Text-Only Pages

The Section 508 guidelines include a provision that permits a text-only option to be created, if the item or page in question cannot be made accessible. Often, Web sites with navigation menus based on JavaScript or Flash will have "text-only" links that direct users to a simple, non-graphical page with navigational links. Some Web sites are designed entirely in Flash, and a complete text-only Web site is sometimes offered as an option on a pre-Web site "splash" page.

While adding a text-only page or link is an important interim accessibility feature, every effort should be made to redesign the page or application so that it is natively accessible. Oftentimes, text-only alternatives are not kept up-to-date, so there may be broken links or missing information. Also, a text-only link conveys to your visitors that you may not be trying to design with accessiblity in mind. If a page, application, or Web site is designed correctly, a text-only alternative is not necessary.

The exact language for this checkpoint is:

"A text-only page, with equivalent information or functionality, shall be provided to make a Web site comply with the provisions of these standards, when compliance cannot be accomplished in any other way. The content of the text-only page shall be updated whenever the primary page changes."

Related Section 508 checkpoint: Paragraph (k)

If you do include a text-only option, make sure that it is kept current. After offering your text-only option, make the effort to find a more universally accessible solution.