# $Id: web-checklist.txt,v 1.8 2003/09/25 00:00:58 eeisenhart Exp $

Answer "Y" (yes), "N" (no), "N/A" (not applicable) or "S/C" (special case)
for each.  Any "N" answers should be investigated more thoroughly and "S/C"
answers should include an explanation.

(designed so that an "N/A" answer allows you to skip past material indented
further than that item, or that indented items allow you to determine the
answer to the main item)
[] = required; <> = recommended; () = suggested.


[   ] Do pages validate as proper HTML?
      - check with http://validator.w3.org/
[   ] Did you use CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)? (N/A if none)
      [   ] If so, are they valid and standards compliant?
            - Use http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/ to check
      [   ] Is page readable (and understandable) without the stylesheet
            loaded?
[   ] Are pages accessible to the disabled?
      - To help check, use any of:
        + http://wave.webaim.org/ (WAVE)
        + http://www.cynthiasays.com/ (Cynthia Says)
        + http://askalice.ssbtechnologies.com:8080/askalice (Ask Alice)
        + http://www.usablenet.com/ (LIFT, $$)
        + http://aprompt.snow.utoronto.ca/
        + http://bobby.cast.org/
      - Check http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/guide/1194.22.htm if you
        are unclear what an item means 
      [   ] Are pages section 508 compliant?
            [   ] Do all non-text elements have text equivalents (e.g., alt
                  attribute on img tags, etc.)
                  <   > Do the text equivelants say the same thing as in the
                        non-text element?
                  <   > Is the alt tag appropriate and useful?
            [   ] If using multimedia, are equivalent alternatives
                  (captions) synchronized? (N/A if no multimedia)
            [   ] Is any information conveyed with color available some
                  other way (context, markup, etc.?)
                  [   ] Is material understandable when printed in
                        monochrome?
                  <   > Is there a strong contrast for readability?
            [   ] Were imagemaps used? (answer N/A if not)
                  [   ] Are there redundant text links elsewhere on the page
                        for each active region of any server-side imagemaps?
                  [   ] Are client-side imagemaps used instead of
                        server-side imagemaps where possible?
            [   ] Are data (not layout) tables used? (N/A if no)
                  [   ] Are row and column headers identified in data
                        tables?
                  [   ] If there are two or more logical levels of row or
                        column headers in a data tables, is the proper
                        markup used to associate data cells with the correct
                        header cells?
            [   ] Are frames identified properly and usefully?
            [   ] If there is any blinking, flashing or animated elements,
                  is it impossible for them to cause the screen to flicker
                  between 2Hz and 55Hz?
            [   ] Is any scripting language controlled element on the page
                  labeled with functional text that can be read by assistive
                  technology?
                  [   ] Does the page work if the scripting language (i.e., 
                        JavaScript) is unavailable?
            [   ] If an applet or plug-in is required, is there a link to a
                  1194.21(a) compliant plugin on the page?
            [   ] If there is an HTML form used, are the labels associated
                  with the fields properly via the <label for=> tag?
            [   ] If navigation elements appear in the same fashion at the
                  top of several pages, is there a method to skip them? 
                  (such as an <a href="#main">skip to content</a> at the top
                  of the page and <a name="main"></a> at the start of the
                  content, after the navigation; or by structuring the HTML
                  with the navigation in the HTML after the content, even if
                  it appears before the content visually)
            [   ] Answer "N/A" if no timed responses are required
                  [   ] Do timed elements warn the user when time is running
                        out and give them sufficient time to indicate that
                        more time is required?
      [   ] If pages are not 508 compliant, is there a text-only alternative
            page that is?
            [   ] Is the information equivalent?
            [   ] Is there a text link at the start of the main page to the
                  compliant page?
            [   ] Is the information updated at the same time as the main
                  page?
            [   ] Is there extra maintenance budgetted for maintainting both
                  sets of pages?
      <   > Other accessibility checklist items from WAI:
            <   > Are any changes in the natural language of the document's
                  text and any text equivalents (e.g., captions) clearly
                  identified?
            <   > Ensure that equivalents for dynamic content are updated
                  when the dynamic content changes.
            <   > Has the clearest and simplest language appropriate for the
                  site's content been used?
            (if you use multimedia):
            <   > Until user agents can automatically read aloud the text
                  equivalent of a visual track, provide an auditory
                  description of the important information of the visual
                  track of a multimedia presentation.
      <   > Are clickable elements easy for somebody with poor
            motor-coordination to click?
[   ] Is site usable with the majority of browsers our users use?
      [   ] Is site usable with the latest version of Internet Explorer?
      [   ] Is site usable with the latest version of Netscape?
      [   ] Is site usable with Safari for MacOS/X?
      [   ] Is site usable with Internet Explorer 4.x for Windows? (even if
            it looks different)
      [   ] Is site usable with Internet Explorer 4.x for Macintosh? (even
            if it looks different)
      [   ] Is site usable with Netscape Navigator 4.x? (even if it looks
            different)
      (   ) Is site usable with any other newer, commonly used browser
            that's not listed above?
      (   ) Is site usable in Lynx?
[   ] Does each page have contact information at the bottom?
      [   ] Does that contact information go to a permanent employee in the
            department responsible for the page?
[   ] Is the departmental homepage identified as a departmental page (not
      simply as "home page")?
[   ] Links
      [   ] Do links make sense when read out of context?
      [   ] Are files named such that URLs will be reasonably explanatory?
      [   ] Do all links work?  (no 404s) 
      [   ] Are links to commercial resources that are not part of campus
            business or activities prefixed with /outside/ or otherwise done
            in a manner that warns the user about non-endorsement of the
            linked material?  (Most "credit" links to for-hire web
            contractors should use this)
      [   ] If there are links to any non-HTML content, have the links been
            labelled so that users can tell?
      [   ] Are links to any pages over 100K labelled?
      [   ] Do old links to old pages continue to work?  (N/A for new site)
      [   ] Does the main departmental page have a link back to CWIS home?
[   ] Is screen size/resolution properly dealt with?
      [   ] Does page avoid any horizontal scrolling on an 800x600 monitor?
            (less than 760 pixels wide or resizing design)
      [   ] Is site usable on a 640x480 monitor?
      [   ] Are any HTML pages intended for print less than 535 pixels wide?
[   ] Have frames been avoided?
      [   ] If frames have been used, is there a compelling reason?
      [   ] Are frames properly labelled?
      [   ] Has every reasonable attempt been made to allow the back
            button to continue to function, bookmarking to continue to
            function, etc.?
[   ] Have pop-ups been avoided?
      [   ] If pop-ups have been used, have full-screen pop-ups been
            avoided?
      [   ] If pop-ups of any kind (clicked link or otherwise), is there a 
            compelling reason?
[   ] Does everything work if ECMAScript, JavaScript, JScript, VBScript and
      all other client-side scripting languages are unavailable?
      [   ] If clicked-link pop-ups have been used, do the links still work
            with JavaScript disabled?
      (if you use applets and scripts):
      [   ] Ensure that pages are usable when scripts, applets, or other
            programmatic objects are turned off or not supported. If this is
            not possible, provide equivalent information on an alternative
            accessible page.
[   ] Is there a compelling reason for any PDF that has been used?
      [   ] Do links to PDFs warn the user, such as "Example Document Name
            (PDF; 75KB)"?
      [   ] Do any PDFs used work with version 4 of the free Acrobat Reader?
      [   ] Have PDFs been made as accessible as possible and/or is there an
            accessible (HTML) equivalent?
            [   ] Is there a budget to properly maintain both versions?
      [   ] Have any PDFs been properly distilled and optimized for Screen
            or eBook (not Print or Press)?
      [   ] Is the original document available for future maintenance?
[   ] If Flash has been used, is there a compelling reason?
      [   ] Is the Flash content linked to such that the user is warned
            before loading it?  (Flash can cause crashing problems for some)
      [   ] Is there an accessible alternative?
      [   ] Is there a budget to maintain both versions?
      <   > Have the Macromedia guidelines for producing accessible Flash
            been followed? 
            http://www.macromedia.com/macromedia/accessibility/features/flash/
      (   ) Have the Macromedia guidelines for producing usable Flash been
            followed?
            http://www.macromedia.com/software/flash/productinfo/usability/
[   ] Have any other "plug-in" or "applet" type technologies been avoided?
      [   ] If not, is there an accessible alternative?
      [   ] Is there a budget to maintain both versions?

