Web Accessibility Initiative - : Continuing
Transcript of Web Accessibility Initiative - : Continuing
Course Title: Web Accessibility Initiative
Identifying the difficulties impaired users have when using the internet and what can be done to correct them.
Brief Course Description:
We all rely on the internet for information, news, entertainment, communication, and various other ways for personal uses and to improve your performance at work. Have you ever stopped to wonder if using the internet is as easy for people with disabilities as it is for you? Websites historically have not been written with the disabled in mind, therefore it has not been easy for them to obtain the same benefits from this great technology - you might be surprised at how difficult it is for a disabled user to obtain the same information you find easy to get and understand.
Instructors Name Anne-Marie Fiore John Femia Contact Information [email protected] [email protected] Years of Experience: 20 10 Academic Qualifications
Masters of School Administration Cambridge College Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies Bentley College B.S. Education Boston Conservatory of Music
BS Business Administration Villanova University MBA Pepperdine Unversity
Certifications: Approved Cisco Certified Academic Instructor
Approved Instructor Cisco Fundamentals of Web Design Program
Brief Bio: Anne-Marie Fiore Anne-Marie has been teaching in elementary education in the Somerville MA public school system for the over 20 years. Her broad range of experience includes teaching music, technology, and special education programs as well as developing the technology curriculum at the middle school level. She is also a Professor at Middlesex Community College. She is a Cisco Certified Academic Instructor, and serves a consultant on the Curriculum Support Team. Miss Fiore is also the owner of CyberSpace Design, a web development and hosting company.. John Femia John is a full time Professor at Middlesex Community College where he has been teaching Economics and Technology courses for the past 8 years. He serves as the Web Department Coordinator for the college, and has written and developed degree program curriculums at the college. His latest endeavors have been concentrating on helping students to identify career paths and including workplace behaviors into the classroom. He is a certified instructor for the Cisco Fundamentals of Web Design Program. One of the first participants to complete the Distance Learning Initiative training at the college, his on-line courses are designed to encourage participation and critical thinking.
Course Objectives: After taking this course you should be able to:
• Recognize that websites have not been designed for impaired users and can be difficult to use for many different populations
• Define the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
• Identify a series of scenarios that explain why these potential populations may have accessibility issues
• Identify the visual, auditory, physical (or motor), speech, cognitive, and neurological challenges users face when using the world wide web and offer suggestions to improve accessibility for each specific disability
• Identify the 3 Priority Levels designers should strive to achieve in order to meet ADA guidelines, and know that:
Priority 1 - A Web content developer must satisfy this checkpoint. Priority 2 - A Web content developer should satisfy this checkpoint. Priority 3 - A Web content developer may address this checkpoint
• Test a website (using http://www.cast.org/bobby/ ) for accessibility and communicate changes needed to appropriate webmasters to improve site accessibility
• Interview a disabled person and identify individual accessibility issues based on the individual’s impairment
• Offer recommendations of assistive devices based on an analysis of a user’s impairment
• Review a web page and consider how text, color, images, navigation, or other potential design aspects may cause accessibility issues
• Communicate the importance of meeting accessibility guidelines to authoritative persons within an organization in order to avoid discriminatory practices
• Use the many different resources on the world wide web to pinpoint accessibility issues and offer solutions based on appropriate research
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
1.1 Users with Disabilities
1.2 WAI – the Web Accessibility Initiative
1.3 Visual disabilities
1.4 Auditory disabilities
1.5 Motor disabilities
1.6 Cognitive disabilities
1.7 Speech disabilities
1.8 Assistive Technologies
1.9 Legal issues
1.10 Section 508
1.11 A Case in Point
1.12 Additional Resources
APPENDIX A - WAI Guidelines appendix with Priority Checkpoints
REFERENCES
Introduction
"The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect." -- Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director and inventor of the World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is displacing traditional sources of information and interaction --
schools, libraries, previously printed materials, and information exchange in the
workplace are all increasing their dependence on accessibility to the web. . Although
some of the traditional resources were accessible; some were not, and so the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was born. With regard to the WWW, under ADA
guidelines an accessible Web means accommodated access to information for people
with disabilities.
Web Accessibility is a major issue not only in the United States, but worldwide - at least
10% of the population in most countries have some type of impairment or disability,
which may be as small as color blindness or as big an obstacle as a loss of a limb
required to use a mouse. Visual, auditory, physical, speech, and cognitive or
neurological disabilities can all affect access to the Web. Persons with recognizable
cognitive and physical impairments are not the only populations affected. Sometimes
people thought of as in the mainstream of the population are affected as well. The
average age of the population in many countries is increasing. An aging population can
sometimes result in various combinations of accessibility issues such as vision &
hearing changes, changes in dexterity, and memory abilities. Most of us at some time
in our lives will experience visual impairment (inability to read small print or
colorblindness, for example) and/or hearing impairment (most people 50 years or older
experience some hearing loss).
1.1 Users with Disabilities There are over 750 million disabled persons worldwide. You know how much easier it
can be to shop or obtain information online compared with the problems inherent in
visiting the mall or the local library. Users with impairments appreciate the convenience
of the Internet just as much as the unimpaired user.
