Accessibility compliance for Rich Internet apps

Accessibility compliance for Rich Internet apps

{Punk girl in a wheelchair descending a escalator in London underground tube}

How to treat accessibility in rich internet applications ?

There are much more powerful, time saving UI patterns and JavaScript frameworks, ajax libraries than before. But where & how accessibility will be nurtured between all these hoopla ? So far validating accessibility of semantic code was quite easier but may not be that easy when a content is wrapped in intelligent UI widgets rendered by rich internet apps. In one way, web 2.0 backed UI patterns are very intuitive and user friendly but how 'disabled person' is going to access such advanced applications ?

w3.org has come come with new way of looking at rich internet applications accessibility. I was quite keen to understand what's this all about WAI-ARIA (Web Accessibility Initiative - Accessible Rich Internet Applications)

WAI-ARIA (Web Accessibility Initiative - Accessible Rich Internet Applications) is a set of documents published by the World Wide Web Consortium that specify how to increase the accessibility of dynamic content and user interface components developed with Ajax, HTML, JavaScript and related technologies.

WAI-ARIA describes how to add semantics and other metadata to HTML content in order to make user interface controls and dynamic content more accessible. For example, with WAI-ARIA it is possible to identify a list of links as a navigation menu and to state whether it is expanded or collapsed.

I found an interesting read on 'importance of the ARIA presentation'. The article discusses about bottlenecks of WAI-ARIA. I am sure, WAI-ARIA is the way to go when section 508 standards and WAI's are the necessity in quasi govt and federal linked companies.

>> Read more on the WAI-ARIA here

Iron Chrome

Iron Chrome

First round of Google approach to browser: chrome's dust is settling down with the simple feedback across netizen - "its a simple, fast browser, but I think twice to switch over from existing Firefox"

One major concern sounded from all quarters was questions about Google's policies for collecting usage data. I don't understand how schematically Google uses users search data but the concerns about data-collection potential is very evident.

If you're concerned about Google collecting your search data via Chrome, its high time that you download Chrome as Iron Browser. It's purified version of Chrome stripping all possibility of Google collecting users data. A German firm SRWare stripped of all the user ID information transmitting feature of Chrome and presented as Iron.

Iron is essentially the Chrome source code modified to suit user with privacy concern which has :

• No unique user-ID
• No user-specific information is sent to Google
• No alternative error messages
• Crash information is not sent to Google
• No Google updater

>> Try iron now

Google approach to browser .

Google approach to browser .

I am sure you guys are rocking with new born Google chrome. This is my first post out of Google Chrome - The google's approach to browser . you know what, even while composing this I was missing - 'built in dictionary feature of Firefox'.

I've installed it on my vista and first look impressions are awesome. It's very clean and easy to use. Though it's not revolutionary as official blog claims it: it's a blend of google innovation and components from Apple's WebKit and Mozilla's Firefox.

Noticeably, quite fast on google related services ! But what's interesting to note about this browser is :

Under the hood, we were able to build the foundation of a browser that runs today's complex web applications much better. By keeping each tab in an isolated "sandbox", we were able to prevent one tab from crashing another and provide improved protection from rogue sites. We improved speed and responsiveness across the board. We also built a more powerful Javascript engine, V8, to power the next generation of web applications that aren't even possible in today's browsers.

The often crash reports in Internet explorer and Mozilla Firefox can be weeded out with this new avatar of browser !

It's the unfortunate fate of google, that people have started to see anything out of google garage with a monopolistic suspicion. Web is already divided over 'Does Google Have Rights to Everything You Send Through Chrome?" and google's own statement "wouldn't it be great, then to start from scratch and design something based on the needs of the today's web applications and today's users ?" Tech experts already started figuring out the negatives of Chrome.

I am hooked to web to weigh the pro's and cons in shifting to chrome from 'beloved' Firefox. Surprisingly I am still using Firefox V2.0, Reason ? My favorite extension 'Tab mix plus' is not officially released to FF 3.0. I feel kind of handicapped without that extension :D

This shows the capacity and capability of google in pushing technology and innovation to the limit. And it's simple: If you can't play the game, change the rules of it !