State agencies must ensure that their web pages are usable when scripts, applets, or other programmed objects are turned off or not supported. Note: No testing is required for portalized agencies.
Rationale
- Web pages need to be accessible by different types of assistive technologies. Text readers do not always support scripts and other programmed objects, which means that pages that use scripts are inaccessible.
- Although web developers are encouraged to use new technologies to solve problems that are not addressed very well by existing technologies, they should make their pages work with older browsers and for users who have turned off scripting.
- Navigation links that are written in a scripting language without an HTML alternative will not be indexed by search engines.
Meaning
- Information within the scripts is text-based, or a text alternative is provided within the script itself.
- All scripts are either directly accessible to assistive technology (usually keyboard access), or an alternate method of accessing equivalent functionality is provided (an HTML link, for example).
- If a legitimate business need exists to use programmed objects, a state agency web page must provide a text equivalent (by using the NOSCRIPT element in the HTML coding).
Testing
From the Firefox Web Developer Toolbar Disable menu, choose Disable Java and Disable JavaScript.
The Vision Australia AIS Web Accessibility toolbar for Internet Explorer allows you to check for accessibility as described in the documentation for the toolbar.