There is some pressure on browser developers to include support for accessibility
guidelines, particularly in the U.S. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) currently
requires all government subsidized websites to meet these guidelines, and may
eventually require that these guidelines be followed by all web designers because of the
extensive use of the web in the workplace and commercial enterprise. Consider a
disabled worker who is prevented from accessing information he or she requires to
perform his duties because of his disability. If other co-workers have the ability to obtain
the information and no effort has been made by the employer to provide access to the
disabled worker, a discriminatory situation has occurred.
There are many types of disabled people. Below is a short list of scenarios for you to consider:
1. An online shopper with color blindness 2. A reporter with repetitive stress injury 3. An online student who is deaf 4. An accountant who is blind 5. A student with dyslexia 6. A retiree with aging-related conditions trying to manage personal finances 7. A supermarket assistant with cognitive disabilities 8. A teenager with deaf-blindness, seeking entertainment
Many people have disabilities, handicaps, or impairments. The following definitions will
help distinguish between the 3:
Impairment: A "loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological, or anatomical
structure or function". Impairments are disturbances at the level of the organ and
include defects, loss of limb, organ or other body structure and defects or loss of mental
function.
Disability: Any restriction or lack of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within
the range considered normal for a human being.
Handicap: A disadvantage for a given individual resulting from an impairment or a
disability that limits or prevents the fulfilment of a role that is normal for that individual.
Handicap is a classification of role reduction resulting from circumstances which place
an impaired or disabled person at a disadvantage compared to other persons.
When discussing web accessibility, we will include all three definitions and consider
persons with disabilities, impairments, or handicaps as those who require an
accommodation or intervention that equals the ability of that person to perform an
activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being; or that
helps to ensure the fulfillment of a role that is considered normal.
Supplemental Activity: Interview someone you know with disabilities about their experiences using the internet.
1.2 – WAI – The Web Accessibility Initiative
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is the governing body for establishing
protocols for how web pages are written and how they will be interpreted by internet
browsers. W3C has adapted the WAI, or the Web Accessibility Initiative in order to
increase accessibility for all users of the internet.
Why is Web Accessibility an Issue? The Web is becoming a key resource for:
• News, information, commerce, entertainment
• Classroom education, distance learning
• Job searching, workplace interaction
• Civic participation, government services Web accessibility includes:
1. Web sites and applications that people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with.
2. Web browsers and media players that can be used effectively by people with disabilities, and that work well with assistive technologies that some people with disabilities use to access the Web.
3. Web authoring tools and evolving Web technologies that support production of accessible Web content and Web sites, and that can be used effectively by people with disabilities.
There are several reasons why Web accessibility is important:
• The use of the Web is spreading rapidly into all areas of society
• There are many barriers on the Web for all types of disabilities
• Some Web sites are required by employers to be accessible
• Web accessibility has carry-over benefits for users other than the disabled
The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
publishes guidelines to make access to the World Wide Web available to all. Web
designers are encouraged to follow these guidelines. The following are guidelines that
web designers should follow in order to make websites accessible from both the original
guide and the latest proposals:
Provide equivalent alternatives to auditory and visual content - If you are using
sound or graphics, include text descriptions and employ HTML-based aids, such as the
alt attribute in images.
Do not rely on color alone - Ensure that all information conveyed with color is also
available without color. Foreground and background color combinations should provide
sufficient contrast.
Design for ease of comprehension - Write clearly and simply. Use summaries or
divide large blocks of information into more manageable units. This guideline is
especially important for visually impaired users who rely on screen readers. If your
website contains needless text, those who rely on screen readers would have to endure
listening to it before they would hear the important information. This can be extremely
frustrating and may cause that user to leave your site and go to elsewhere for
information.
Design for device-independence - Create a logical tab order through links, form
controls, and objects. Provide keyboard shortcuts to important links.
Provide clear navigation mechanisms - Navigation and interaction features should be
consistent. Links should be clearly identified and logically organized.
Ensure user control of time-sensitive content changes - Provide the ability to stop
or slow the flow of data.
Ensure direct accessibility of embedded user interfaces - Provide access to the
interface, by aids such as screen readers, for an embedded object such as an applet. If
this is not possible, provide ALT text.
Provide context and orientation information - Present the information simply and
group similar ideas, particularly for frames and forms. Provide headings to allow for
reader scanning. And provide the ability to stop or slow the loading of a page while
making sure the content is still accessible when half loaded (e.g., a page consisting of
only images will not display when loaded halfway).
The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
publishes guidelines to make access to the World Wide Web available to all, and web
designers are encouraged to follow these guidelines. A full listing of Priority
Checkpoints designers should follow when designing web pages and web sites is
included in Appendix A at the end of your reading.
Online Activity
Please visit the Web Accessibility Initiative and read more about the importance of accessibility:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/ 1.3 Visual disabilities Since most web pages are highly visual, they are not user-friendly to those who are
visually impaired. The definition of blindness is the visual acuity of not greater than
20/200 in the better eye with correction or a field not subtending an angle greater than
20 degrees. The general misconception of the definition of blindness is that a person
“cannot see”, but a interpreting further and expanding on the difficulties in using the web
accessibility does not mean legally blind by definition but must include having a severe
visual impairment. A visually impaired person may be able to distinguish shapes or be
able to distinguish some forms of light. A person who has a severe sensitivity to light
such that they may be unable to keep their eyes open because of the pain that it causes
may be able read an eye chart – this person is not considered “legally blind”, yet has a
visual impairment. There is some evidence that in the United States the percentage of
people who have some form of color blindness (or being unable to distinguish one or
more chromatic colors) could be as high as 15%.
