Created By:Rohan AgasheMing Han Teh

Eric Faust

Providing flexibility to accommodate each user’s needs and preferences

Making computer technology and Internet resources useful to more people than would otherwise be the case

Allowing for the participation of people with disabilities

Consideration for people whose communication infrastructures or capabilities are not advanced or not in place.

Larger participating audience It’s the law Accessible designs often benefit not only

people with disabilities but also those in the mainstream

Helps achieve societal goals of full participation and of equality

Internet provides many opportunities for disabled peoples:◦ Do not have to rely on others for information◦ Through special programs, they can gain

information that they never could have before Problem is, only a small portion of websites

are compatible for disabled◦ Most websites require mouse usage: many have

impaired motor skills

World Wide Web pages that use frames or that are filled with non-descriptive graphics

Internet connectivity is not available, or the connection is slow in some countries

Video clips can be undecipherable for the hearing impaired if there is no captioning, and to the visually impaired if there is no audio description

Major prerequisite for many people with disabilities to use computer technology

Programs that read or describe the information on the screen, enlarge or change the color of screen information, and special pointing or input devices

People use the Internet prudently: they will turn off graphics when surfing and they will read and create email off-line

Senders to practice proper email etiquette Emails should be kept short and to the point

New fancy websites, catered to mainstream surfer, alienate persons with visual limitations

Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) - Page Authoring Guidelines

Research in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is helping software engineers and web designers to make websites more accessible through innovative solutions.

E.g. Modern Web Browsers such as Mozilla Firefox 3.5 and Internet Explorer 8 support on-screen zooming.

Mice and keyboards now come in more ergonometric shapes that minimize wrist injuries.

Computer screens are getting bigger (higher resolution) which makes for larger workspace and bigger font-sizes.

We believe that internet accessibility should be mandated for all websites. It is in the best interest of everyone, not only the disabled. By making all information accessible, we are ensuring egalitarian rights for all. The right to view all websites, is not a privilege that should be held by those without any disabilities.