Web Accessibility By Amy Thornton

What is Web Accessibility? Web accessibility refers to the practice of making Web sites usable by people of all abilities and disabilities. (Wikipedia)

Web accessibility refers to the practice of making Web sites usable by people of all abilities and disabilities. (Wikipedia)

The Law Section 504 1998 Amendment to Section 508 American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Assistive Technology Act (ATA)

Section 504

1998 Amendment to Section 508

American with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Assistive Technology Act (ATA)

Section 504 Purpose: to protect any person with a disability in any program receiving federal funding Institutions receiving federal funding must ensure accessibility to all of their services for anyone who wishes to use them Enforced by the Office of Civil Rights

Purpose: to protect any person with a disability in any program receiving federal funding

Institutions receiving federal funding must ensure accessibility to all of their services for anyone who wishes to use them

Enforced by the Office of Civil Rights

Section 508 Purpose: requires that all electronic and information technology from federal agencies be made accessible to everyone. Checklist of guidelines to follow to make sure 508 compliant: http://www.webaim.org/standards/508/checklist

Purpose: requires that all electronic and information technology from federal agencies be made accessible to everyone.

Checklist of guidelines to follow to make sure 508 compliant: http://www.webaim.org/standards/508/checklist

American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Prevents discrimination against persons with disabilities in job hiring Enforcement by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

Prevents discrimination against persons with disabilities in job hiring

Enforcement by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Governs how services are provided to children with disabilities It ensures the equal opportunity of educational opportunities to all students in general and special education

Governs how services are provided to children with disabilities

It ensures the equal opportunity of educational opportunities to all students in general and special education

Assistive Technologies Act (ATA) Purpose: to provide financial assistance to states to allow them to provide technology-related assistance to persons with disabilities

Purpose: to provide financial assistance to states to allow them to provide technology-related assistance to persons with disabilities

Types of Disabilities Mobility Hearing impairment Vision impairment Learning impairment

Mobility

Hearing impairment

Vision impairment

Learning impairment

Mobility impairment Difficulty using fingers, hands, or arms Challenges: Unable to use mouse Unable to select small buttons or icons Unable to participate in real-time text chat

Difficulty using fingers, hands, or arms

Challenges:

Unable to use mouse

Unable to select small buttons or icons

Unable to participate in real-time text chat

Mobility impairment Types of assistive technologies: Speech recognition software (Dragon Naturally Speaking - http://www.nuance. com/naturallyspeaking/ ) Assistive keyboards and switches What can you do to help? Make buttons and links reasonably large Provide keyboard alternatives for anything that requires a mouse Provide audio alternatives for text requirements

Types of assistive technologies:

Speech recognition software (Dragon Naturally Speaking - http://www.nuance. com/naturallyspeaking/ )

Assistive keyboards and switches

What can you do to help?

Make buttons and links reasonably large

Provide keyboard alternatives for anything that requires a mouse

Provide audio alternatives for text requirements

Hearing impairment Deaf or hard of hearing Challenges: Listening to audio/video clips Difficulty participating in real-time audio chats What can you do to help? Provide transcripts for audio Provide captioning for video Provide closed captioning or tty access for live chats

Deaf or hard of hearing

Challenges:

Listening to audio/video clips

Difficulty participating in real-time audio chats

What can you do to help?

Provide transcripts for audio

Provide captioning for video

Provide closed captioning or tty access for live chats

Vision impairment Blind low vision, color blindness Challenges: Inability to view images or videos Inability to understand and navigate organization of Web page Types of assistive technologies: Screen reader Speech recognition software (Dragon Naturally Speaking - http://www.nuance. com/naturallyspeaking/ )

Blind low vision, color blindness

Challenges:

Inability to view images or videos

Inability to understand and navigate organization of Web page

Types of assistive technologies:

Screen reader

Speech recognition software (Dragon Naturally Speaking - http://www.nuance. com/naturallyspeaking/ )

Vision impairment What can you do to help? Provide alt tags for all images Provide headers and descriptions for tables Provide audio explanations for complicated diagrams and images

What can you do to help?

Provide alt tags for all images

Provide headers and descriptions for tables

Provide audio explanations for complicated diagrams and images

Learning impairment Effects the learning process involving one or more abilities (e.g, speaking, listening, reading, writing, spelling, reasoning, and organizing) Challenges: Getting lost in navigation Inability to understand cluttered content or worded clearly

Effects the learning process involving one or more abilities (e.g, speaking, listening, reading, writing, spelling, reasoning, and organizing)

Challenges:

Getting lost in navigation

Inability to understand cluttered content or worded clearly

Learning impairment Types of assistive technologies: Concept mapping software Speech output software What can you do to help? Include alternative methods of receiving information to accommodate different learning styles Offer longer exam durations

Types of assistive technologies:

Concept mapping software

Speech output software

What can you do to help?

