Getting Started

The content presented in this course may be completed in any order that you choose. If you are a newcomer to the University of Wisconsin-Madison or to the area of web accessibility, it would be advantageous to complete the lessons in the order they are presented in either the course outline that follows or in the site navigation menu.

The Section 508 requirements of the University's policy were composed of 16 standards, lettered A-P. Some of the standards are similar or related. This course has categorized the standards.

The Section 508 Standards that the UW has implemented are documented in this site by four components:

1. Explanation of the standard.
2. Technique(s) for complying with the standard. Note: Technique documentation may contain reference to Macromedia Dreamweaver. No University standard dictates what editing software an individual should use. Please consult with your IT professionals regarding the design software that is available to you.
3. When applicable, considerations above and beyond the standards, or easy to overlook tips are included in a section titled, Beyond 508. Look for these items at the end of each standard.
4. A self-assessment.

Topics:

Background

1. What is web accessibility? An entry level understanding
2. Get to Know the UW Web Accessibility Policy

508 Categories of Standards

3. Creating Accessible Images
• Standard A
4. Accessible Multimedia - audio/video/Flash animations
   • Standard B and M
5. Navigation and Hyperlinks
• Standards E, F, and O
6. Exploring Accessible Formatting
   • Standards C and D
7. Scripts and Applets
• Standard L
8. Accessible Data Forms
   • Standard N and P
9. Data and Layout Tables
• Standards G and H
10. Making Accessible Frames
    • Standard I
11. Avoid Page Elements that Flicker
• Standard J
12. Text Only Version of a Graphical Web Page
    • Standards K

Resources

13. Validation
    • UW-Madison Web Accessibility Checklist validation tool
    • Learn about validation techniques
14. Glossary of Frequently Used Terms