Common Mistakes
in Web Development
and Avoiding Them
Jorge Plano
Low quality or non-existent ALT
tags on images
alternative text must transmit the same
information as the graphic
 this is not the same that a description of
the graphic

Navigation mechanisms
confusing or inconsistent
 disorienting the user

Pop up windows
if the user can not see: What happened?
 if mental disabilities: What is this?

Incorrect denomination of links
The most famous link:
Clic here
To help navigation some assistive
technologies create an auxiliary
window with a list of links:
Click here
Click here
Click here
Click here
Click here
Click here
Click here
Click here
Decorative images that don't have
an empty alternative text attribute

no text at all or a non empty text
Videos or animations that
are non captioned for users that can not
hear
 have no description of the action for users
that can not see

Flash
links inside Flash inaccessibles by
keyboard
 animations without textual alternative

But ...
 there are ways to build accessible Flash!

www.adobe.com/accessibility

Illegible text
text size too small and frozen
 low contrast between text and background

Inaccessible links

links that only can be reached or activated
by mouse
Some cues for success
Structure, structure, structure
Ask yourself:

When you write a text, how do you put a
title or subtitle?
 1)
Enlarge the text to a size level that you like
 2) Select the style of the title level that you want

Graphically minded vs. information minded
Do not design thinking of the
web as a paper medium

Behinds:
 there
is an structure behind a web page, but,
 there is nothing behind paper (only dead trees)

the designer rules vs. the web page as
a collaborative creation of the designer
and the user
Good strategy:
1) develop content with structure and
check that it gives the right information
and interaction
 2) add styles to position content, to get an
attractive looking and to enhance
interactions
 3) add programmatic elements to enhance
the user experience

Thank you for your attention
Jorge Plano <jplano@yahoo.com>