Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires all content and programs offered on federal Internet and Intranet Web sites to be accessible to all users, including users with disabilities. As part of our commitment to accessibility, Macromedia has partnered with UsableNet, an industry leader in developing testing and repair software for usability and accessibility. Through this partnership, we are able to provide these helpful accessibility tools.
Supporting Accessibility Quality Assurance (QA)
LIFT Machine is a central testing application for web content regardless of whether it is static, dynamic, Internet or Intranet. LIFT Machine is a resource that any user of Macromedia Dreamweaver MX can access using a simple menu command. Once logged in, the web designer can setup projects that will allow him or her to monitor and test specific areas of web content against a customizable set of industry accessibility and usability guidelines including Section 508 and W3C.
The resulting project reports pinpoint potential user issues. Using Dreamweaver MX, developers can fix these issues and repost the corrected pages. A web developer can use LIFT Machine to check thousands of pages being posted by other Macromedia Dreamweaver and Contribute users, streamlining the QA process and avoiding timely review processes. Send an email to request a demo and trial of this server.
Free 5-page Accessibility Test
Test any Web site for accessibility —regardless of whether you are the administrator—including sites with dynamically-driven content. This free test checks any public Web site against a selection of Section 508 and W3C accessibility guidelines and a selection of usability rules. It's a sample of LIFT Online, a new product from UsableNet.
LIFT for Dreamweaver MX
For additional help in making your website accessible, UsableNet also offers LIFT for Macromedia Dreamweaver MX. This is a complete solution for developing usable and accessible websites. UsableNet Lift for Macromedia Dreamweaver MX includes fix wizards for complex tables, forms, and images; a global ALT editor; customizable reporting; and a new active monitoring mode that ensures content is accessible as pages are being built.
W3C/508 Accessibility Suite
UsableNet has released a new, free accessibility extension to enhance the current options that come with Macromedia Dreamweaver MX.
This new extension combines Section 508 with W3C priority 1 & 2 accessibility guideline testing and repair advice. Its features have been specifically designed to support the use of sites built with Dreamweaver templates sites, providing accessibility testing across for Dreamweaver and Contribute users. The extension also supports the latest legal requirements set out by the UK SENDA legislation and Canadian federal "Common Look and Feel" Guidelines.