Include alternative methods of receiving information to accommodate different learning styles

Offer longer exam durations

Assistive Technology Resources Captioning Caption Colorado ( http://www. captioncolorado .com/ ) Screen Readers Job Access With Speech (JAWS) ( http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_jaws.asp ) Speech Recognition Software Dragon Naturally Speaking ( http://www.nuance. com/naturallyspeaking/ )

Captioning

Caption Colorado ( http://www. captioncolorado .com/ )

Screen Readers

Job Access With Speech (JAWS) ( http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_jaws.asp )

Speech Recognition Software

Dragon Naturally Speaking ( http://www.nuance. com/naturallyspeaking/ )

Design Tips Standards Use an accessibility checking tool such as Bobby or A-Prompt to check your Web site against W3C WAI or Section 508 guidelines Layout and Structure Use headings in content consistently Use the captions, summaries, and row and column headers for tables Use appropriate metadata

Standards

Use an accessibility checking tool such as Bobby or A-Prompt to check your Web site against W3C WAI or Section 508 guidelines

Layout and Structure

Use headings in content consistently

Use the captions, summaries, and row and column headers for tables

Use appropriate metadata

Design Tips Navigation Use clear, descriptive text for hyperlinks Set hyperlinks to open in new window Use meaningful text for page titles Color Avoid using color as only indicator Avoid using red Text Use clear, simple language

Navigation

Use clear, descriptive text for hyperlinks

Set hyperlinks to open in new window

Use meaningful text for page titles

Color

Avoid using color as only indicator

Avoid using red

Text

Use clear, simple language

Design Tips Images Add meaningful alt text to all images For complex images, add a description link Avoid flickering images and unnecessary animated images Avoid using images of text Multimedia For audio clips, use a description link For video clips, use captioning or use a description link For video clips, provide a link to an audio file Provide a link to download appropriate audio/video player

Images

Add meaningful alt text to all images

For complex images, add a description link

Avoid flickering images and unnecessary animated images

Avoid using images of text

Multimedia

For audio clips, use a description link

For video clips, use captioning or use a description link

For video clips, provide a link to an audio file

Provide a link to download appropriate audio/video player

References American with Disabilities Act (2008, April). Retrieved April 18, 2008, from http://www.ada.gov/ Attention Deficit Disorders Association Southern Region (2007, October). Section 504 . Retrieved: April 15, 2008, from http://www.adda-sr.org/504.htm Nuance Communication (2008). Dragon Naturally Speaking . Retrieved April 17, 2008, from http://www.nuance.com/naturallyspeaking/ Section 508 (n.d.). Retrieved: April 15, 2008, from http://www.section508.gov/ Section 508 (n.d.). Assistive Technology Act of 1998 . Retrieved April 18, 2008, from https://www.buyaccessible.gov/docs/AT1998.html

American with Disabilities Act (2008, April). Retrieved April 18, 2008, from http://www.ada.gov/

Attention Deficit Disorders Association Southern Region (2007, October). Section 504 . Retrieved: April 15, 2008, from http://www.adda-sr.org/504.htm

Nuance Communication (2008). Dragon Naturally Speaking . Retrieved April 17, 2008, from http://www.nuance.com/naturallyspeaking/

Section 508 (n.d.). Retrieved: April 15, 2008, from http://www.section508.gov/

Section 508 (n.d.). Assistive Technology Act of 1998 . Retrieved April 18, 2008, from https://www.buyaccessible.gov/docs/AT1998.html

References The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (1997, January). Facts About the Americans with Disabilities Act . Retrieved April 18, 2008, from http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/fs-ada.html U.S. Department of Education (n.d.). Building the Legacy: IDEA 2004 . Retrieved April 18, 2008, from http://idea.ed.gov/ United States Access Board (n.d.). Retrieved: April 15, 2008, from http://www.access-board.gov/ United States Department of Health & Human Services (2008, February). Your Rights Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act . Retrieved: April 15, 2008, from http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/504.html WebAIM: Web Accessibility in Mind (2008). Section 508 Checklist . Retrieved: April 15, 2008, from http://www.webaim.org/standards/508/checklist

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (1997, January). Facts About the Americans with Disabilities Act . Retrieved April 18, 2008, from http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/fs-ada.html

U.S. Department of Education (n.d.). Building the Legacy: IDEA 2004 . Retrieved April 18, 2008, from http://idea.ed.gov/

United States Access Board (n.d.). Retrieved: April 15, 2008, from http://www.access-board.gov/

United States Department of Health & Human Services (2008, February). Your Rights Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act . Retrieved: April 15, 2008, from http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/504.html

WebAIM: Web Accessibility in Mind (2008). Section 508 Checklist . Retrieved: April 15, 2008, from http://www.webaim.org/standards/508/checklist