Design criteria of a handbook for web accessibility

This paper presents an Italian Experience of the development of an accessibility manual mainly addressed to authors and Web masters. Starting from an analysis of application difficulties of WAI guidelines and from the experience of authors in the fields of research on information accessibility and applications of assistive technology, criteria for the development of a practical tool to encourage attention to accessibility problems are described. In summary, these criteria are based on the integration of a free translation of WAI guidelines with the introduction of profiles of different users with special needs, their typical problems, the state of assistive technology, suggestions and examples. The wide diffusion of this manual and its good reception confirm the validity of the method adopted.