Transcript Web Accessibility issues

Web Accessibility
Issues
Why Consider Access Issues ?
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Discrimination
Numbers of disabled students in HE likely
to increase
Sites designed for the disabled improved
usability for all
You could be sued !
Disabilities
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Sight impaired
Hearing impaired
Colour blindness
Dyslexia
Lack of fine motor control
Epilepsy
Strategies
Assistive Technology
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Software to assist spelling or word prediction
Speech to text
Text to speech e.g. Kurzweil reader
Braille embosser
Screen magnifiers
Note these are not specific to internet use
Strategies
Changing the browser settings:
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Increase or decrease size of text
Remove the style sheet
Add personal style sheet
Reset the colours
Windows software (located in Accessories)
Guidance
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W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
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14 general principles of design
3 “Priorities” or “Checkpoints”
http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-WAI-PAGEAUTH/full-checklist.html
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UK Law – SENDA 2002
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Websites should conform to “Level 1 Priority of the
WAI”
Make “reasonable adjustments” – this includes
providing access to materials in an alternative format
Guidance cont.
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TechDis – 7 Precepts
http://www.techdis.ac.uk/seven
Accessible Curricula: Good Practice For All
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RNIB
http://www.rnib.org.uk/access/welcome.htm
Design Guidance
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Sound pedagogic reasons for any non-text content
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Ensure text is accessible by other means
Order materials logically to assist text readers
http://www.webaim.org/tutorials/context
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Site map/overview at start of each section
Design Solutions - Images
Give text alternatives
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Alt
Longdesc
D + link to separate page
Avoid image maps
Images cont.
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Avoid text as images
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Avoid image interface
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distorts when enlarged
slow download
Colour
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ensure high colour contrast
avoid obvious difficulties e.g. red and green
http://www.vischeck.com
Multimedia
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Flash & Shockwave elements
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Provide text alternatives
Video and Sound files
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Provide transcripts
Text
Use relative sizes (e.g. %)
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Avoid long passages in italics or UPPER CASE
Avoid blinking text
Avoid rainbow text
Avoid animated text
Links
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Underline links
Make links clear
 E.g. Play sound file of Water Music and not Click
here
 Warn user what type of file will open
 PDF - printing only
 Use .txt or html alternative for max accessibility
 Avoid opening in a new window
Scripts/applets
 provide information in alternative form
Validation
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Check pages in a variety of browsers
Use text only browser e.g. Lynx
http:// www.delorie.com/web/lynxview.html
Use HTML validator
 E.g. Bobby http://www.cast.org/bobby/
 Dr HTML http://www2.imagiware.com/RxHTML/
Turn off mouse and graphics
(Tools>Internet Options>Advanced)
Tab to links
Issues
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Find balance between aesthetically pleasing
and accessible
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“Inclusive” or “Universal” design principles
should improve access for all users
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References:
Nielsen J (2000) Designing Web Usability
http://www.useit.com
References
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Accessible Curricula, Good Practice For All
http://www.techdis.ac.uk/pdf/curricula.pdf
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Please refer to list of “useful resources” on page 60
TechDis Accessibility Database
http://www.techdis.ac.uk
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Web Accessibility and Usability Evaluation Resource
http://www.techdis.ac.uk/seven/
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National Federation of Access Centres
http://www.nfac.org.uk