# Below here, items are mostly a judgement call:
<   > Are pages designed with the user in mind (usability)?
      <   > Has the site been designed to facilitate users acheiving their
            goals?
<   > Are pages reasonably resolution-independent (ems, exs, percentages,
      not pxs and pts, with no under 100% font sizes; text not graphics
      of text, etc.)
      [   ] Have ems, exs and percentages been used where appropriate and
            pxs and pts avoided?
      [   ] Are all font-sizes 1em or larger or 100% or larger?
      [   ] Is as much text as possible done as text and not as graphics of
            text?
<   > If fonts are set, is a generic font family provided as a final
      fall-back?
(   ) Can page be printed (portrait)?  Pixel width under 535 pixels or
      alternate print stylesheet or alternate print version?
(   ) Do pages "fit" into the rest of the CWIS site?
[   ] Are colors handled appropriately?
      [   ] Is there a strong contrast between foreground and background of
            "body" text?  Preferably black on white (or near-white)?
      [   ] Is the contrast behind non-body text reasonably strong?
      [   ] Have distracting backgrounds behind text been avoided?
      [   ] Are unvisited links blue and underlined?
      [   ] Are visited links red or purple?
      [   ] If the color of anything has been specified, has the color of 
            everything been specified?
<   > Have navigational elements struck a reasonable balance between being
      small enough to provide as much room for main content as possible and
      large enough to be read?
<   > Is there reasonable whitespace being used?
<   > Is content marked up by meaning (h1, h2, etc)?
<   > Is the page (including graphics, etc) under 40K?
<   > Is anything over 50K linked to with a size warning?
[   ] Does page work with image-loading turned off?
(   ) Does design look reasonably professional and credible?
[   ] Has animation been avoided?  If not, is there a compelling reason?
[   ] Have splash pages been avoided?  If not, is there a compelling
      reason?
(   ) Is there a search box or link to search on every page?
      [   ] Is the scope of the search clear, or is the scope all of SRJC?
[   ] Will everything work on the server it is intended be loaded onto?