Those who are blind can utilize synthetic voice or digital audio technology. Those who
have limited vision will benefit from screen magnification and large text fonts. The
following information describes several difficulties encountered by the visually impaired
user and suggestions for improvement in design.
Text
Pages that are mostly text are reasonably easy to access for blind or visually impaired
users because the text can be fed to a screen reader that will read the text aloud
through a synthesizer. However, long pages of text are undesirable since they would
take the screen reader a long time to read, thus causing the user some difficulties in
extracting information or understanding concepts.
Color
The use of color can affect how the web page is viewed. Designers should consider
that colored backgrounds that do not strongly contrast with the color of the text make
reading text very difficult for users, particularly those with limited vision. Some
combinations of background and text colors can make a page virtually unreadable to
color-blind users. To minimize these problems, designers should provide high contrast
between background and text colors. Also, web sites should be reviewed by at least one
red-green color-blind user, since it is the most common form of colorblindness.
Graphics
You should provide an alternative method for "displaying" your images to people who
cannot see them. The main solution to this problem is for designers to use the ALT
attribute. Typical HTML code used to insert an image in a web page might read as
follows:
<IMG SRC="dog.jpg" WIDTH="250"HEIGHT="100" ALT="photo of a dog">
Users who cannot see the photo will see or hear the alternative text "photo of a dog"
instead. A visually impaired user would at least know what type of image is on the
page. Some accessibility specialists advocate using descriptive language to help
explain what the sighted user is seeing. For example, the photo of the dog could be
described as "photo of a small, shaggy, tan dog with pointed ears." To insure
accessibility for the visually impaired user, describe everything in text before you decide
what visual images you will design.
Science and Math Notations
Web content containing science or math notations is often inaccessible to a blind
person. Not all languages contain characters that clearly represent the intended
notation. The W3C has made advances in the Mathematical Markup Language:
MathML. While this is an improvement, many problems have yet to be resolved. HP
EzMath is an application that simplifies the coding of mathematical expressions.
More information on HP EzMath can be found at: http://www.w3.org/People/Raggett/EzMath/ CAST eReader
CAST eReader is a text-to-speech software tool designed to support users who have
difficulty seeing or reading. The flexible user interface enables users to choose between
limited or fully equipped toolbars as well as customize the look and feel for ease of use.
eReader is available in both Macintosh and Windows versions.
Reasons to Use a Text to Speech Tool Like eReader.
For people with learning disabilities, visual disabilities, and reading impairments, print-
based text can be completely inaccessible. While in recent years software developers
have created electronic screen readers that convert text to speech, few of these
programs offer effective control over how the text is displayed and read, nor do they
provide flexible reading features that allow teachers to both support and challenge their
students. Therefore, for those with learning disabilities, visual impairments, reading
disabilities, or language proficiency problems, even electronic text can be difficult to
decipher. The World Wide Web poses additional barriers. While the Web provides a
great deal of useful, educational information, its reading levels, page design, and
emphasis on graphics can make it inaccessible, or even unusable, for some.
Online Activity: Download and try the eReader3.0 30-day Demo to see how the eReader might help an
impaired user interpret web pages by turning text to speech: http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=211
1.4 Auditory disabilities The web is a highly visual medium. Sound is rarely needed to understand a web page.
The usability of a site almost always stays the same when the sound is turned off.
However, the trend is toward more multimedia. Regardless of whether sound is
gratuitous, sites should be designed with a hearing impaired audience in mind. In
particular, transcripts should be made available of spoken audio clips, and videos
should be made available in versions with subtitles.
For more detailed information on implementing closed captioning, see: http://ncam.wgbh.org/richmedia/tutorials/captioning.html The website above refers to WBGH, a Boston based PBS affiliate which runs the
National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM). They suggest that you inform users that
you have implemented closed captioning and that the method used to inform them is
based on text. As a rule of thumb, this is a good suggestion for any messages you wish
to communicate.
Web Links General information on closed captioning is available at: http://www.captions.org/
Online Activity: Go to http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/genome/program.html
Watch a short clip from the NOVA series with the closed captioning turned off. Turn the closed captioning on and watch it again. Compare and contrast the two experiences.
1.5 Motor disabilities Many users have difficulty using the mouse for detailed movements or holding down
multiple keys simultaneously. Users without the use of their hands or those who have
limited mobility in their hands may find some tasks impossible. For example, moving a
mouse so that the cursor can hover over a pull-down menu and the user can then
choose an item from that list requires steady and precise control of the mouse. Some
physically disabled users utilize head pointing devices or eye trackers. Head and eye
movement are not always easy for these users, so keep the design simple and provide
easy controls for navigation.
Many of these issues are addressed by improved browser design. But the designer
should be careful not to design elements into the website which would impede impaired
users. Also, applets and flash files which are generally used in design for interactivity
and/or artistic issues should be implemented to allow operations that do not require a
mouse as well. These features are standard with both Java and ActiveX, so it is simply
a matter of implementing the code correctly according to the official guidelines from Sun
Microsystems, Microsoft, and other software tool vendors.
An access problem that is not so readily obvious involves kiosk-based websites. These
kiosks are almost everywhere worldwide. They can be found in airports, hotels, coffee
shops, stores and a multitude of other places. Imagine the frustration of a physically
handicapped person who attempts to utilize this wonderful service and cannot because
the facility or the computer station is not wheelchair accessible. Providing accessibility
is a mindset that must anticipate all venues.
