+++ WEB DESIGN UPDATE. - Volume 25, Issue, March 25, 2025. An email newsletter to distribute news and information about web design and development. ++ISSUE 39 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: EVALUATION & TESTING. 04: EVENTS. 05: JAVASCRIPT. 06: MISCELLANEOUS. 07: NAVIGATION. 08: TOOLS. 09: TYPOGRAPHY. 10: USABILITY. 11: WEBWASTE & SUSTAINABILITY. SECTION TWO: 12: What Can You Find at the Web Design Reference Site? [Contents ends.] ++ SECTION ONE: New references. +01: ACCESSIBILITY. Make Audio Descriptions Easier By Accessible Community. "…Audio descr (2025) - iptions describe visual content for individuals who cannot see that content. Audio descriptions support blind individuals viewing media in the same way that captions support deaf individuals listening to media…" https://accessiblecommunity.org/tips/audio-descriptions/ Can I Use for Accessibility By Chris Ferdinandi. "Accessibility Support is a web tool that's a lot like Can I Use, but for accessibility features…" https://gomakethings.com/can-i-use-for-accessibility/ Accessibility of Machine Learning and Generative AI, W3C Editor's Draft Scott Hollier, Jason White, Janina Sajka, and Joshue O'Connor, Editors. "…This document examines the consequences of these developments for the accessibility of the Web to people with disabilities, encompassing issues relevant to content authors, users, and accessibility evaluators. In doing so, it both addresses the potential benefits and clarifies issues that should be considered in the further evolution of Web standards and applications. Fundamental concepts of machine learning and generative AI are first introduced. The discussion then centers on a series of cases illustrative of accessibiltiy-related applications transformed by this technology.…" https://w3c.github.io/ai-accessibility/ Accessibility of Machine Learning and Generative AI - GitHub Issues: https://github.com/w3c/ai-accessibility/issues Can Generative AI Write Contextual Text Descriptions? By Craig Abbott. "…It's clear AI can help with writing text descriptions, but it's not a perfect solution. If you're going to use AI, we think right now, the best approach is human-AI collaboration…" https://tetralogical.com/blog/2025/03/24/can-generative-ai-write-contextual-text-descriptions/ AI + Accessibility: The Future of Image Descriptions (Video) By Mike Gifford. "Alternative text (alt text) is essential for making images accessible to people who use screen readers, but writing effective descriptions can be challenging. Can AI help? This talk explores how artificial intelligence is transforming the way we generate alt text, its potential benefits, and its limitations…" https://a11ytalks.com/posts/2025-feb AI Is the Future of Accessibility By Karl Groves. "…let's be bold. Let's be curious. Let's treat AI not as a threat to accessibility, but as a tool we must shape-because the future belongs to those who build it. Stop being afraid of change and, instead, work to make sure change is for the better." https://karlgroves.com/ai-is-the-future-of-accessibility/ Accessibility Maturity Models Ask the Professionals (Video) By Australian Web Accessibility Initiative. "OZeWAI Member Greg Alchin (Accessibility and Inclusion Lead, Service NSW) moderates a panel featuring Sheri Byrne-Haber (disabled) (multi-award winning US accessibility advocate), Brigitta Norton (Ability Works Australia Ltd) and Julia Hine (Australian Taxation Office)…" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhksRAi4kpM Measuring the Success of Your Accessible Content Efforts By Vision Australia. "Content, communications, and marketing professionals can measure accessibility success beyond technical compliance. Learn seven key measurement areas with practical metrics that demonstrate impact and build momentum for continued accessibility work…" https://www.digitalaccesstraining.com/pages/articles?p=measuring-the-success-of-your-accessible-content-efforts Understanding the European Accessibility Act (EAA) By Léonie Watson. "…we'd like to share our understanding of the EAA as it applies to digital products and services…" https://tetralogical.com/blog/2025/03/19/understanding-the-eaa/ ADA Compliance vs. WCAG Conformance By Gen Herres. "What is the difference between ADA compliance and WCAG conformance? This is a question that I get asked a lot. People don't understand which one they're supposed to be using. When it comes to compliance with a law, an entire organization must comply with an entire law. What does that mean? Let's break it down." https://easya11yguide.com/tips/ada-compliance/ +02: CASCADING STYLE SHEETS. Style Legend By Jeremy Keith. "There's a new proposal for giving developers more control over styling form controls. I like it…" https://adactio.com/journal/21797 Quick Reminder That :is() and :where() Are Basically the Same With