Dispatches From The Internets

Building a more accessible web platform

I’m so incredibly excited about this! Highlights:

  • The accessibility tree is no longer a subtree of the DOM;
  • ARIA Landmarks and document structure navigation;
  • Proper computing of accessible name & description;
  • Improved error validity states;
  • Accessible datalist, improved select, and improvements to all list type elements;
  • Keyboard controls for the number field;
  • Accessible input[type=color];
  • Improved high contrast mode (no more removing background images, instead, the image stays and a solid color is placed behind the text);
  • Speech synthesis API;
  • An improved caret on Windows Phone when using an external keyboard; and
  • So much more.

Couple this with the F12 dev tools enhancements and Narrator’s Developer Mode and it’s pretty clear how committed Microsoft is to accessibility. I’m so glad I work here!

Accessibility is a Process, Not a Project

This post has so much gold. To wit:

While they are very important for testing, screen readers are not testing tools. To be honest, people with disabilities are not running around with AT checking to make sure websites and software work correctly. They’re using it as a means to overcome a technological barrier that would normally keep them from doing something you and I take for granted.

Making News Websites Accessible to All

This is an excellent piece on why news orgs should be paying attention to accessibility… and why they aren’t:

[M]uch of the core technology for accessibility already exists … What’s holding accessibility back is design—and awareness.