Key Concepts: Motor Impairments
Challenges Solutions Users may not be able to use the mouse
Designs need to be sure that all functions are available from the keyboard (try tabbing from link to link).
Users may not be able to control the mouse or the keyboard well.
Web Designers need to be sure that all pages are error-tolerant (e.g. ask "are you sure you want to delete this file?"), do not create small links or moving links.
Users may be using voice-activated software.
Voice-activated software can replicate mouse movement, but not as efficiently as it can replicate keyboard functionality, so all functions need to be available from the keyboard.
Users may become fatigued when using "puff-and-sip" or similar adaptive technologies.
Designers should provide a method for skipping over long lists of links or other lengthy content.
Christopher Reeve was an avid internet user. In an online chat he was quoted as saying:
“{The Internet is] an essential tool. And, literally, a lifeline for many disabled people. I have Dragon Dictate. And while I was in rehab, I learned to operate it by voice. And I have enjoyed corresponding with friends and strangers with that system. Many disabled people have to spend long hours alone. Voice-activated computers are a means of communication that can prevent a sense of isolation."
Online Activity:
Visit the following website and see how Christopher Reeves describes his experiences using the world wide web:
Visit http://www.christopherreeve.org/ 1.6 Cognitive disabilities
Cognitive disabilities are the least understood and least discussed type of disability
among Web developers. People with ADD, or dyslexia are examples of cognitive
disabilities. As a result, developers rarely design Web content to be accessible to
people with cognitive disabilities. This is unlikely to change overnight, because the
amount of research related to the accessibility of Web content is relatively scarce.
Without a large body of research, the information about designing for people with
cognitive disabilities is more speculative, vague, and much more difficult to implement.
To complicate matters, many cognitive disabilities are ill-defined domains for research.
Such disabilities are sometimes difficult to diagnose and characterize because of the
wide variance between the characteristics of people who have similar cognitive
disabilities.
In light of the problematic nature of defining and categorizing cognitive disabilities it
should come as no surprise that the cognitive disability sciences have not yet
yielded a well-defined set of recommendations for Web developers. This isn't to
say that no recommendations exist. Some recommendations have been incorporated
into the W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Others have been suggested
elsewhere. The problem is that the scarcity of supporting research for these
recommendations casts a shadow of doubt on their accuracy and completeness.
Recommendations for Making Web Content Accessible to People with Cognitive Disabilities
1. Allow fonts to be enlarged.
2. Provide all content in a text format so that it can be read aloud by text-to-speech synthesizers.
3. Illustrate concepts with drawings, diagrams, photos, audio files, video clips,
animations, and other non-textual media.
4. Provide synchronized captions and transcripts for audio.
5. Use softer colors (e.g. pastels) for graphical elements, rather than sharply contrasting colors.
6. Limit or eliminate the use of italics or ALL CAPS.
7. Avoid complex or "busy" visual backgrounds
The Web Accessibility in Mind website can be found at http://webaim.org/
Online Activity Go to http://webaim.org/techniques/cognitive/
See why people with cognitive disabilities have trouble using the world wide web
1.7 Speech disabilities It may also not be readily obvious why we should consider speech ability when
designing websites. Certainly in the present there is little need for speech when
accessing the Internet or surfing the web. How long will it be, however, before speech
input is a requirement? The application that comes immediately to mind is in chat
rooms. The chat system may become speech based relatively soon since speaking is
the natural approach to conversation for most people.
When speech recognition interfaces become common, those with speech impairment
will need alternative access. Any chat system that relies on speech should retain the
possibility for non-speaking users to participate utilizing typed text. Internet telephony
products should integrate voice and text to allow each party in the conversation to
communicate in whichever manner is easiest. Everyone would benefit from having a
text channel available to supplement a voice conversation at times. Transmitting URLs
and other code or providing the correct spelling of a name would be handled more
accurately in text.
1.8 Assistive Technology Assistive technology includes devices and software that help disabled users access the
Web. The following is a partial list of tools for people with disabilities, and discussion
regarding problems inherent in using these tools, that can be aided by proper
accessibility design:
Screen Magnifiers - software based assistive technology for enlarging the images on
the screen. Also used are large text fonts; this requires the designer to provide code for
scaling fonts.
Screen Readers - relies on descriptive text in order to adequately interpret images,
image maps and multi-media features. It has difficulty with multiple frames as it is only
able to interpret one frame at a time. Screen magnification is software used primarily by
individuals with low vision that magnifies a portion of the screen for easier viewing. At
the same time screen magnifiers make presentations larger, they also reduce the area
of the document that may be viewed, removing surrounding context . Some screen
magnifiers offer two views of the screen: one magnified and one default size for
navigation.
Refreshable Braille Display - Braille is a system using six to eight raised dots in
various patterns to represent letters and numbers that can be read by the fingertips.
Braille systems vary greatly around the world. Some "grades" of braille include
additional codes beyond standard alpha-numeric characters to represent common letter
groupings (e.g., "th," "ble" in Grade II American English braille) in order to make braille
more compact. An 8-dot version of braille has been developed to allow all ASCII
characters to be represented. Refreshable or dynamic braille involves the use of a
mechanical display where dots (pins) can be raised and lowered dynamically to allow
any braille characters to be displayed. Refreshable braille displays can be incorporated
into portable braille devices with the capabilities of small computers, which can also be
used as interfaces to devices such as information kiosks.
