If you’re building web sites, and you have any interest at all in making them accessible to people with vision, mobility, or other impairments, you need to read this book. Clark’s style is emphatic and sometimes haughty, but also caring and filled with pointed humour and dry sarcasm. The book covers the full spectrum of web accessibliliy techniques in exhaustive detail. Not only does Clark tell you what you should do, but also why you should do it–that’s what makes this such a valuable reference. Even a little accessibility can go a long way; this book tells you exactly what you need to know to implement it.
There is one reason I’m never going to read this book: the book cover reminds me too much of goatse (read the safe-for-work explanation at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goatse.cx ). They say seeing this image once scars the average person for life… I don’t think I’m a basket case yet, but I don’t need reminders like this one on my table or in my book case.
I know…. The cover is quite disturbing. Even hosting an image of it here on Sunpig gives me the shudders. But if you can get past the cover, it’s an excellent book. Alternatively, you can read an on-line version of it at http://www.joeclark.org/book/sashay/serialization/.
(There is actually a complete explanation of why the cover is as it is in the back of the book: http://www.joeclark.org/book/sashay/serialization/Colophon.html)