Accessibility 2.0 February 6, 2007

Build applications the smart way: make them accessible and usable

Derek FeatherstoneWeb applications are fundamentally different from web sites and their creation demands that we break out of our usual development routines and take a whole new approach. Reputations are built on web apps that excite rather than frustrate users — make sure your apps are as elegant and bulletproof as possible. Mastering relatively simple yet ingenious techniques, discovering creative solutions to frequently encountered challenges, dispelling the myths, and targeting the technologies you really need will all be covered in this energetic, full day workshop with Derek Featherstone.

We won’t just be covering the basics or theoretical situations. We’ll be examining original research conducted by Derek’s company and real-life test cases. We’ll see assistive technologies and prototypes of new techniques in action. During this intensive workshop we’ll even put a selection of existing web apps through their paces — zeroing in on how well they meet the needs of people with a variety of disabilities.
Who’s this workshop for?

To get the most out of this workshop you will have some experience handcoding (X)HTML AND CSS, and understand their basic principles and techniques. You’ll have a handle on at least the basics of Javascript and general web accessibility practices. You’ll have the drive to create top-notch web apps that are inspirational in the standard they set for universal accessibility.
What are the learning outcomes?

After this very full day you will be able to

* grasp the difference between accessibility for web apps and for websites
* build intelligently – plan for accessibility from the outset of a project
* understand the significance of Javascript and how to use it wisely
* implement simple HTML techniques that help ensure accessibility success
* recognize the impact of Ajax and dynamically-generated content on people with disabilities – and know what to do about it
* create an effective strategy for building more accessible applications that work with current assistive technology and anticipate future developments
* see how various assistive technologies interact with modern web development techniques such as DOM Scripting and know how to make developmental decisions based on this first-hand experience
* define best practices for testing the accessibility of your own web applications

The workshop costs $495 CDN, or just $395 CDN if you are coming to the conference, and includes:

* A solid day’s training with these world experts
* A catered lunch and morning and afternoon breaks
* Free Wifi at the venue
* Printed materials

Official Website: http://north.webdirections.org/?page_id=4%2F#feather