One Key Difference By Geoff Graham. "…There's just one catch: the specificity. The selector's specificity matches the most specific selector in the function's arguments…" https://css-tricks.com/quick-reminder-that-is-and-where-are-basically-the-same-with-one-key-difference/ +03: EVALUATION & TESTING. Conducting Accessibility User Testing: Expert Insights By Amber Qualm. "Elevate your accessibility testing skills. Learn expert techniques for recruiting, conducting remote tests, and integrating user feedback…" https://www.a11y-collective.com/blog/accessibility-user-testing/ +04: EVENTS. Accessibility and Content Management Systems with Ricky Onsman, Amber Hinds, Mike Gifford, and Ricky Blacker. May 2, 2025. Online https://events.humanitix.com/ozewai-ask-the-professionals-2-may-2025 Accessibility Summer Camp June 13, 2025. Wichita, Kansas, U.S.A. https://www.accessibilityict.org/ UXPA International 2025 June 16-19, 2025. Amsterdam, the Netherlands https://uxpa2025.org/ Pixel Pioneers Bristol June 20, 2025. Bristol, England, United Kingdom https://pixelpioneers.co/ Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) June 22-27, 2025. Gothenburg, Sweden https://2025.hci.international/ Digital Day (Nationwide Day of Action) June 27, 2025. Germany https://digitaltag.eu/digitaltag +05: JAVASCRIPT. aria-label Is a Letdown By Thibaud Colas. "One in three aria-label implementations have likely issues…" https://wagtail.org/blog/aria-label-is-a-letdown/ Polite is Often Better Than Being Alerted By Andrew Downie. "…In the vast majority of cases, when something on the page changes that screen reader users need to know about and where focus change is not necessary, 'polite' or perhaps 'assertive' are completely adequate. Too many web pages and software (looking at you, Zoom) overuse 'alert'…" https://ozewai.org/blog/technical-articles/polite-is-often-better-than-being-alerted/ +06: MISCELLANEOUS. Let's Knock Down Social Media's Walled Gardens By Tim Berners-Lee. "I envisioned the web as a place for the shared benefit of all - by reclaiming our data we can make that happen…" https://archive.is/4Vvms#selection-1711.0-1714.2 +07: NAVIGATION. How Navigation Should Work for Keyboard Users By Martin Underhill. "…I've written about how button groups work for keyboard users, so in the interests of completion I thought it would be worth doing the same thing for navigation. Spoiler alert: it's much, much simpler…" https://www.tempertemper.net/blog/how-navigation-should-work-for-keyboard-users +08: TOOLS. A Tools Errand By Steve Faulkner. "…Here is a list of WCAG 2.2 Level A and AA success criteria that I think cannot be completely tested with automated tools. These criteria require manual testing because they involve meaning, usability, intent, or user experience that automated tools cannot fully evaluate…" https://html5accessibility.com/stuff/2025/03/24/a-tools-errand/ +09: TYPOGRAPHY. In Defence of Fluid Typography By Richard Rutter. "This is a response to Miriam Suzanne's excellent post on Reimagining fluid typography. She poses lots of really interesting questions, some of which I disagree with, but most of all they got me thinking… and writing…" https://clagnut.com/blog/2441/ +10: USABILITY. Explicit Decisions: Help Your Users Choose Correctly (Video) By Taylor Dykes. "Make sure your users make the correct decisions the first time by making distinctions between options clear by highlighting key differences…" https://www.nngroup.com/videos/explicit-decisions/ Bulk Actions: 3 Design Guidelines (Video) By Rachel Krause. "When designing bulk actions, provide a Select All option, use a contextual action bar, and give users clear feedback with the option to undo actions to ensure a smooth and efficient experience." https://www.nngroup.com/videos/bulk-actions-design-guidelines/ +11: WEBWASTE & SUSTAINABILITY. The Environmental Impact of the Web We Build By Chris Ferdinandi. "Today, I wanted to talk briefly about we, as people who build things for the web, can do to reduce our environmental impact…" https://gomakethings.com/the-environmental-impact-of-the-web-we-build/ [Section one ends.] ++ SECTION TWO: +12: 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. + SUBSCRIPTION INFO. WEB DESIGN UPDATE is available by subscription. For information on how to subscribe and unsubscribe please visit: https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/webdev_listserv.html The Web Design Reference Site also has a RSS 2.0 feed for site updates. + TEXT EMAIL NEWSLETTER (TEN). As a navigation aid for screen readers we do our best to conform to the accessible Text Email Newsletter (TEN) guidelines. Please let me know if there is anything else we can do to make navigation easier. For TEN guideline information please visit: http://www.headstar.com/ten + 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.]