Voice Recognition - Not all allow speech with normal inflection; those with speech
disabilities can probably not utilize this device. Simple devices have special commands,
which the user must learn. Speech (or voice) recognition is used by people with some
physical disabilities or temporary injuries to hands and forearms as an input method in
some voice browsers. Applications that have full keyboard support can be used with
speech recognition. Speech synthesis or speech output can be generated by screen
readers or voice browsers, and involves production of digitized speech from text. People
who are used to using speech output sometimes listen to it at very rapid speeds
Keyboard and Mouse Alternatives - Head pointing devices and eye trackers are two
popular alternatives to keyboard and mouse input for users with physical disabilities.
Imagemaps, which require precise mouse positioning, create problems for these
alternatives; client-side image maps with ALT tags are the easiest to access. Alternate
keyboards or switches are hardware or software devices used by people with physical
disabilities, that provide an alternate way of creating keystrokes that appear to come
from the standard keyboard. Examples include keyboard with extra-small or extra-large
key spacing, keyguards that only allow pressing one key at a time, on-screen
keyboards, eyegaze keyboards, and sip-and-puff switches. Web-based applications that
can be operated entirely from the keyboard, with no mouse required, support a wide
range of alternative modes of input.
Scanning software - adaptive software used by individuals with some physical or
cognitive disabilities that highlights or announces selection choices (e.g., menu items,
links, phrases) one at a time. A user selects a desired item by hitting a switch when the
desired item is. highlighted or announced
Text browsers Text browsers such as Lynx are an alternative to graphical user
interface browsers. They can be used with screen readers for people who are blind.
They are also used by many people who have low bandwidth connections and do not
want to wait for images to download.
Visual notification - Visual notification is an alternative feature of some operating
systems that allows deaf or hard of hearing users to receive a visual alert of a warning
or error message that might otherwise be issued by sound.
Voice browsers - Voice browsers are systems which allow voice-driven navigation,
some with both voice-input and voice-output, and some allowing telephone-based Web
access.
Web Links One of the best sources of information about assistive technology software is the Trace Center at: http://trace.wisc.edu/world/computer_access/ Connect Outloud, a reader specifically for Internet Explorer 5+, is available at: http://www.hj.com/Connect/CO.html JAWS is a full Windows reader for reading web content, Excel, Word, etc. It is available at: http://www.hj.com/Main.html
On Your Own:
Download one of the products above: Try it on your computer.
1.9 Legal issues It is estimated that there are 54 million people with one or more disabilities in the United
States alone. Nationally, and internationally, it has become apparent that new legislation
is needed and existing legislation must be enforced in order to guarantee access to the
web community by the handicapped. In this section, we will discuss the current legal
requirements for access to the Internet by the physically disabled user.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is probably the most important piece of
legislation for providing the disabled community guarantees of non-discrimination
regarding information technology and services. ADA guarantees "reasonable
accommodation" and "effective communication." Without this, people with disabilities
are denied the ability to compete on a level playing field. ADA was the first legislation
specifically aimed at enforcing web access for the disabled. It requires that the
alternative information accessed must be equal in quality to the original information. In
addition, information must be provided indicating that the alternative accessibility is
there and discussing how to obtain it. This law has teeth; all employers in the United
States with 15 or more full-time employees are required to comply with its requirement
or face a potential lawsuit for discrimination by their employees.
Individuals and agencies are filing suit against employers, both private companies and
government agencies, who do not realize that the information posted on the web is
public knowledge and that EVERYONE has a RIGHT to access it. The National
Federation for the Blind is the principal plaintiff in a lawsuit filed against AOL in 1999
alleging that it is inaccessible to the blind population and violates ADA. Around the
world, similar legislation exists that opens the door for international lawsuits against web
providers who do not insure complete accessibility to the population.
ADA is not the only legislation that addresses this issue. Section 508 of the
Rehabilitation Act specifically states that people with disabilities must be provided with
access, or an alternative means, to electronic and information technology produced by
every Federal department or agency.
1.10 Section 508
Section 508, part of the 1998 Amendments of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, requires
that electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained, or used by
the Federal government be accessible to people with disabilities. Many states are now
requiring that sites developed for use by the state government also meet Section 508.
This includes state colleges, community colleges, public schools, and universities.
Also, when electronic or information technology is procured by these departments or
agencies, accessibility must be guaranteed by the provider.
In addition, the Federal government establishes equal rights for all with the following:
The Telecommunications Act - requires accessibility to equipment and services for
those with disabilities and is overseen by the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC).
The Assistive Technology Act - provides Federal funding to states that promote
utilization of assistive technology and to programs that assist the disabled community in
obtaining assistive technology equipment and services.
International support for these laws is already in place. Several countries, including
Australia, Canada, and Britain, have initiated their own legislation. It is no longer a
question of whether accessibility must be programmed in but how can we do it better to
compete in the market. The next section provides a case history which will help illustrate
the problems encountered by disabled Internet users. Keep in mind the legal
requirements presented in this section as you read the case study.
Web Links For more information on ADA, go to: http://janweb.icdi.wvu.edu/kinder/ Also available are many sites which provide legal advice. Two of these sites are: ADA Technical Assistance - http://www.adata.org Internet Lawyer - http://www.internetlawyer.com/index.htm For more information on Section 508, visit: http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/508standards.htm http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/508/web.htm http://access.idyllmtn.com/section508/
On Your Own – Go to http://www.cast.org/bobby/
Enter your favorite url into the url box. See if your favorite website meets with Bobby approval. Remember, for government and school sites, section 508 Guidelines should
be met to ensure equal access for all.
