[Also posted on http://blogs.collaborativeportal.atis4all.eu/RDBlog/post/342.aspx]
Google’s Accessibility team have launched a free accessibility course targeted at devs and others who work using Chrome and users of the ChromVox screen reader. While the course is called Introduction to Web Accessibility, the specific focus is on blind/visually impaired users’ accessibility.
Here is the official announcement:
“Today we announced registration for Introduction to Web Accessibility, our online course that helps you discover simple ways to make your websites more accessible to visually impaired users, without breaking code or sacrificing a beautiful user experience.* * This course is intended for software developers, and it teaches the basics of ARIA markup and tools and techniques for accessible development. The course runs with support from Google content experts from September 17-30 (but the content will remain available after the course officially ends).
To learn more about the course, check out our GDL episode featuring
members of our accessibility team (myself included) in conversation with Vint Cerf, Googles VP & Chief Internet Evangelist.
If you or any web developers you know would find this course useful, visit g.co/webaccessibility to register.”
The course restrictions have caused a lot of discussion in the web accessibility community, as has the limitations of ChromVox as a screen reader. However, the general feeling is this course by someone as large and influential as Google is a good starting point.
What do you think?