Web accessibility

Draft

Definition

“Web accessibility refers to the inclusive practice of making websites usable by people of all abilities and disabilities. When sites are correctly designed, developed and edited, all users can have equal access to information and functionality.” (Wikipedia, retrieved no 18, 2010)

See also: web usability, usability, ergonomics and cognitive ergonomics

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

These guidelines explain how to make Web content accessible to people with disabilities. The guidelines are intended for all Web content developers (page authors and site designers) and for developers of authoring tools. The primary goal of these guidelines is to promote accessibility. However, following them will also make Web content more available to all users, whatever user agent they are using (e.g., desktop browser, voice browser, mobile phone, automobile-based personal computer, etc.) or constraints they may be operating under (e.g., noisy surroundings, under- or over-illuminated rooms, in a hands-free environment, etc.). Following these guidelines will also help people find information on the Web more quickly. These guidelines do not discourage content developers from using images, video, etc., but rather explain how to make multimedia content more accessible to a wide audience.

, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 retrieved 12:57, 4 June 2008 (UTC).

Users with accessibility problems

According to wikipedia

• Visual: Visual impairments including blindness, various common types of low vision and poor eyesight, various types of color blindness;
• Motor/Mobility: e.g. difficulty or inability to use the hands, including tremors, muscle slowness, loss of fine muscle control, etc., due to conditions such as Parkinson's Disease, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, stroke;
• Auditory: Deafness or hearing impairments, including individuals who are hard of hearing;
• Seizures: Photoepileptic seizures caused by visual strobe or flashing effects.
• Cognitive/Intellectual: Developmental disabilities, learning disabilities (dyslexia, dyscalculia, etc.), and cognitive disabilities of various origins, affecting memory, attention, developmental "maturity," problem-solving and logic skills, etc.;

Some of you may think that you can ignore these populations since they are small. Besides ethical questions, also consider that you may be in situations where you are disabled:

• Visual: You drive a car, so you want an audio browser.
• Motor: You try to view web pages on your cell phone ;)
• Auditory: You are in a boring meeting or a class and want to "listen" to news
• Cognitive/Intellectual: You are drunk are really tired, but need to repair a server. So it's got to be both simple and effective.

Standards

Guidelines

• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0,W3C Recommendation 5-May-1999
• User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG) Overview
• Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG) Overview

Other

• Web Accessibility for Older Users: A Literature Review, W3C Working Draft 14 May 2008
• WAI-ARIA, the Accessible Rich Internet Applications Suite

Bodies

• Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). Consult this pages for more W3C documents.

Links

• Web accessibility (Wikipedia)