Harrison and Harrison Web +
NOTES ON ACCESSIBILITY
As designers we make every effort to make the content of our web sites accessible to visitors with disabilities.
This site may readily be navigated using the keyboard instead of a mouse.
We take care to provide adequate contrast between text and background.
We design to accomodate people with colour blindness. In particular, reds and greens (if used) are dark in shade and use a tri-colour RGB mix to assist those who are blue-green colour blind. Never would we place red text on a green background (or vice-versa).
We do NOT use the "AAA" widget to increase type size on our pages. This device is of little value having a limited re-sizing range. It has been made completely obsolete in modern browsers by the addition of a versatile "zoom" function. This can be set, in Firefox for example, to zoom the whole page including graphics, or to enlarge the text alone. Similar provision is made in Internet Explorer 7 and above, in Opera, and in the Safari browser. In the case of Firefox an "Accessibar" plug-in can be added which gives the user a high level of control over the appearance of the page. The home page is at: http://accessibar.mozdev.org/
We provide a "Text Only" version of our site content which has no connected style sheet and no decorative images. It may be enlarged at will and is easily read by a "Text to Speech" program. We also test the main site to be sure that is is readily interpreted by a text reader.
How to Right-Click Using the Keyboard
Step 1: Set up Mouse Keys in the Accessibility Options of the Control panel (if not already turned on). In the "Accessibility Options" dialogue, enter the "Mouse" tab. Check the "Use Mouse Keys" box. Under Setting check the "Use Shortcut" box. Tab to "OK" and press "Enter" to exit each dialogue box in the sequence.
The keyboard shortcut to toggle Mouse Keys ON/OFF is: Left ALT + Left SHIFT + Num Lock
Step 2: Position the mouse pointer anywhere on your computer's screen.
Step 3: Press 5 on the numeric keypad to (left) click.
Step 4: Press plus sign (+) on numeric keypad to double-click.
Step 5: Press minus sign (') on numeric keypad to right-click.
Additional notes will be added to this page as the technology evolves, and as soon as the Provincial Government of Ontario chooses to publish the web accessibility requirements with which we must comply in accordance with the Access for Ontarians with Disabilities act of 2005.
In the meantime the Americans with Disabilities Act Title 508 is being widely used as a reasonable and tested standard to meet.
Title 508 Compliance — American with Disabilities Act
§1194.22 Web-based intranet and internet information and applications.
(a) A text equivalent for every non-text element shall be provided (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc", or in element content).
(b) Equivalent alternatives for any multimedia presentation shall be synchronized with the presentation.
(c) Web pages shall be designed so that all information conveyed with color is also available without color, for example from context or markup.
(d) Documents shall be organized so they are readable without requiring an associated style sheet.
(e) Redundant text links shall be provided for each active region of a server-side image map.
(f) Client-side image maps shall be provided instead of server-side image maps except where the regions cannot be defined with an available geometric shape.
(g) Row and column headers shall be identified for data tables.
(h) Markup shall be used to associate data cells and header cells for data tables that have two or more logical levels of row or column headers.
(i) Frames shall be titled with text that facilitates frame identification and navigation.
(j) Pages shall be designed to avoid causing the screen to flicker with a frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz.
(k) A text-only page, with equivalent information or functionality, shall be provided to make a web site comply with the provisions of this part, when compliance cannot be accomplished in any other way. The content of the text-only page shall be updated whenever the primary page changes.
(l) When pages utilize scripting languages to display content, or to create interface elements, the information provided by the script shall be identified with functional text that can be read by assistive technology.
(m) When a web page requires that an applet, plug-in or other application be present on the client system to interpret page content, the page must provide a link to a plug-in or applet that complies with §1194.21(a) through (l).
(n) When electronic forms are designed to be completed on-line, the form shall allow people using assistive technology to access the information, field elements, and functionality required for completion and submission of the form, including all directions and cues.
(o) A method shall be provided that permits users to skip repetitive navigation links.
(p) When a timed response is required, the user shall be alerted and given sufficient time to indicate more time is required.