Cognitive Web Accessibility Assessment: Results for Speaking For Ourselves

These are detailed results of a cognitive Web accessibility assessment. There are 10 possible points, one for each criterion. To be judged accessible, a Web site must meet at least 75% of applicable guidelines for each of the (3) content criteria and the (4) design criteria based upon WebAIM's latest Cognitive Web Accessibility Checklist. Up to 3 points for design-related criteria add to the total score.

• Site: Speaking For Ourselves.
• Assessment Date: 4/24/2010.
• Site score: 6 of 10 points.
• Conclusion: Inaccessible.

Content (2 of 3 Points):

• Modality Criterion

  • Guidelines Met:
    • Use contextually-relevant images to enhance content.
    • Pair icons or graphics with text to provide contextual cues and help with content comprehension.
  • Guidelines Unmet:
    • Provide content in multiple mediums.

• Focus and Structure Criterion

  • Guidelines Met:
    • Use white space and visual design elements to focus user attention.
    • Avoid distractions.
    • Use stylistic differences to highlight important content, but do so conservatively.
    • Organize content into well-defined groups or chunks, using headings, lists, and other visual mechanisms.
    • Use white space for separation.
    • Avoid background sounds.
  • Guidelines Unmet: None.

• Readability and Language Criterion

  • Guidelines Met:
    • Use language that is as simple as is appropriate for the content.
    • Avoid tangential, extraneous, or non-relevant information.
    • Use correct grammar and spelling.
    • Be careful with colloquialisms, non-literal text, and jargon.
    • Provide summaries, introductions, or a table of contents for complex or lengthy content.
    • Be succinct.
    • Ensure text readability.
  • Guidelines Unmet:
    • Maintain a reading level that is adequate for the audience.
    • Expand abbreviations and acronyms.

Design (2 of 4 Points):

• Consistency Criterion

  • Guidelines Met:
    • Ensure that navigation is consistent throughout a site.
    • Similar interface elements and similar interactions should produce predictably similar results.
  • Guidelines Unmet: None.

• Transformability Criterion

  • Guidelines Met:
    • Support increased text sizes.
    • Ensure images are readable and comprehensible when enlarged.
    • Ensure color alone is not used to convey content.
    • Support the disabling of images and/or styles.
  • Guidelines Unmet: None.

• Orientation and Error Prevention/Recovery Criterion

  • Guidelines Met:
    • Give users control over time sensitive content changes.
    • Provide adequately-sized clickable targets and ensure functional elements appear clickable.
    • Use underline for links only.
  • Guidelines Unmet:
    • Provide adequate instructions and cues for forms.
    • Give users clear and accessible form error messages and provide mechanisms for resolving form errors and resubmitting the form.
    • Use breadcrumbs, indicators, or cues to indicate location or progress.
    • Provide multiple methods for finding content.

• Assistive Technology Compatibility Criterion

  • Guidelines Met:
    • Appropriate alternative text.
    • A logical, intuitive reading and navigation order.
    • Full keyboard accessibility.
    • Descriptive and informative page titles.
  • Guidelines Unmet:
    • Form labels.
    • Logical heading structure.
    • Links make sense out of context (avoid "click here", etc.).

Design-Related (2 of 3 Points):

• General Web Site Accessibility Criteria

  • Criteria Met:
    • Attempts to meet W3C accessibility standards.
    • Has an accessibility statement.
  • Criteria Unmet:
    • Explains how to use site accessibility feature(s).