Digital accessibility monitoring December-January 2024

• Always relevant, the great articles from the 24-day Advent calendar From the Web (fr): https://www.24joursdeweb.fr/
• “80% of invisible disabilities”, a figure that has always puzzled me, well at least here are some explanations (fr): https://www.24joursdeweb.fr/2023/fact-checking-80-des-handicaps-sont-invisibles/
• Again on these damn overlays, even the EC doesn't like them: https://commission.europa.eu/resources-partners/europa-web-guide/design-content-and-development/accessibility/testing-early-and-regularly/accessibility-overlays_en
• It's official, certain sanctions for non-compliance with a11y laws and the implementation of controls are here (fr): https://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-eco/accessibilite-numerique-les-cancres-de-l-administration-encourent-desormais-des-sanctions-20240101 and https://www.faire-face.fr/2024/01/09/accessibilite-numerique-condamnations-ameliorations/
• A working draft from WF3c for the new version of ARIA, 1.3 which can be commented on until 02/21: https://www.w3.org/news/2024/first-public-working-draft-accessible-rich-internet-applications-wai-aria-1-3/

Accessibility in laws and standards #

• Explanation of WCAG 3.2.6 Consistent help: https://www.digitala11y.com/understanding-wcag-sc-3-2-6-consistent-help-level-a/
• Explanation of WCAG 3.3.7 Redundant entry: https://www.digitala11y.com/understanding-wcag-sc-3-3-7-redundant-entry-level-a/
• EN 301549 explained to developers: https://appt.org/en/guidelines/en-301-549?ref=accessible-mobile-apps-weekly.ghost.io
• The WCAG 2.2 repository in one image: https://intopia.digital/articles/intopia-launches-wcag-2-2-map/

Accessibility strategy #

• Accessibility for a global company (fr): https://www.ekino.fr/publications/comment-generaliser-laccessibilite-au-sein-dune-entite-mondiale/
• 16 lesser known errors from a11y: https://toward.studio/latest/16-lesser-known-accessibility-issues
• Maintain a11y with developments: https://accessicart.com/6-reasons-why-accessibility-is-maintained-not-attained/
• Best practices for making text readable and understandable: https://blog.pope.tech/2023/12/07/accessible-text/

Test accessibility #

• Use the accessible tree in Chrome: https://blog.pope.tech/2023/11/27/how-to-use-chromes-accessibility-tree/
• Automated a11y tools and shadow DOM: https://matuzo.at/blog/2024/automated-testing-tools-and-web-components
• Some very common errors in an audit: https://gomakethings.com/basic-accessibility-mistakes-i-often-see-in-audits/
• The top 10 errors in 2023: https://www.tpgi.com/the-top-accessibility-errors-found-in-2023/

Technical points #

• Everything about accessible chatbots: https://mitre.github.io/chatbot-accessibility-playbook/
• An article also on a11y web chatbots: https://www.craigabbott.co.uk/blog/web-chat-accessibility-considerations/
• The myths of keyboard navigation and WCAG: https://tetralogical.com/blog/2023/11/27/keyboard-accessibility-myths-wcag/
• Group the options of a select: https://html5accessibility.com/stuff/2024/01/12/options-for-optgroup-labeling-of-options/
• An essential to read, a11y notifications part 1: https://www.sarasoueidan.com/blog/accessible-notifications-with-aria-live-regions-part-1/
• A11y notifications part 2: https://www.sarasoueidan.com/blog/accessible-notifications-with-aria-live-regions-part-2/
• A11y best practices for external links: https://blog.pope.tech/2024/01/02/how-to-make-external-links-accessible/
• A concern in criterion 2.5.8 Target size, interesting: https://adrianroselli.com/2023/12/2-5-8-adversarial-conformance.html
• 3 articles on drag'n drop and a11y, everything you need to know (in): https://www.tpgi.com/the-road-to-accessible-drag-and-drop-part-1/, https://www.tpgi.com/the-road-to-accessible-drag-and-drop-part-2/ and https://www.tpgi.com/the-road-to-accessible-drag-and-drop-part-3/

Feedback #

• What doesn't work in a11y audits: https://cerovac.com/a11y/2023/12/potential-problems-with-accessibility-audits-and-what-to-do-about-them/
• BBC and WCAG 2.2 via their design system, champions: https://accessibility.blog.gov.uk/2024/01/11/get-to-wcag-2-2-faster-with-the-gov-uk-design-system/
• Some thoughts on currency names or abbreviations and the return of AT: https://www.tpgi.com/money-talks-formatting-currency-in-web-content/
• Interview with the head of a11y at TPGi, to read: https://www.tpgi.com/if-its-not-usable-its-not-accessible/?hss_channel=tw-18923531
• In a11y we don't do anything specific: https://nicsteenhout.substack.com/p/accessibility-specific-tech-requirements
• Continuation of the previous article, a11y yes but it depends on the context: https://yatil.net/blog/it-depends-indeed
• Not all screen reader users are blind: https://www.tempertemper.net/blog/not-all-screen-reader-users-are-blind
• The orange paradox in accessibility: https://www.bounteous.com/insights/2019/03/22/orange-you-accessible-mini-case-study-color-ratio

Assistive technologies #

• Support in screen readers for an accessible dynamic description, to read: https://www.darins.page/articles/dynamic-accessible-descriptions-reference
• Still no real support for ABBR with or without title: https://adrianroselli.com/2024/01/using-abbr-element-with-title-attribute.html

Mobile app, mobile web #

• A demonstration application for components accessible in SwiftUI, very very useful for developers: https://github.com/cvs-health/ios-swiftui-accessibility-techniques
• Adapt a real keyboard to your iPhone: https://www.clicks.tech/
• “Be My Eyes” is a free app intended for blind or visually impaired people, relying on community support or on chatGPT for the description of the nearby environment: https://www.bemyeyes.com/language/english
• Some essential resources to know for mobile accessibility: https://dev.to/steady5063/the-ultimate-mobile-accessibility-resource-guide-53gh
• Test the accessibility of your Flutter app directly in your IDE (fr): https://blog.octo.com/tester-laccessibilite-de-votre-app-flutter-directement-dans-votre-ide
• An accessibility simulator on iOS: https://ios.moba11y.com/
• Study by the company Fable on the main uses and problems of mobile accessibility: https://makeitfable.com/insights/insights-mobile-accessibility/

Ergonomics, UI & UX #

• Do not use the toggle buttons, otherwise...: https://axesslab.com/toggles-suck/
• Design and dev in A11y, all responsible: https://cerovac.com/a11y/2024/01/mind-the-accessibility-gaps-most-of-accessibility-issues-originate-in-design-and-how-to-fix-that/
• A site can be both beautiful and accessible: https://medium.com/@chiaracielo/an-accessible-website-wont-be-beautiful-really-076802c79e90

Resources #

• List of articles on MVP and accessibility: https://www.webaxe.org/your-mvp-must-be-accessible/
• Data visualization a11y: https://www.tpgi.com/making-data-visualizations-accessible/
• Site of short explanatory videos on free screen readers (fr): http://monlecteurdecran.be/
• Description of interactive graphs, how to write it well: https://www.highcharts.com/blog/tutorials/accessible-descriptions-for-interactive-charts/

Others #

• Theoretical models of disability: https://www.temesis.com/blog/modeles-theoriques-du-handicap/
• AI to generate code for accessible components: https://userway.org/fixmycode/
• A Chrome plugin using AI to describe website images: https://youtu.be/XSyJ21wWSL4?si=nq1YpXPw-JI2nyWy