Considering Web Accessibility in Web Design

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Considering Web Accessibility in Web Design

• Leo Valdes
• Vision Office
• October 20, 2001

INTEGRATING DIFFERENCES
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Outline

• Accessibility defined
• Considerations in Web Design
• Content, Aesthetics, Accessibility, Usability,
  Sustainability

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Accessibility Defined

• Providing the flexibility to accommodate users
  needs and preferences
• Alternatives
• Reasonable Accomodation

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Web Accessibility

• Promotes access by persons with disabilities
• Persons with various capabilities
• Standards (WAI Page Authoring Guidelines)
• Laws (USA Section 508)

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Considerations in Web Design

• Primary Content
• Aesthetics
• Accessibility
• Usability
• Sustainability 

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Content is key

• Who is/are the audience(s)
• Persons with various abilities and capabilities
  included
• What is/are the message(s)
• Defines how content is organized and presented

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Aesthetics

• Myth An accessible web page is dull, boring
  plain text.
• Accessible web pages meet accessibility
  standards. These standards allow
• images and image maps (with ALT text)
• Tables
• page styles
• dynamic content
• scripts and applets with accessible alternatives
• different languages and character sets

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Accessibility

• Myth Accessibility only benefits persons with
  disabilities
• New Internet appliances benefit all
• WebTV, wireless devices, PDAs
• Users of different technologies also benefit
• Users in remote areas, using modems

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Accessibility Assistive Devices

• Myth Disabled people dont use the web! Blind
  people cant read my web pages.
• How do persons with disabilities use the
  web?Assistive devices
• Screen Readers, Braille readers
• Specialized input devices, such as voice

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Accessibility Browsing

• How do visually impaired persons see a web page?
• Text is read back to them
• Tables Text in cells are read, left to right,
  row by row.
• ALT text of an image is also read
• How do visually impaired persons use a web page?
• Special keyboard commands to navigate
• Tab key moves to the next link
• Enter key clicks on a link

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Accessibility Guidelines

• Use accepted principles for accessible web design
• (www.hwg.org)
• Follow web accessibility guidelines
• (www.w3c.org/wai)
• Use Accessibility Validators
• WAI (www.w3c.org)
• Cast Bobby (www.cast.org/bobby)
• Commercial Section 508 validators (e.g.,
  www.usablenet.com)
• Test your web site with different browser
• (e.g., www.anybrowser.com)

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Usability

• Myth If my web pages pass the validators,
  theyre accessible.
• Even text-only pages can be inaccessible
• The dreaded Click Here link
• Usability allowing the user to get in and out
  quickly
• Finding the information he/she needs
• Organization of the web site
• Navigation
• Search capabilities

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Sustainability

• Myth Accessible web authoring is expensive and
  time-consuming
• Popular editors dont require HTML skills
• FrontPage, Dreamweaver easy to use, have
  accessibility features
• Content Management empowers content producers
• Database-driven site
• Web-based WYSIWYG editor
• Allows alternative ways of delivering content
  (e.g., accessible, printable pages, email)

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Summary

• Know your audience
• Consider accessibility, usability and
  sustainability
• This presentation is at
• www.worldenable.net