1.11 A Case in Point
Steven Normandin is a student at Middlesex Community College in Bedford
Massachusetts where he is enrolled in the Web Development Certificate Program, and
he is expecting to receive his certificate in 2005. Steven is confined to a wheelchair due
to cerebral palsy. Although he can see a little, he is legally blind and has difficulties
reading computer monitors without assistive devices. His cerebral palsy limits his motor
skills, and because of his disability he cannot type and has difficulty using a mouse.
Steven has been working in the Information Technology field since the 1980s. He has
designed websites for Janco Contracting, Sullivan Farms Homemade Ice Cream,
Cellular Nation, Putnam Camps, and Samanthabusfield.com. His other information
technology projects include computer maintenance and consulting for the Chelmsford
(MA) Public school system, where he recently upgraded the graphics lab at the high
school, and he provides technical support to the lab today. He specializes in consulting
with people on how to apply technology to provide solutions that will work for them, and
loves to solve problems. His motto is that “the customer’s vision is my own”.
Steven is very motivated to make a career for himself in the information technology field
despite his disabilities. Steven needs extensive assistive devices that help him to design
websites and retrieve information on the internet. He has been using software that
reads aloud to him since 1983. The years Steven has spent on the Internet give him a
unique perspective on how the web is no longer as user-friendly for those who are
visually impaired. Steven has seen the web grow and change from a text-based utility to
the highly graphical environment it is today.
Currently, Steven browses the web using a screen reader known as ASAW, which is
combined with a text-to-speech engine that uses his computer's audio capabilities to
read what is onscreen. He uses Internet Explorer with the images turned off.
Here's what Steven has to say about his experiences on the web:
In the early days of the web on a 14.4 connection was easy for me. Since the web was text-based, documents were easy to read, links were clearly specified, and navigating those links was fairly simple. Generally speaking, page content was helpful, interesting, and provided what you wanted quickly. The web was better organized then than now. Everything has become harder to find.
I usually use the web to look for product information, get technical support, and read about computer hardware and software. Most of these sites tend to be easy to use. However, I also want entertainment such as movies, TV, and humor sites. These tend to be very flashy. I can't use the web for news, because news sites tend to be very flashy. The columniation of pages makes using these sites extremely difficult for me. It seems that informational sites still pay attention to text. For example, it's reasonably easy to find general reference material. Where I run into problems is fining current information from sites that contain information but are designed to be artistic without the disabled user in mind. When I get frustrated on the internet, I'm more likely to turn on the TV on than use the internet. My impression of the people who code pages is that they either don’t consider disabled people or possibly just don't care about people with impairments. Designers seem more interested in artistic impressions with little or no regard to the way a person navigates through a website to find information. Web designers determine the look of a site without considering what all types of visitors need.
Web designers and developers need to realize that their sites are being used by people
of all different ages and abilities. The world wide web is a great innovation that has
improved lifestyles, increased productivity, and made information gathering easier for
many people. Establishing a presence on the web and conveying an image is important
to designers, and making sites that are accessible for all people should be foremost in
all design concepts. Even the most active page can offer up viable alternatives to users
with special needs.
Because of ADA mandates, accessibility is improving all the time. Buildings are now
accessible for people in wheelchairs. Sporting events, concerts, and other
entertainment venues have special accommodations for handicapped users. The
internet must become more accessible for all people. The WAI guidelines provide the
means by which individuals such as Steven can achieve a better experience using the
world wide web.
You can visit Steven Normandin at his website. http://www.steven-normandin.com
1.12 Additional Resources
www.cast.org/bobby/ This free service will allow you to test web pages and help expose and repair barriers to accessibility and encourage compliance with existing accessibility guidelines, such as Section 508 and the W3C's WCAG.
http://www.w3.org/WAI Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). The authority on Web Accessibility, details the initiatives being implemented pursuant to the ADA and section 508.
http://validator.w3.org/ The W3C Markup Validation Service is a free service that checks Web documents in formats like HTML and XHTML for conformance to W3C Recommendations and other standards
www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT Lists all of the current guidelines for designers to meet accessibility initiatives
http://www.cast.org CAST is a nonprofit organization that works to expand learning opportunities for all individuals, especially those with disabilities, through the research and development of innovative, technology-based educational resources and strategies
www.webaim.org WebAIM has found that few teacher training and certification institutions across the U.S. teach the issues and strategies of Web accessibility. Instructors of these courses may be more likely to embed accessibility if they have access to content, simulations, assignments, and evaluation tools. The WARP is designed for this purpose, as well as any other teaching opportunities that involve Web accessibility.
www.delorie.com/web/wpbcv.html provides a number of free services to the web community to assist web authors who wish to make their information available to the largest audience. These tools provide alternate ways of viewing your pages, so that you can ensure that your content is received properly by all viewers
www.microsoft.com/enable/ The Microsoft Accessiblity Web site provides information on the accessibility of Microsoft products and related resources including sections on Products.
