Web Content Accesibility Guidelines
W3C Standard 6, Guideline 9 - Design for device-independence.
I believe this guideline is a very important on for all developers to make sure they implement in the sites. Designing for device-independence means that when a developer makes a page that requires interaction from the user, the developer makes it possible for all forms or a most of the devices to work. If a user wants to use a voice or keyboard interaction with the site, this should be possible. Making your site only accessible to mouse clicks is not a very accessible page. There were many parts to this guideline.
Priority 1
- Developers should provide client-side image maps instead of server-side, except if regions can't be marked with an available shape. This is so that sites don't have to routinely go back and for from the server just to show images. Keep things local with the user.
Priority 2's:
- Make sure that any element that has its own interface can be accessible by any input device.
- When using scripts, make sure to create logical event handlers andnot the device-dependent event handlers.
Priority 3's:
- Make all links, form controls and objects part of a tab order. That way users can scroll through them without having to click on them.
- Create keyboard shortcuts to all important links form controls and different groups of form controls. This allows for quick and easy access to items a mouse input would easily have access to.
