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The  Bobby

Bobby's analysis of accessibility is based on the World Wide Web Consortium's ( W3C ) WebContent Accessibility Guidelines. For example, to become Bobby approved, a Web site must:
 

•  provide text equivalents for all non-text elements (i.e., images, animations, audio, video)
•  provide summaries of graphs and charts
• ensure that all information conveyed with color is also available without color
• clearly identify changes in the natural language of a document's text and any text equivalents

(e.g., captions) of non-text content
• organize content logically and clearly
• provide alternative content for features (e.g., applets or plug-ins) that may not be supported

Bobby also analyzes web pages for compatibility with various browsers. Analysis is based on documentation from browser vendors when available. Bobby automatically checks sites for compatibility with HTML 4.0. For accessibility and tag compatibility with browser specifications other than HTML 4.0, use the Advanced Options. Once your web site receives a Bobby Approved rating, you are entitled to use a Bobby Approved icon on your site.
 
 

 The following resources will help you develop Web sites that are accessible to all types of learners. The Microsoft site ( http://www.microsoft.com/enable/dev/web/default.htm) offers guidelines for developers, writers, and designers of Web pages. Suggestions include: ways to make pages accessible without sacrificing usability or appeal, to test each page's accessibility, and provide alternate pages for any that are not accessible. The IBM site ( http://www.austin.ibm.com/sns/accessweb.html) titled "Special Needs Systems"includes features such as: a checklist for Web accessibility, information about the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), tools for Web accessibility, and links to additional resources. The HTML Writers Guild has created a Web site called AWARE that offers six principles of Web design (http://www.hwg.org/resources/accessibility/sixprinciples.html ). The introduction, designed for new Web authors, fully describes each principle before presenting technical information. The Alliance for Technology Access ( http://www.ataccess.org/) Web site  includes an  informative discussion about providing  access for people who encounter vision, hearing, learning, or cognitive barriers at web sites. It also has  information about assistive devices and software.

The personal toolbar in Netscape Communicator 4.0 and higher allows you to create buttons to add custom functionality. You can create a button that automatically checks the current web page with Bobby. Brian Kelly of the UK Office for Library and Information Networking wrote an article for the Ariadne newsletter that describes how you can do this, and provides a link that you can simply drag to your personal toolbar. The article appears in the March/April 1999 issue.