well supported and is not part of the HTML5 specification.
- If the table is used for layout purposes, select under the header options and do not add a .
- If you indicate that your table has both row and column headers by selecting under , then Dreamweaver will make the top-left cell a column header. If this cell is a row header, or not a header at all, update it match the structure of your data table.
The only way to add the scope attribute to tables that already exist in your document is to add them manually in view. For complex tables which have headers that span rows or columns and for which scope is not sufficient, you must manually add headers and id attributes. If possible, simplify your tables so headers and id can be avoided.
Headings
A logical heading structure greatly enhances the accessibility of a web page. Headings are often used by screen reader users for page navigation and orientation. To add headings to a page, select , and then select the desired heading level. To change text to a heading, or to change heading levels, select the text and select the desired heading level from the menu in the panel.
Page Title
A succinct, unique, and descriptive page <title> is very important for accessibility. Many users, especially screen reader users, rely on the page title to identify the contents on a page. When creating a new document, a dialog appears. Enter the page title into the field.
If you do not add a <title>, or if you are using an older version of Dreamweaver, the page is given a generic <title> of "Untitled Document". You can change this in the field, in the document's panel.
Links
When inserting a Hyperlink, a dialog appears with several options.
Add descriptive link text to the field. This text should clearly describe the destination or function of the link. Avoid ambiguous or extraneous text like "click here". The , , and fields should almost always be left blank.
Lists and Emphasized Text
Dreamweaver includes options to create unordered/bulleted lists (<ul>), ordered/numbered lists (<ol>). You can also specify, emphasized text (<strong> for bold and <em> for italics). These changes can be made in the panel
( 
).
HTML5 Sectioning Elements
Dreamweaver allows you to create the following HTML5 sectioning elements (in the menu): , (<nav>), , , , , and . Just like ARIA landmarks, these elements identify page regions that can help a screen reader user orient and navigate the page.