+++ WEB DESIGN UPDATE.
- Volume 23, Issue 09, August 28, 2024.

An email newsletter to distribute news and information about web design and development. 

++ISSUE 08 CONTENTS.

SECTION ONE: New references.
What's new at the Web Design Reference site?
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/
New links in these categories:

01: ACCESSIBILITY.
02: CASCADING STYLE SHEETS.
03: EVENTS.
04: HTML.
05: MISCELLANEOUS.
06: USABILITY.
07: WEBWASTE & SUSTAINABILITY.

SECTION TWO: 
08: What Can You Find at the Web Design Reference Site?

[Contents ends.]


++ SECTION ONE: New references.

+01: ACCESSIBILITY.

Understanding WCAG 2.1's Success Criteria 1.4.10 Reflow
By Dai Green, JoAnn Rautio, and Kim Wee.
"Learn how Reflow impacts the development of web and mobile applications…"
https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-641673

WCAG's A and AA Distinction Is Mostly Academic
By Eric Eggert.
"…the A/AA distinction, it's mostly academic: Most would agree that conforming only to Level A is not good enough to ensure that most disabled users have basic access. Level AA (which means meeting all Level A and AA criteria) is widely considered the absolute baseline. And that includes laws and policies around the world…"
https://yatil.net/blog/wcags-a-and-aa-distinction-is-mostly-academic

Why Is Reaching WCAG Level AAA Not Recommended?
By Bogdan Cerovac.
"Don't get too concerned about the differences between WCAG on levels A and AA and instead use the energy to go beyond and implement AAA…"
https://cerovac.com/a11y/2024/08/why-is-reaching-wcag-level-aaa-not-recommended/

Pointer Cancellation: What is a Click?
By Minnesota IT Services.
"Learn what Pointer Cancellation is and why it is widely used…"
https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-640722

Foundations: Labelling Text Fields With Input and Label
By Demelza Feltham.
"In this post about forms, we explore how to effectively label text fields using <input> and <label> elements to create form inputs that are both accessible and user-friendly…"
https://tetralogical.com/blog/2024/08/21/blog-post-input-label/

Re: Is Using Aria-Label to Add Alternative Text - But No Alt Attribute Still a WCAG Fail?
By Sailesh Panchang.
"…Unless there are special circumstances that warrant the use of an aria-label for an HTML IMG element, the alt is the way to go…Using ARIA is often done in order to appear fashionable, impress a boss etc or simply because the developer is uninformed without realizing the effect on end users. It also makes dev work more taxing especially for maintenance…"
https://webaim.org/discussion/mail_message?id=50393

Basic Keyboard Shortcut Support for Focused Links
By Eric W. Bailey.
"This is one of those cases where circumstances at my job led to needing to document expected behavior in order to create  'synthetic ' links via JavaScript. Sometimes this sort of thing is regrettably unavoidable…"
https://ericwbailey.website/published/basic-keyboard-shortcut-support-for-focused-links/

Spoiler Alert: It Needs to Be Accessible
By Scott O'Hara.
"The topic of how to make an accessible spoiler component, or  'should there be a spoiler element? ' has recently (re)-caught my attention…"
https://www.scottohara.me/blog/2024/08/22/spoiler.html

How You Can Prepare for the New ADA Title II Deadline With Glenda Sims (Video)
By Glenda Sims.  
"…In this video you'll learn:
* Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II basics
* Who is required to comply, and when
* The implications of non-compliance
* Key exceptions…"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWGuvov0jBw
Glenda's Slides (PDF):
https://accessibility.deque.com/hubfs/How%20you%20can%20prepare%20for%20the%20new%20ADA%20Title%20II%20deadline.pdf

Accessibility Specialists Warn Against Using AI for Alt Text
By Mark Say.
"…an AI system can use image recognition to write a description and can save time in what can be a lengthy process when there a lot of images on a site. But it often provides a very literal description that lacks context and can prove misleading…"
https://www.ukauthority.com/articles/accessibility-specialists-warn-against-ai-for-alt-text/

