Web checklist

An alternative text-only page should only be used if compliance with the Web checklist cannot be achieved any other way. Alternative text-only pages are used as a last resort because they must be maintained and kept in sync with the primary page.

For additional information regarding the difficulties of maintaining alternative text-only sites, read the article from AccEase: Five Key Difficulties of Text Only Sites (links reside outside of ibm.com).

To comply with this checkpoint, you must meet all of the following techniques.

1. Links: Making the link to the text-only page easy to find.
2. Text-only page: Keeping content on the text-only page in sync.

Note: The examples presented in the techniques are not exhaustive. They are meant to illustrate the spirit of this checkpoint.

General examples

1. Links: Making the link to the text-only page easy to find.

   To comply with this technique, you must implement the following example.

   General example 1

   In order to keep the equivalent information and functionality for the primary Web page and the text-only page, publish both versions at the same time. Provide the link at the top of the page in a location that is easy to identify.

   Required unit tests for general development technique 1

   Manually perform the following unit test:

   • Verify that a link to the text only page is provided at the top page that is easy to locate.
   • Verify that the link is keyboard accessible and the target is the appropriate text only page.

2. Text-only page: Keeping content on the text-only page in sync.

   To comply with this technique, you must implement the following example.

   General example 2

   A key issue with text-only pages is keeping the content in sync with the main page. This is usually a manual process. The BBC provides a tool, which can be used to create an automatic text-only version of a Web page. Betsie (BBC Education Text to Speech Internet Enhancer) (link resides outside of ibm.com) is a free server-side solution.

   Though this tool makes it easier to create a text-only version, it should not be relied upon as an effective way to create an on-demand text-only page. Results from this tool must be validated to ensure that the content is accurately translated to text.

   Required unit tests for general development technique 2

   Manually perform the following unit test:

   • Verify the content in the text only page are in sync with the main page.

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