An Introduction to Web Accessibility

1
An Introduction to Web Accessibility

• Presentation 2
• Web Accessibility What do we mean and whos
  affected?

2
Pre-requisite knowledge

• Before exploring this pack you should have looked
  at
• What is Accessibility?
• An Introduction to the Disability Legislation

3
What do we mean by accessibility?

• The degree to which someone can access a web or
  e-learning resource regardless of
• Disability
• Environment
• Browsing technology

4
Disabled people

• Blind
• Visually impaired
• Deaf/hearing impaired
• Dyslexia
• Physical disability mainly impaired manual
  dexterity
• Cognitively impaired
• Many people have more than one of the above
  conditions

5
People with disabilities

• when might YOU encounter accessibility problems
  when using a web site?

6
People with disabilities?

• When
• On the phone to a colleague and on the web at the
  same time
• Using Opera on an Apple Mac
• your mouse is broken
• In an open plan office with speakers turned off
• On a bus, using a PDA
• Hung-over

7
Disabled people and the web

• How could technology solve some accessibility
  barriers that face disabled people?
• What assistive technologies have you seen in
  action?

8
Disabled people and the web

• Some assistive technologies
• Screen readers (working with graphical browsers)
  and speech browsers
• Braille displays
• Screen magnification software
• Alternative input devices
• Browser/OS features accessibility options
• Display changes, adjustments to mouse behaviour
• But designers must take responsibility too!

9
What accessibility problems exist?

• Inadequate or lack of alternatives to graphical
  or audio information
• Illogical presentation of information to those
  who are hearing it but cant see it
• Reliance on the mouse as an input device
• Lack of user control over display and input
• Use of web technologies not supported by
  assistive technologies

10
Conclusion

• The web offers new opportunities for everyone but
  poor design can create barriers rather than
  removing them
• Well designed web resources are more accessible
  to a wider range of people and give an enhanced
  learning experience to non-disabled users.
• There are a number of ways of supporting disabled
  users accessing web content so talk to the users
  one size may not fit all!