APPENDIX A From http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/full-checklist.html:
When designing websites, developers have 3 priority levels to meet in order to meet
ADA guidelines. The following is a summary of these priority levels based on the Web
Accessibility Initiatives set by W3C:
If you have any control over assigning an inside or outside organization to develop your
website, you should ensure that these guidelines are followed and met for at least
Priority 1 and Priority 2, with a goal of meeting as many as possible of Priority 3 to so as
not to discriminate against any group of users:
Priorities
Each checkpoint has a priority level assigned based on the checkpoint's impact on
accessibility.
[Priority 1]
A Web content developer must satisfy this checkpoint. Otherwise, one or more groups will find it impossible to access information in the document. Satisfying this checkpoint is a basic requirement for some groups to be able to use Web documents.
[Priority 2]
A Web content developer should satisfy this checkpoint. Otherwise, one or more groups will find it difficult to access information in the document. Satisfying this checkpoint will remove significant barriers to accessing Web documents.
[Priority 3]
A Web content developer may address this checkpoint. Otherwise, one or more groups will find it somewhat difficult to access information in the document. Satisfying this checkpoint will improve access to Web documents. Some checkpoints specify a priority level that may change under certain (indicated) conditions.
Priority 1 Checkpoints In General (Priority 1)
• Provide a text equivalent for every non-text element (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc", or in element content). This includes: images, graphical representations of text (including symbols), image map regions, animations (e.g., animated GIFs), applets and
programmatic objects, ascii art, frames, scripts, images used as list bullets, spacers, graphical buttons, sounds (played with or without user interaction), stand-alone audio files, audio tracks of video, and video.
• 2.1 Ensure that all information conveyed with color is also available without color, for example from context or markup.
• 4.1 Clearly identify changes in the natural language of a document's text and any text equivalents (e.g., captions).
• 6.1 Organize documents so they may be read without style sheets. For example, when an HTML document is rendered without associated style sheets, it must still be possible to read the document.
• 6.2 Ensure that equivalents for dynamic content are updated when the dynamic content changes.
• 7.1 Until user agents allow users to control flickering, avoid causing the screen to flicker.
• 14.1 Use the clearest and simplest language appropriate for a site's content.
• And if you use images and image maps (Priority 1) o Provide redundant text links for each active region of a server-side image
map. o 9.1 Provide client-side image maps instead of server-side image maps
except where the regions cannot be defined with an available geometric shape.
• And if you use tables (Priority 1) o 5.1 For data tables, identify row and column headers. o 5.2 For data tables that have two or more logical levels of row or column
headers, use markup to associate data cells and header cells.
• And if you use frames (Priority 1) o 12.1 Title each frame to facilitate frame identification and navigation.
• And if you use applets and scripts (Priority 1) o 6.3 Ensure that pages are usable when scripts, applets, or other
programmatic objects are turned off or not supported. If this is not possible, provide equivalent information on an alternative accessible page.
• And if you use multimedia (Priority 1) o Until user agents can automatically read aloud the text equivalent of a
visual track, provide an auditory description of the important information of the visual track of a multimedia presentation.
o For any time-based multimedia presentation (e.g., a movie or animation), synchronize equivalent alternatives (e.g., captions or auditory descriptions of the visual track) with the presentation.
• And if all else fails (Priority 1) o 11.4 If, after best efforts, you cannot create an accessible page, provide a
link to an alternative page that uses W3C technologies, is accessible, has
equivalent information (or functionality), and is updated as often as the inaccessible (original) page.
Priority 2 Checkpoints In General (Priority 2)
• 2.2 Ensure that foreground and background color combinations provide sufficient contrast when viewed by someone having color deficits or when viewed on a black and white screen. [Priority 2 for images, Priority 3 for text].
• 3.1 When an appropriate markup language exists, use markup rather than images to convey information.
• 3.2 Create documents that validate to published formal grammars.
• 3.3 Use style sheets to control layout and presentation.
• 3.4 Use relative rather than absolute units in markup language attribute values and style sheet property values.
• 3.5 Use header elements to convey document structure and use them according to specification.
• 3.6 Mark up lists and list items properly.
• 3.7 Mark up quotations. Do not use quotation markup for formatting effects such as indentation.
• 6.5 Ensure that dynamic content is accessible or provide an alternative presentation or page.
• 7.2 Until user agents allow users to control blinking, avoid causing content to blink (i.e., change presentation at a regular rate, such as turning on and off).
• 7.4 Until user agents provide the ability to stop the refresh, do not create periodically auto-refreshing pages.
• 7.5 Until user agents provide the ability to stop auto-redirect, do not use markup to redirect pages automatically. Instead, configure the server to perform redirects.
• 10.1 Until user agents allow users to turn off spawned windows, do not cause pop-ups or other windows to appear and do not change the current window without informing the user.
• 11.1 Use W3C technologies when they are available and appropriate for a task and use the latest versions when supported.
• 11.2 Avoid deprecated features of W3C technologies.
• 12.3 Divide large blocks of information into more manageable groups where natural and appropriate.
• 13.1 Clearly identify the target of each link.
• 13.2 Provide metadata to add semantic information to pages and sites.
• 13.3 Provide information about the general layout of a site (e.g., a site map or table of contents).
• 13.4 Use navigation mechanisms in a consistent manner.
• And if you use tables (Priority 2) o 5.3 Do not use tables for layout unless the table makes sense when
linearized. Otherwise, if the table does not make sense, provide an alternative equivalent (which may be a linearized version).
• 5.4 If a table is used for layout, do not use any structural markup for the purpose of visual formatting.
