Beginner struggling with accessibility test results

[Obbard]

I've just uploaded my first site www.obbard.org.uk (actually its my 2nd but the 1st where I have written all the code myself) Its light on content at the moment because I wanted to check it all worked OK and accessibility before I got carried away.

I've tried to use WebXact and I don't understand what its telling me so have no idea how to fix it - help please. It doesn't seem to have any issues with Quality, Accessibility only passes Priority 1 but I'm not clear on why, it came up with Privacy issues I don't understand and Browser compatibility.

Can someone explain in really simple language:
how do I improve accessibility
how do I check browser compatibility
what do I do about the privacy issues

Thanks in advance

[kiwibrit]

On a lightening skim, I'd say it's a pretty good effort - though I would recommend using strict, rather than transitional code. It'll highlight minor glitches to you better, and be more likely to be handled correctly by most user agents (though as ever, watch out that IE does not bite you). It also forces cosing discipline - no bad thing.

For privacy, I'd change the "email me" arrangement to a contact form - using a server side page to direct the correspondence to your mail.

Opera and Firefox are downloadable browsers. For other browsers, there are on-line checking facilities available. Often forum members will check for you, too.

[Obbard]

Thanks for taking the time to have a look. I'm really pleased with your "pretty good effort".

I'll look at changing to strict rather than transitional - as soon as I work out what I would need to change (I've self taught the coding from a book, various web sites and making minor changes then previewing in browser, a slow process)

Part of me likes the idea of a contact form the other part of me wonders if I am getting out of my depth - I'll look into it and see

Once again, thanks for the feedback

[jalarie]

line 48 column 1 - Warning: trimming empty <p>
line 52 column 1 - Warning: <img> attribute "width" has invalid value "88px"
line 52 column 1 - Warning: <img> attribute "height" has invalid value "31px"

It's kind of funny (well, to me, anyway!) that the "valid" tag has a problem. Remove the "px" on width and height:

<img src="images/valid.gif" width="88" height="31" alt="Valid HTML 4.01">

[kiwibrit]

line 48 column 1 - Warning: trimming empty <p>
line 52 column 1 - Warning: <img> attribute "width" has invalid value "88px"
line 52 column 1 - Warning: <img> attribute "height" has invalid value "31px"

It's kind of funny (well, to me, anyway!) that the "valid" tag has a problem. Remove the "px" on width and height:

<img src="images/valid.gif" width="88" height="31" alt="Valid HTML 4.01">



I saw that in TIDY.. However, it did validate in Transitional, and I thought one thing at a time - but it prompted the thought about Strict coding.

[Obbard]

Thanks for the help with this.

I've started making changes to the files but haven't uploaded them yet. I've removed the empty <p> which was the easy bit.

I agree its funny that the valid wasn't valid, I've taken off the px.

So my index page now validates as HTML 4.01 Strict

I started on the other pages but it won't validate the img align tags on the origins and distribution page for example so how do I tell it that I want the image to the left or the right of the screen?

Also after speaking to someone today who uses screen reading software I will improve the alt text on the images and stop the links from automatically opening new browser windows as I understand this can cause problems if you can't physically see whats happening.

I really am grateful for the help on this

[jalarie]

Add quote (") marks around the "left" and "right" values.

[Obbard]

Hi again
I've tried adding quote marks around the "left" and "right" values but W3C validator still returns a message:
There is no attribute "align"

Its driving me mad, I've tried everything I can think of (which isn't much admittedly)

So far I've managed to validate all the modified pages as Strict 4.01 except the three which have gif images in them wrapped by text all of which return the same error

[kiwibrit]

You can't align images in html in strict code. You must use CSS. The "align", "border", "hspace", and "vspace" attributes of the image element were deprecated in HTML 4.01.

[Obbard]

Thank you for your patience with me on this. I did say I was a beginner and its pretty obvious there is way more for me to learn. I hadn't picked up anywhere on the "align" or "border" attributes having depreciated. Its going to take me a little while to learn how to fix this but if its worth doing its worth doing properly...

[NogDog]

www.htmldog.com has a pretty decent on-line tutorial to help learn how to use CSS to style your HTML.

[kiwibrit]

www.htmldog.com has a pretty decent on-line tutorial to help learn how to use CSS to style your HTML.
That's a really good site. Wish I had come across it earlier. Yours?

[Obbard]

NogDog
Thanks for the link, after a quick skim the tutorials look good and the reference pages of HTML tags and CSS properties look even better. I've come across similar lists elsewhere but none as comprehensive or as "plain english"
Now I have some more learning to do....

[Obbard]

Just a quick update to let you know that following your advice I have redesigned the site so that it now validates as HTML 4.01 Strict.

Along the way I went for a change of color scheme, change of page layout and a change of site structure but I think it is better now than before.

The site is still light on content - thats next on my list.

If you'd like to take a look its at www.obbard.org.uk. All feedback - especially constructive feedback - is appreciated.

[mint]

Hi, I've had a look at your site. Personally I wouldn't have chosen those colours, but you can't please everyone. Other than that (and one ampersand getting in the way of my validation (its somewhat temperamental)) its a very good website.

I like how your style sheet didn't make the text small. That would have been annoying. Unfortunately, said sheet did not pass validation and you might want to look into fixing it

http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/validator?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.obbard.org.uk%2F

I was happy with how it came out without the style sheet and in a text only browser. It was readable in both instances.

Text Only Browser...

The Obbard One-Name Study

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Introduction
Welcome to The Obbard One-Name Study a website designed to encourage
the sharing of research into the surname Obbard and the variant
spelling Obard.

If you are an Obbard or have any Obbard ancestors please take the
time to browse this site and please do contact me. Whatever
information you are able to give, no matter how small is likely to
be of great interest and if you are tracing your family tree I may
well already have information which will be of use to you.
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Acknowledgements
This study would not be possible without the help and support of
fellow Obbard researchers. Information towards this study has very
kindly been contributed from, amongst others: Anne Vogt; Darren
Obbard; Davina Wil****; Henry Palmer; Hilary Gardner; Julia Kable;
Julie Clark; Karen Sutton; Mark Hugo; Phil Obbard; Sandra Langridge;
Sheila Goodall and Vincent Obbard.
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Errors and corrections
This study is a constant work in progress, although every effort is
made to verify information before its inclusion it cannot be
guaranteed 100% accurate. Errors will occur because much of the
orginial source material is, for example, very old, handwritten and
produced at a time where literacy levels were low. More recent
information may avoid these pitfalls and has been used, based on
known facts, in good faith but until all the facts are known cannot
be guaranteed. Finally all information is compiled by me, a human
being and I cannot completely rule out human error.

If you are aware of any errors or omissions within any section of
this website please do get in touch and I will make every effort to
correct the information shown as quickly as possible.
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This page was last updated on 6 June 2006

© 2004 - 2006 Sylvia Harber

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So other than the mensioned problems, its perfect! Well done :D