Digital accessibility watch August-October 2022

Well, big delay for this new watch, but here it is finally!
A draft of an unofficial specification on AOM (Accessibility Object Model), important for assistive technologies https://wicg.github.io/aom/spec/.
Soon WCAG 2.2, two thoughts on this candidate recommendation: https://www.deque.com/blog/wcag-2-2-is-at-the-candidate-recommendation-stage/ https://intopia.digital/articles/wcag-2-2-hits-candidate-recommendation-but-what-does-it-mean/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDCd-isluUY.
Alright enough wasted time, here we go!

accessibility in laws and standards #

• I wasn't aware but just essential, to know everything about ARIA with the W3c's ARIA Authoring Practices Guide (APG): https://www.w3.org/WAI/ARIA/apg/
• Point of view on a new WCAG 2.2 criteria, focus appearence, interesting: https://hidde.blog/focus-appearance-too-complex/
• Charter of accessible communication of the French state, beautiful commitments, how to say? to be continued, eh... (fr) : https://www.gouvernement.fr/charte-d-accessibilite-de-la-communication-de-l-etat/

Feedback and accessibility #

• A questionnaire to see what the people who are likely to work with you have in terms of a11y abilities beyond a coat of varnish, to read : https://github.com/scottaohara/accessibility_interview_questions
• Link obfuscation and a11y : https://www.lalutineduweb.fr/en/seo-links-obfuscation-accessibility-problems/
• A user test on the accessibility of images, how to go further, to read: https://tetralogical.com/blog/2022/07/21/research-insight-accessibility-of-images/
• Improving a11y in your company, case study: https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2022/08/organization-improved-web-accessibility-case-study/
• Write accessible names well: https://hidde.blog/better-accessible-names/
• Details/summary, more bugs: https://www.scottohara.me//blog/2022/09/12/details-summary.html

Accessibility Strategy #

• How to practically improve the overall consideration of a11y within a structure: https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2022/08/organization-improved-web-accessibility-case-study/
• Qr code and a11y, to know everything: https://tetralogical.com/blog/2022/08/08/accessibility-and-qr-codes/
• Use the Tabindex well, complete: https://www.a11yproject.com/posts/how-to-use-the-tabindex-attribute/
• The accessible name for dummies: https://baymard.com/blog/names-accessibility
• Maintain accessibility with many contributors: https://equalizedigital.com/how-to-maintain-accessibility-on-a-website-with-many-contributors/
• HTML semantics, the basis: https://tetralogical.com/blog/2022/10/05/foundations-html-semantics/
• The a11y also concerns the backend: https://ericwbailey.website/published/yes-accessibility-is-also-a-backend-concern/
• Using color in an accessible way, full: https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-544858
• Contrast, semantics and anxiety: https://sarajw.hashnode.dev/aspects-of-accessibility-a11y-semantics-contrast-and-anxiety

Test accessibility #

• A library for keyboard testing apps, to try: https://testingaccessibility.com/introducing-keyboard-testing-library-by-grunet?
• Test with a screen reader, a recap...: https://dna.babylonhealth.com/accessibility/how-tos/how-to-test-with-a-screen-reader/
• Test on mac with VoiceOver: https://cloudfour.com/thinks/mac-voiceover-testing-the-simple-way/
• A new test tool from a11y that I don't know!: https://diginclusion.com/hugr
• RGAA audit tools from Copsae (fr): https://github.com/copsae/outils-audits-accessibilite
• Testing tools, choices and limits: https://knowbility.org/blog/2022/accessibility-checkers-a-good-start-not-a-solution

Technical points in accessibility #

• A brief overview of abbreviation/title, where are we? spoiler: nothing new: https://www.tpgi.com/short-note-the-abbreviation-appreciation-society/
• Aria-label, reflections and state of the art, to read: https://ericwbailey.website/published/aria-label-is-a-code-smell/
• Emoticon, emoji, exotic unicode characters, a scourge for the a11y: https://www.lalutineduweb.fr/detournement-unicode-emojis-accessibilite/
• 5 errors on content titles, clear and practical: https://blog.pope.tech/2022/08/04/5-heading-accessibility-issues-and-how-to-fix-them/
• The focus outline, the base: https://www.matuzo.at/blog/2022/focus-outline/
• Explanations of criterion 2.1.4 Keyboard shortcuts: https://hidde.blog/keyboard-shortcuts/
• Add a Github action Pa11y on a Next.js site, to see: https://ashleemboyer.com/blog/how-i-added-a-pa11y-ci-github-action-to-my-next-js-site
• Link or button, well done: https://ashleemboyer.com/blog/should-i-use-a-button-or-a-link
• Always on links and buttons: https://kilianvalkhof.com/2022/css-html/when-going-somewhere-does-a-thing-on-links-and-buttons/
• Aria-description, what's up, doc?: https://www.darins.page/articles/aria-description-crash-course
• No aria-label when a visible label exists: https://ashleemboyer.com/blog/don-t-overwrite-visual-labels-with-aria-label
• The different techniques for labeling a button: https://www.matuzo.at/blog/2022/button-baader/

Mobile app, mobile web #

• Label and Hints on Android: https://qbalsdon.github.io/android,/labels,/hints,/accessibility,/robust/2022/07/20/labels-and-hints.html
• WCAG 2.2 and its implications for native mobile apps: https://www.deque.com/blog/what-wcag-2-2-means-for-native-mobile-accessibility/
• Fix IOs a11y errors: https://www.deque.com/blog/how-to-fix-common-ios-accessibility-issues/
• A resource site on the mobile app and a11y: https://mobilea11y.com/
• a11y sample library for mobile apps: https://github.com/appt-org/accessibility-code-examples

Ergonomics, UI & UX #

• Document the a11y in the design phase, awesome, essential (fr): https://stephaniewalter.design/fr/blog/documenter-accessibilite-en-phase-de-design/ video (en): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDCd-isluUY
• Design and documentation of accessibility, to read: https://stephaniewalter.design/fr/blog/documenter-accessibilite-en-phase-de-design/
• The back button, how to better design/position it: https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2022/08/back-button-ux-design/
• How to choose testers with disabilities: https://tetralogical.com/blog/2022/08/01/inclusive-user-research-recruiting-participants/
• All about color contrast for designers: https://colorandcontrast.com/#/introduction
• To make design taking into account the cognitively impaired, interesting: https://www.ab11y.com/articles/ux-principles-that-include-cognitive-accessibility/
• UX best practices on drag&drop: https://pencilandpaper.io/articles/ux-pattern-drag-and-drop/

Resources #

• Disability statistics, rich: https://dequeuniversity.com/resources/disability-statistics
• a11y developer resources: https://web.dev/learn/accessibility/
• Guide to the basics of an accessible HTML form: https://blog.pope.tech/2022/10/03/a-beginners-complete-guide-to-form-accessibility-the-5-things-accessible-forms-needs-and-how-to-fix-common-errors/
• a11y designer resources: https://www.a11yproject.com/
• A resource site on taking mental health into account at the digital level, mental disability, essential: https://designpatternsformentalhealth.org/
• Aria and HTML, new part in this resource site on webdev with a big piece of a11y: https://web.dev/learn/accessibility/aria-html/
• Color contrast myths and realities, full: https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2022/09/realities-myths-contrast-color/

Others #

• Anatomy of building a web navbar with a11y in it, well: https://web.dev/website-navigation/
• Design patterns for mental health: https://ericwbailey.website/published/yes-accessibility-is-also-a-backend-concern/