|
|
|||||
|
|||||
| Path: Main Street : NewsWeek : Archive : Cover Stories : Article |
This is an archive of CharityVillage NewsWeek.
To find a word on the page, use your browser's "find" feature (CTRL-F or CMD-F).
Please note: While we ensure that all links and e-mail addresses are accurate at their publishing date, the quick-changing nature of the web means that some links to other web sites and e-mail addresses may no longer be accurate.
To view other articles in the archive, use our Chronological Index.
Does your web site have curb cuts? Making online information accessible
By Glenda Watson Hyatt
February 15, 1999For people with various types of disabilities, the combination of advances in specialized computer hardware and software and the Internet has opened many doors. It can be quite a liberating experience. People who are visually impaired are able to read books online; people with significant speech impairments are able to speak to the world. However, if web sites are not designed with accessibility features in mind, then doors are slammed shut!
People with visual impairments or with some types of learning disabilities often use screen readers, which read everything on the screen aloud. These screen readers typically read straight across a line, regardless of any columnar or tabular formatting. Consider the weather forecast presented in the table below:
Today's forecast Tomorrow's forecast Clouds and foggy patches in the morning, clearing in the afternoon. Rain in the morning, sunny patches by noon. Watch for rainbows! Read by a screen reader, it sounds like: "Today's forecast Tomorrow's forecast Clouds and foggy patches Rain in the morning, sunny in the morning, clearing in patches by noon. Watch for the afternoon. Rainbows!" Unless this information is provided in an alternative format, the message is lost.
Similarly, graphics and images provide no information to surfers who rely solely on screen readers. If graphics or images contain important information, these surfers cannot access it.
Get them to the information in as few clicks as possible
It is often said that surfing the net is as simple as "point and click". It may be simple for people who can use a mouse. Poor hand control or impaired vision makes it necessary to use alternatives to a mouse. For these people, getting the information they need in the least number of "clicks" can mean they won't leave the site in total frustration.Guidelines have been developed, and are constantly being updated, to assist web developers in designing accessible sites. Listed below are five simple steps that you can use to increase the accessibility of your site. To ensure full accessibility, someone with a specialized knowledge of HTML and of the needs of people with disabilities should be consulted.
- Use the "ALT" tag to provide descriptions of graphics and images.
- If information must be presented in a table format, also provide a text-only version.
- Provide captioning for audio clips and text descriptions for video clips.
- Use good colour contrasts and solid background colours.
- Be consistent in page layout design.
Major benefits, few costs
Making a site accessible does not mean making it less appealing to others. Think of it as putting electronic curb cuts on the Information Highway. People who do not need sidewalk curb cuts are not bothered by their existence. They do, however, make life much easier for people who need them, including people who use wheelchairs, push baby strollers, use delivery carts, and who enjoy in-line skates.Accessible web design benefits everyone: people with disabilities; seniors -- many with failing eyesight -- whose presence on the web is rapidly growing; people using slower, older machines or slow connections to the Internet; and people who do not have the latest graphical browsers or who subscribe to non-graphical services (like some freenets). It does not cost an organization or business more to make its web site accessible right from the start. Typically, you will incur only minimal costs to modify an existing site. Why design a web site that excludes potential customers, clients or visitors?
Web accessibility resource web sites:
Bobby
http://www.cast.org/bobby/
Find out whether a web site can accommodate people with disabilities. Bobby is a web site validator for web site accessibility.Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
http://www.w3.org/WAI/
For detailed accessibility guidelines, check out the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) which, in coordination with organizations around the world, is pursuing accessibility of the Web through five primary areas of work: technology, guidelines, tools, education & outreach, and research & development.Designing More Usable Web Sites
http://www.trace.wisc.edu/world/web/
Check out this list of sites for more information on designing accessible web sites.Glenda Watson Hyatt operates Soaring Eagle Communications which specializes in accessible online communications. She may be reached at Glenda@eaglecom.bc.ca or check out her site at http://www.eaglecom.bc.ca .
|
|||
