Save a Lot by Choosing the Right Widgets

When testing the accessibility of a web site, I'm very often faced by the situation that something is not accessible due to a widget or third party component developers use. If you want to ensure a site's accessibility, it can become very costly if you have to replace a component which otherwise fits nicely into your site or application.

You can save lot's of money and work time if you assess the accessibility of widgets and other components before you start your project.

When you have a component in mind, you can check it yourself, have an accessibility expert look at it, or contact the company which developed it and ask for accessibility information.

Even if the component is not accessible, you might be able to make the necessary changes. Make sure that you are permitted to make the changes, or if you can, at all. If you use open source solutions, you should be ok with it. When you are integrating software solutions, it maybe more difficult. However, you can always talk with the manufacturers and see if they are willing to make the necessary changes.

To determine a component's accessibility could be as short as the matter of hours to obtain the necessary information, or maybe a bit longer if you need to make the necessary changes. If you have to replace it just before deployment, because it does not meet the Section 508 requirements for example, can be a tedious process, as you are not only dealing with the replacement, but you will most likely have to make changes to your application to ensure proper integration.