My next post for GovHack is accessible maps.

Now at a later date, have a look at OzWiki: Interactive Maps factsheets. But for now, I know you’re all busy, so I’ll summarise it for you. The important things you need to do to make a map accessible is:

• Providing a long description of the map in text or HTML.

• Providing an ALT attribute for image-based maps.

  • Ensure client-side image maps have accurate ALT attributes to indicate areas of a map or important markers

• Making the map keyboard accessible.

• Making an HTML version of any JavaScript features of the map.

• Not relying on colour to differentiate important parts of the map.

  • Ensure that your maps use:

    • borders to separate one area from another;

    • different types of shading and change of colour to indicate different areas.

    • label markers with an ASCII character and individual colours for different markers.

• Allowing users to increase the size of the map, legend and any text.

  • Often maps do not respond to browser requests to increase size, therefore additional methods may be required to:

    • provide a “large” version of the map, where the user has increased the normal text size by 200%; and

    • maximise a particular point/area, or add a highlight box that shows the particular point/area in a larger size.

Code snippets

Want to know how to do the above – check out the OzWiki Developer factsheet on Interactive maps.