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Take the 'Bobby test' -- we did

Want to see how accessible your Web site is to the handicapped? Ask Bobby
Written by Maria Seminerio, Contributor
Want a quick way to see how accessible your Web site is to handicapped users? Ask Bobby.

'Bobby' is a program developed by the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) to show site developers what kind of access problems their sites have -- and how to fix them.

If a site passes muster with Bobby, it's eligible for a CAST seal of approval that sites can display to show they're handicap-friendly.

A recent test of the program -- using ZDNN as a guinea pig -- shows just how many access glitches can crop up on commercial Web sites.

The ZDNN site delivered no less than 122 accessibility problems in a test run on Bobby last week.

The vast majority of the errors were failures to provide alternative text for images. This means blind readers, who use audio screen-reading programs, would be unable to find out what those images signify.

The Bobby program also offers tips for Webmasters on fixing accessibility problems.

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