Validation and Repair Tools
There are a large number of validation and repair tools offered to web developers. Some are free and can be used online, while others must be purchased and can be used offline. Most validation tools check for simple accessibility tags like alt text and accessible tables. While these programs can check for tags and other accessibility options, they cannot check the quality or validity of the tags.
No automated tool can possibly detect all accessibility problems. Most of these tools will point out problems that require a human decision as to whether a problem truly exists and how it should be repaired, depending on the context and specific situation.
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The WAVE, developed at Temple University, is especially useful in helping sighted developers see alt text and recognize the order in which items on their pages are read by screen readers and talking browsers.
Bobby, an automated accessibility checker, comes in two versions. One version is on the Web and the other is a stand-alone (Java-based) application. The stand-alone version can check a whole website, while the online version checks one page at a time and has trouble with dynamically generated pages.
W3C's HTML Validation Service checks documents for conformance to W3C Recommendations and other standards. A single page can be validated by typing in the URL, or the file can uploaded. Also available is an Extended Interface, with both of the above file submission methods as options, so advanced options can be set.
UsableNet's LIFT offers a suite of software authoring tool extensions. These tools are designed to allow authors to continue to use the design tools they prefer by providing additional functionality that prompts for compliance with guidelines and standards chosen by the author.
A-Prompt is an evaluation and repair tool jointly developed by Toronto's Adaptive Technology Resource Center and Wisconsin's Trace Research and Development Center.
HTML-Kit is a web authoring tool that performs several useful and important functions, including HTML validation and conversion to XHTML. It also cleans up extraneous HTML code generated when Microsoft Office documents are saved as web pages.
Microsoft PowerPoint Accessibility Wizard was developed by the Division of Education-Rehabilitation Services at the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign. This tool walks PowerPoint authors through the process of converting PowerPoint presentation into accessible web-based presentations.
WAI Evaluation and Repair Tools Working Group maintains a frequently updated list of free and commercial evaluation and repair tools.
