[DRAFT] About the Before and After Demonstration
This is an outdated draft. The latest version is available at http://www.w3.org/WAI/demos/bad/.
Page Contents
Introduction
The "Before and After Demonstration" is a multi-page resource suite that shows common accessibility barriers using practical examples. The demonstration consists of an inaccessible Web site, an accessible version of the same site, as well as information about the demonstrated barriers. This demonstration does not attempt to cover every checkpoint of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) nor to provide an exhaustive list of examples but to demonstrate some key aspects of Web accessibility.
Demonstration Contents
- Accessibility Barriers - Lists some of the demonstrated accessibility barriers
- Inaccessible Web Site
- Sample pages that demonstrate accessibility barriers
- Accessible Web Site
- Sample pages with repaired accessibility barriers
- Evaluation Report
- Sample evaluation report for the inaccessible Web site
Using the Demonstration
The demonstration serves a variety of purposes such as raising awareness on the issue of Web accessibility or for providing practical examples for Web developers. Some of the common ways of using and navigating through the demonstration are described below:
- Preparing presentations on Web accessibility - Demonstrating practical examples during presentation is usually very effective. The features list provides an overview of the accessibility barriers that are implemented in the demonstration. Together with the inaccessible and accessible Web sites, concrete before and after examples can be shown during presentations.
- Learning about specific Web accessibility barriers - Often Web developers want to learn more about specific accessibility barriers. For example, what is the cause of the problem and how can it be fixed? While the evaluation report provides detailed information on the problem, the inaccessible and accessible Web sites provide implementation examples for developers to study.
- Understanding the implications of Web accessibility barriers - In certain cases, the real issues for people with disabilities are not clear to Web developers or managers. Browsing through the inaccessible Web site using different browser configurations or assisistive technologies (such as screen readers and magnifiers) helps demonstrate the issues. The features list or evaluation report serve as background information.
- Writing detailed reports of conformance evaluations - A well written evaluation report is key in the process of retrofitting Web sites for accessibility. It communicates the issues of the Web sites to managers and Web developers who need to decide which solutions need to be taken. The evaluation report of the demonstration serves as a sample report for evaluators.