How I Audit
By Melanie Sumner.
"I really, really, REALLY hate accessibility audits…"
https://melsumner.github.io/how-i-audit

The Most Important Thing to Look at When Choosing an Accessibility Auditor
By Karl Groves.
"Don't have a lot of time to read this one? Here's the short version: Ask them for a sample deliverable…"
https://afixt.com/the-most-important-thing-to-look-at-when-choosing-an-accessibility-auditor/

The Promise and Pitfalls of Web Accessibility Overlays for Blind and Low Vision Users (PDF)
By Tlamelo Makati, Garreth W. Tigwell, and Kristen Shinohara.
"…The empirical evidence gathered paints a troubling picture: despite their intended purpose, accessibility overlays often fail to deliver on their promises and, in many cases, increase existing challenges…"
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Garreth-Tigwell/publication/383118166_The_Promise_and_Pitfalls_of_Web_Accessibility_Overlays_for_Blind_and_Low_Vision_Users/links/66bd55a0145f4d35535a8988/The-Promise-and-Pitfalls-of-Web-Accessibility-Overlays-for-Blind-and-Low-Vision-Users.pdf

Australia Releases Digital Experience Policy
By Andrew Arch.
"At the end of July, the Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) released a Digital Experience Policy (DX Policy)…"
https://intopia.digital/articles/australia-releases-digital-experience-policy/


+02: CASCADING STYLE SHEETS.

The "Other" C in CSS (Video)
By Sara Soueidan.
"…this talk talk is about CSS and accessibility more specifically it's a talk about understanding how the CSS you write affects the accessibility of the user interfaces that you create even more specifically it's a talk about how CSS affects the semantic accessibility of HTML because like it or not I know it's icky as someone said in the comments yesterday because like it or not CSS affects more than just the visual presentation of elements its effects Cascade down that's why the Cascade comes from its effects Cascade down into the HTML and accessibility layer and can affect the semantics exposed in the accessibility tree…"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob_M_qXeDVE

Stripes(): The Border Function You Never Knew You Needed
By Josh Tumath.
"As long ago as the year 2018, the CSS Working Group at the W3C agreed to add a new function to the border-color and outline-color properties. The function is called stripes(). The syntax is actually fairly simple…"
https://www.joshtumath.uk/posts/2024-08-02-stripes-the-border-function-you-never-knew-you-needed/


+03: EVENTS.

Adam Argyle and Representers of the CSS-Next Community Group: The Future of CSS
August 29, 2024.
Online
https://www.meetup.com/css-cafe/events/302567989/

Captioning Trade-Offs in Fast-Paced Media: User Insights on Speed, Accuracy, and Delay
August 29, 2024.
Online
https://go.3playmedia.com/wbnr-08-29-2024-captioning-trade-offs

Applying the New ADA Title II Regulations with the Big Ten Academic Alliance
September 5, 2024 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time.
Online
https://btaa.zoom.us/j/83112328199?pwd=n7NUTE5SeIrLB59SbeGKFlRtmuMEsI.1

Agile Testing Days
November 19-22, 2024.
Online and Potsdam Germany
https://agiletestingdays.com/

Tech Summit London
November 28-29, 2024.
London, England, United Kingdom
https://techsummit.tech/london/

Blue Beanie Day
November 30, 2024.
Global
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Beanie_Day


+04: HTML.

#33 Make Me One (Input) With Everything
By Moritz Gießmann.
"The good intentions were there but in the HTML and Accessibility world, less is sometimes more.…"
https://htmhell.dev/33-make-me-one-(input)-with-everything/


+05: MISCELLANEOUS.

