Web Accessibility Information Resource (WebAIR) is a prototype information resource for helping web developers learn about web accessibility and supporting them in creating and evaluating accessible websites.
WebAIR was originally created as part of the i2web project, in which research was undertaken with web developers to understand their work practices and identify where support could be provided to them. The resource was later substantially refined as part of the PhD research of David Swallow.
How to use WebAIR:
WebAIR is designed to be used by web developers during development or testing of a website. It comprises a list of questions that allow web developers to identify whether or not a website is accessible. The questions have been categorised according to different types of web content.
- Identify the type of web content that you are currently developing or testing (e.g. a form or a table).
- Locate the corresponding content category in WebAIR (e.g. "Forms" or "Tables"). Each category is further divided into a number of sub-categories relating to different aspects of that content type.
- Answer each question in the content category. The questions has been designed to require either a 'yes' or 'no' answer. Some questions lead to further sub-questions depending on the answer you provide. Sub-questions are indicated by the '(if yes)' and '(if no)' prefixes.
NOTE: If you have more than one instance of a particular content type (e.g. multiple forms on a single webpage) you will need to repeat each question for each instance. - If you are unsure how to answer a particular question, click on the 'More Information' link next to the question. This will lead to webpage containing: information on why that particular issue is important, details of how to fix the problem and (where appropriate) a section of sample code demonstrating a possible solution, as well as links to further information.
More information about the development and evaluation of WebAIR can be found in the following publication:
Swallow, D., Power, C., Petrie, H., Bramwell-Dicks, A., Buykx, L., Velasco, C.A., Parr, A. & O Connor, J. (2014). Speaking the Language of Web Developers: Evaluation of a Web Accessibility Information Resource (WebAIR). In Miesenberger, K., Fels, D., Archambault, D., Penaz, P., & Zagler, W. (Eds.), Computers Helping People with Special Needs. (pp. 348-355). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science). Berlin: Springer.