• And if you use frames (Priority 2) o 12.2 Describe the purpose of frames and how frames relate to each other
if it is not obvious by frame titles alone.
• And if you use forms (Priority 2) o 10.2 Until user agents support explicit associations between labels and
form controls, for all form controls with implicitly associated labels, ensure that the label is properly positioned.
o 12.4 Associate labels explicitly with their controls.
• And if you use applets and scripts (Priority 2) o 6.4 For scripts and applets, ensure that event handlers are input device-
independent. o 7.3 Until user agents allow users to freeze moving content, avoid
movement in pages. o 8.1 Make programmatic elements such as scripts and applets directly
accessible or compatible with assistive technologies [Priority 1 if functionality is important and not presented elsewhere, otherwise Priority 2.]
o 9.2 Ensure that any element that has its own interface can be operated in a device-independent manner.
o 9.3 For scripts, specify logical event handlers rather than device-dependent event handlers.
Priority 3 Checkpoints In General (Priority 3)
• 4.2 Specify the expansion of each abbreviation or acronym in a document where it first occurs.
• 4.3 Identify the primary natural language of a document.
• 9.4 Create a logical tab order through links, form controls, and objects.
• 9.5 Provide keyboard shortcuts to important links (including those in client-side image maps), form controls, and groups of form controls.
• 10.5 Until user agents (including assistive technologies) render adjacent links distinctly, include non-link, printable characters (surrounded by spaces) between adjacent links.
• 11.3 Provide information so that users may receive documents according to their preferences (e.g., language, content type, etc.)
• 13.5 Provide navigation bars to highlight and give access to the navigation mechanism.
• 13.6 Group related links, identify the group (for user agents), and, until user agents do so, provide a way to bypass the group.
• 13.7 If search functions are provided, enable different types of searches for different skill levels and preferences.
• 13.8 Place distinguishing information at the beginning of headings, paragraphs, lists, etc.
• 13.9 Provide information about document collections (i.e., documents comprising multiple pages.).
• 13.10 Provide a means to skip over multi-line ASCII art.
• 14.2 Supplement text with graphic or auditory presentations where they will facilitate comprehension of the page.
• 14.3 Create a style of presentation that is consistent across pages.
• And if you use images and image maps (Priority 3) o 1.5 Until user agents render text equivalents for client-side image map
links, provide redundant text links for each active region of a client-side image map.
• And if you use tables (Priority 3) o 5.5 Provide summaries for tables. o 5.6 Provide abbreviations for header labels. o 10.3 Until user agents (including assistive technologies) render side-by-
side text correctly, provide a linear text alternative (on the current page or some other) for all tables that lay out text in parallel, word-wrapped columns.
• And if you use forms (Priority 3) o 10.4 Until user agents handle empty controls correctly, include default,
place-holding characters in edit boxes and text areas. For a current listing of techniques web designers should look to when designing for the web, go to : http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT-TECHS/#Techniques REFERENCES
http://access.idyllmtn.com/section508/ http://bobby.watchfire.com/bobby/html/en/about.jsphttp://bobby.watchfire.com/bobby/html/en/icon.jsp http://bobby.watchfire.com/bobby/html/en/index.jsp http://trace.wisc.edu/world/computer_access/
http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/508standards.htm http://www.adata.org http://www.captions.org/ http://www.hj.com/Connect/CO.html http://www.hj.com/Main.html http://www.internetlawyer.com/index.htm http://www.section508.gov http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/508/web.htm http://www.w3.org/People/Raggett/EzMath/ http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/full-checklist.html: http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT-TECHS/#Techniques http://www.w3.org/WAI/ http://www.w3c.org/WAI/IG/ http://www.wgbh.org/wgbh/pages/ncam/ webaccess/captionedmovies.html http://trace.wisc.edu/world/computer_access/
Test Questions
1. ___How many people world-wide have disabilities? a) 100,00 b) 250,00 c) Over 750,000
2. ___What is the role of the WAI? a) publishes guidelines to make access to the World Wide Web available to all. b) Polices the World Wide Web for Accessibility c) Fines Web Designers who don’t conform to web site accessibility guidelines
3. ___What does an “alt attribute” do for users with visual impairments? a) nothing b) Users who cannot see the photo will hear the alternative text c) Speak in different languages
4. ___Which TV station runs the National Center for Accessible Media? a) ABC b) NBC c) PBS
5. ___Who is the author of this quote: “Many disabled users have to spend long hours alone. Voice-activated computers are a means of communication that can prevent a sense of isolation.” a) Tim Berners-Lee b) Bill Gates c) Christopher Reeves
6. Which of the following is NOT a guideline for users with cognitive disabilities? a) Allow fonts to be enlarged. b) Provide synchronized captions and transcripts for audio. c) Use complex or busy visual backgrounds
7. Which application will use speech over the internet?
a) Chat Room b) Message Board c) User Groups
8. Which of the following is NOT an example of assistive technology? a) Screen Magnifiers b) Screen Readers c) Screen Recognition
9. Which group put forth the most important piece of legislation for providing the disabled community guarantees of non-discrimination regarding information technology and services.
a) ADA b) WAI c) W3C
10. What is Section 508? a) requires that electronic and information technology developed, procured,
maintained, or used by the Federal government be accessible to people with disabilities
b) all employers in the United States with 15 or more full-time employees are required to comply with its requirement or face a potential lawsuit for discrimination by their employees.
c) guarantees reasonable accommodation and effective communication.