Disability Data Alarmingly Absent From AI Algorithmic Tools, Report Suggests
By Gus Alexiou.
"Current AI and algorithmic decision-making tools, the use of which is growing across society exponentially, lack high-quality data about people with disabilities…"
https://www.forbes.com/sites/gusalexiou/2024/08/06/disability-data-alarmingly-absent-from-ai-algorithmic-tools-report-suggests/

Report - To Reduce Disability Bias in Technology, Start With Disability Data
By Ariana Aboulafia and Miranda Bogen.
"…This paper identifies the various ways in which data sets may exclude, inaccurately count, or be non-representative of disabled people. It unpacks the factors that result in poor collection and availability of representative data sets, and provides recommendations for how to mitigate these concerns, which we collectively refer to as a 'disability data justice' approach…"
https://cdt.org/insights/report-to-reduce-disability-bias-in-technology-start-with-disability-data/

Generative Artificial Intelligence and Web Accessibility: Towards an Inclusive and Sustainable Future
By Patricia Acosta-Vargas, Belén Salvador-Acosta, Sylvia Novillo-Villegas, Demetrios Sarantis, and Luis Salvador-Ullauri.
"…Ensuring the accessibility of generative AI tools for people with disabilities is paramount and identifying success criteria based on WCAG 2.2 is a crucial step toward this. The study's results highlight the presence of significant accessibility barriers in the evaluated applications, which particularly disadvantage users with disabilities…"
https://www.ijournalse.org/index.php/ESJ/article/view/2399

An Alternative Way to View XKCD Comics
By Deborah Edwards-Oñoro.
"…thanks to Mayank who launched xkcd.fyi. What you 'll find on xkcd.fyi is a website offering a more accessible way to view xkcd comic strips…"
https://www.lireo.com/an-alternative-way-to-view-xkcd-comics/


+06: USABILITY.

IT Warning Banners: How GSA Is Working to Stop Unnecessarily Frightening Users
By Jessica Marine.
"Driving policy changes and improving user experience through M-23-22…"
https://digital.gov/2024/08/07/it-warning-banners-how-gsa-is-working-to-stop-unnecessarily-frightening-users/

Explicitly State the Difference Between Options
By Taylor Dykes.
"When the key differences between choices are implied or buried, users often select the wrong option or misunderstand the features."
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/explicit-differences/

Content Strategy: Study Guide
By Anna Kaley.
"Unsure where to start? Use this collection of links to our articles and videos to develop processes, standards, and strategies for effective content."
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/content-strategy-study-guide/


+07: WEBWASTE & SUSTAINABILITY.

Why We Should Be Looking Beyond Website Carbon Emissions
By Andy Davies.
"…Today I 'd like to discuss the concept of carrying capacity and its relationship with our digital lives…"
https://www.wholegraindigital.com/blog/why-we-should-be-looking-beyond-website-carbon-emissions/

Your Use of AI Is Directly Harming the Environment I Live In
By Baldur Bjarnason.
"I found an essay last week that dug into some of the dynamics of the 'AI' hype bubble we've found ourselves in…"
https://www.baldurbjarnason.com/2024/your-use-of-ai-harms-the-environment/


[Section one ends.]


++ SECTION TWO:

+08: What Can You Find at the Web Design Reference Site?

Accessibility Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/accessibility.html

Association Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/associations.html

Book Listings.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/books.html

Cascading Style Sheets Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/css.html

Color Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/color.html

Drupal Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/drupal.html

Evaluation & Testing Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/testing.html

Event Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/events.html

HTML Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/html.html

Information Architecture Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/architecture.html

JavaScript Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/javascript.html

Miscellaneous Web Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/misc.html

Navigation Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/navigation.html

PHP Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/php.html

Sites & Blogs Listing.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/sites.html

Standards, Guidelines & Pattern Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/standards.html

Tool Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/tools.html

Typography Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/type.html

Usability Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/usability.html

WebWaste & Sustainability Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/webwaste.html

XML Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/xml.html

[Section two ends.]


++END NOTES.


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+ SIGN OFF.

Until next time,

Laura L. Carlson
Information Technology Systems and Services
University of Minnesota Duluth
Duluth, MN U.S.A. 55812-3009
mailto:lcarlson@d.umn.edu 


[Issue ends.]