There are many ways to define web accessibility, but one simple definition is to allow equal access to information and core functionality of your website to all users. This does not mean that everyone will see or hear the same thing while visiting your website: that would be next to impossible, as people all access the internet using different methods or in different environments.

It does mean that your website should be able to deliver the same service or information to all users, depending on your target audience and the service you provide to your users.

For example, on Amazon.com all users should be able to access the website, browse books and other merchandise for sale, then be able to purchase these items once they find something they would like to buy. This is the core functionality of Amazon.com, and should be achievable by all users.

Two Camps of Accessibility

Many people believe that accessibility on the web consists of catering to solely those with disabilities that may be accessing your website.

This may include:

• blind, low vision and colorblind users
• deaf or hearing impaired users
• cognitive disorders (eg. learning disabilities)
• motor or mobility difficulties (eg. inability to use hands, or cerebral palsy)

Many others believe that accessibility should also extend out to those with ‘environmental disabilities’. This broader definition is defined as ‘universal accessibility’, and tends to encompass a much broader range of people.

This may include:

• people using older browsers or computers
• those with slow internet connections (eg. rural areas)
• those that do not control their environment or software (eg. work computers)
• an aging population of those that are losing their eyesight or mobility
• various consoles other than browsers (eg. mobile phones)

Special Tools for Accessing the Web

Some tools that may affect how users access your website are:

• Screen readers: Those with low vision or blind users will use software that reads the code of the website out loud to the user. This software reads text at speeds most people can’t really understand unless you have used a screen reader for a while.

• Braille Terminals: These are much like the screen reading software, only they return the website content to the user via a braille display, rather than through synthesized speech.

• Keyboards: For those that can’t use a mouse, the keyboard is their main tool for navigating a computer and your website. Tabbing through links on your website is a popular way to navigate most websites.

• Magnifiers: This software blows up portions of a web page exactly as a magnifying glass would, so you can only see smaller portions of a website at a time.

Developing and Accessibility

Keys to creating an accessible web start with developing websites that use clean, semantic HTML so software—such as screen readers—can make sense of each element while processing information.

Subscribing to modern development practices such as POSH development and using Microformats gives more meaning to content being accessed by users, and aids in how this content is interpreted by software or disabled users.

Further testing can be done once a website is finished by using automated, online tools that can assess the code according to W3C specifications. These tools can be useful to save you time and give you a fairly good idea if many things are failing obvious accessibility requirements. Tools such as TAWS and webXACT are two examples of these online resources.

Unfortunately, nothing beats actual testing with a human user if you can afford the time or money to do so. Most automated accessibility tools miss problems with:

• content structure and meaning
• semantic HTML not being use correctly
• basic usability issues

Designing for Accessibility

Many accessibility factors will occur in the HTML code of the website, but designers can look out for some of these issues when initially designing a site:

• Colors: contrast for main elements on the page is important to consider as many people suffer from various degrees of color-blindness.

• Flash: use of Flash can create accessibility issues in some layouts

• Avoid small fonts: allow users to use their browsers to increase font size without breaking the layout of the website.

• Flexibility: imagine your design on different browsers, consoles or even when printed. Will the design work in various mediums?

• Communication: it’s good to communicate closely with the developer when they are coding the website. Sometimes they run into problems that can be fixed with a quick chat and some agreement on small tweaks to the design to improve on accessibility.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 7th, 2007 at 1:17 pm and is filed under Web Design. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.