Real World Accessibility for Ajax and Web Apps

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

October 21st, 2010 9:00am – 4:30pm

Your reputation—and the reputation of your agency or company—depends on bulletproof, functionally elegant web apps that will work now and in the future. Using your application shouldn’t frustrate users; their experience, regardless of who they are, should be effortless.

Want a truly usable, accessible web app? Learn from a world-class teacher how to harness Ajax, break out of your usual development routines, and build intelligently, using the technologies you really need.

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. You’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 hand-coding (X)HTML AND CSS, and know at least the basics of JavaScript and general web accessibility practices.

What are the learning objectives?

  • 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
  • explore the practical uses of WAI ARIA in your web apps

    • Derek Featherstone

    Derek Featherstone Engaging, surprising, and inspiring, Derek Featherstone is an internationally-known authority on accessibility and web development, a respected technical trainer, and author. Creator of in-depth courses on HTML, CSS, DOM Scripting, and Web 2.0 applications, his approach never fails to champion the cause of web standards and universal accessibility. As founder of Further Ahead, he has been an in-demand consultant to government agencies, educational institutions, and private sector companies since 1999. He is the Group Lead of the influential Web Standards Project.

    For more info and registration, visit:

    http://furtherahead.com/courses/realworldajax/