Why Build Your Website To W3C Standards?

Web sites should be constructed using W3C technologies and guidelines. When this is not possible, or doing so results in material that does not transform gracefully, an alternative accessible version of the content should be provided.

Many non-W3C formats (e.g., PDF, Shockwave, etc.) require viewing with either plug-ins or stand-alone applications. Often, these formats cannot be viewed or navigated with standard Web access or screen reading tools. Non-W3C formats should be converted to HTML/XHTML although this does not always create an accessible document. Each page should be validated for accessibility and usability after the conversion process.

Avoiding non-W3C and non-standard features (proprietary elements, attributes, properties, and extensions) will tend to make pages more accessible to more people using a wider variety of hardware and software. When proprietary or inaccessible technologies must be used, equivalent accessible pages must be provided. Even when W3C technologies are used, they must be used in accordance with accessibility guidelines.

If a page does not easily convert, developers should either revise the page until its original content converts properly or provide an HTML or plain text version.

Written by Shaun Anderson