Web Development Articles
- General Web Business
- Accessibility and Web Standards
- Programming and Scripts
- WordPress Plugins
- Guest Articles
You can also read more articles published in my Accessible Design Blog. Subscribe to Accessible Design via RSS or by e-mail to receive regular updates.
General/Web Business Articles
- What is Web Accessibility?
Summarizes the elements of web accessibility and explains their importance.
- What is Web Usability?
A somewhat parallel article to the web accessibility review, summarizing the most salient points of usability-focused development.
- Best Practices Guide to Web Development
An article in five parts covering many of the issues surrounding best practices in web development for the independent contractor.
- Choosing a Designer
Gives a few suggestions on how you may want to think when selecting your web designer.
- Planning Your Site
Provides tips for you to consider while you plan your new website.
- Hosting your Web Site
Describes very basically what hosting is and what services I provide to help you get your website running.
- SEO and Accessibility
Discusses the parallels between Search Engine Optimization and Accessibility. See also Search Engine Friendly vs. Search Engine Optimized, for more information in this area.
Accessibility and Web Standards
- Designing Accessible Navigation
This article is a discussion of the most significant factors which must be considered in developing a navigation system which provides consistent accessibility.
- Accesskeys: Curse or Blessing?
Accesskeys are a well-known system of providing keyboard shortcuts for websites - but they carry some complicating risks for use.
- Web Semantics
The task of applying semantic meaning to HTML code is an important way of providing better access for your users and search engines.
- Optimizing Content for the Web
I presented this paper at the Spectrum 2005 conference of the Rochester Society for Technical Communication with Lori Wagoner of Wagoner Research.
Software and Programming
- Basic Boolean Search Engine in MYSQL and PHP
A simple, home-baked search engine for PHP and MySQL based dynamic websites. Provides basic Boolean searching and low-level security against SQL injection based website attacks. Requires a fair amount of PHP/MySQL knowledge to implement. Current version downloaded
6648times.Previous versions downloaded
505(v2.5),2612(v2.0) and1954(v1.5) times, respectively. - More About Boolean Queries in MySQL
If you aren't interested in the search tool above, but want to learn more about MySQL's BOOLEAN MODE queries, this should give you a wee bit of enlightenment.
- Simple poll using PHP and MySQL
Looking for a free and easy way to add a poll to your PHP website with MySQL software? This may help. Version 2, released April 14th, 2008, has been downloaded
1722times. Original script was downloaded3607times between May 25th, 2006 and April 14th, 2008. - Processing Forms with PHP, a Beginner's Guide
A tutorial for the beginning programmer dealing with forms for the first time. Gives a basic introduction to form handling with MySQL, writing data to a file, and sending information by email. Script downloaded
973times. - Easy PHP Photo Gallery
A PHP script to create a photo gallery with one major advantage: it's easy to put together. It's not easy in the sense that you can do it blindfolded, but it's easy in that it requires very few steps to make your gallery. The default CSS is usable, but you'll need a fair amount of CSS skill to make it integrate with your existing design. Version 1.3 downloaded
237times.Version 1.2 downloaded
4781times between November 2008 and February 2010. Version 1.1 downloaded3407times between July 2007 and November 2008. Original version was downloaded422times between March 2007 and July 2007. - Semantic Webpage Structure as a Graph
A Java applet to graph the internal structure of the HTML used on a single webpage. Interesting way to view the use of particular elements on a web site.
- Color Contrast Tester
This is a tool which allows you to sample the spectrum of color combinations with a color of your choice. Allows you to see what colors will be acceptable under Web Content Accessibility Guidelines as well as see how the two sets of guidelines compare. See also Testing Color Contrast for WCAG 1 & 2.
- Color Contrast Evaluator
This is a simple tool for comparing the contrast of two colors against both WCAG 1 and WCAG 2 contrast evaluation guidelines.
WordPress Plugins
- WP to Twitter
The WP-to-Twitter plugin posts a Twitter status update from your blog using the Cli.gs URL shortening service to provide a link back to your post from Twitter.
- WP Post Styling
Add post-specific custom styles to posts or pages of your blog.
Guest Articles Around the Web
No summaries provided for these, I'm afraid - you'll just have to go read them!
- Practical eCommerce Magazine
- Accessibility and Social Media
- Accessibility: How Many Disabled Web Users Are There?
- Accessibility Review: PetsContained.com
- Accessibility Review: LorisWigsite.com
- Accessibility and the Checkout Process
- Web Accessibility And The Law
- New Accessibility Guidelines Part IV: Robustness
- New Accessibility Guidelines Part III: Understandability
- New Accessibility Guidelines Part II: Operability
- New Accessibility Guidelines Part I: Perceivability
- Accessibility: Making Video and Audio Usable For The Deaf
- Customer Service for the Hearing Impaired
- QualityWorld (The Chartered Quality Institute)
- Cre8tive Flow
- Improve The Web
- Matt Bailey's Accessibility Blog
- Accessites Accessible Design Showcase
Interviews (of me.)
- Quick Query: Joe Dolson of Accessible Web Design (Practical eCommerce)
- Video Interview by Liana Evans at SES Toronto 2008 (Search Marketing Gurus)
- How does it feel to be popular on Digg? (Design Interviews)
- What Prototyping Tools to Choose? (Design Interviews)
- Interview: Joe Dolson, New Moderator (Cre8tive Flow)
