Web Accessibility a universal goal

Introduction:

Over the last decay, an increasing number of research conducted to determine ways Information Technology can help meet the special needs to ensure universal accessibility. Results to date suggest that being more aware of accessibility issues, Web designers and developers can accommodate end users with special needs.

Entering the era of knowledge is no longer acceptable for people with limited vision or are not alone when it comes to accessing the web, nor those with mobility problems are on their own when to use a hardware. Ignore

website accessibility raises moral business, and legal issues. It is morally wrong to discriminate

people with disabilities on the web, simply for lack of thought, consideration, or consciousness. Many business websites are designed without considering accessibility problems result in lost revenue. Some countries, including USA, UK and Australia have introduced legislation that requires organizations adhere to accessibility issues.

In June 1999, the Disability Discrimination Act (1999) has been used to fight for rights of access

Australia. The 2000 Olympic Games site, jointly developed by Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG) and IBM are inaccessible to blind users, and SOCOG was fined $ 20,000 [1].

The purpose of this paper is to raise awareness among designers and developers web, to achieve the goal of universal web accessibility. The paper examines the issue of disability and help existing technologies or methods used by users with disabilities to help them access the Web.

Subsequently, the paper reviews guidelines for good website design and provides an analysis for the design a website accessible. Moreover, the document highlights the challenges and shortcomings in the area of ​​web accessibility.

Literature Review:

Two years ago, a conference was held in 'London' and representatives from business, industry, government and industry IT in order to raise awareness about the potential benefits of assistive technology to disabled users. Several speakers highlighted the slope through the number of cases of how technology can be transferred lives. A business manager "Sue Fagot 'Development of IBM, said:" IBM's goal is to have a voice recognition system as good as the human ear by 2010 "[2].

The objectives of this literature is two folds: (1) explain how a particular disability (eg,

visually impaired, restricted mobility, hearing problems) may prevent the use of the Web and what can be done to meet the special needs, and show (2) how web designers and developers can build Web sites accessible to users late with disabilities such as visual or hearing impairment.

(1) Disability Issues

The section begins with a narrative of the limitation functional user with disabilities

and dependence on assistive technologies.

A-Vision issues:

A web user who has no vision (blindness) is likely to use technology reads a screen reader loads the contents of the website. Other web users, with partial or poor should be able to increase the text on the web page with a screen magnifier.

B-Mobility Problems:

A user may have mobility problems as a result an accident or illness such as: (limb loss, injury or aging). The technologies used by users with mobility problems are the following:

– Keyboard: For users with the definition of a finger.

– Keyboard Filter: Ignore repeated blows for people with tremors hands.

– Keyboard Mouse: lets you move the pointer with the numeric keypad.

– Serial Key: Permits access to alternatives to mouse functions and the keyboard and mouse up.

– From the look: A video camera racks eye movement as the user's gaze on an onscreen keyboard. It is customizable as long a key must be seen to be registered. When the system has identified the key looked at the symbol appears and the user's gaze to the next key.

C-Hearing Topics:

A web user may be deaf or hard of hearing due to the natural aging process. To help users of audio or video have to be translated into ASL (American Sign Language) language of the deaf, in which certain signs represent words.

(2) Design for Accessibility

In the previous section, the paper provided readers with a general understanding of disability issues, disabled, and helps existing techniques. This section is intended for designers and web developers, and providing them with advice and guidance on ways to design a good website and accessible. There are two main aspects

Please note:

I-Look and Feel

Web designers need to present a user-friendly interface that responds to specific capacity needs. The designer must be able to describe forms of users with disabilities interact with a website, and how they move through pages and how to achieve their goals. Here are some helpful tips that designers must take into account when designing an accessible website.

– Web designers and developers must follow the four principles of visual organization in the process of designing a website are: proximity, alignment, consistency and contrast.

– Web designers and developers should avoid using HTML tables to control layout, instead of using style sheets.

– Web designers and developers must use readable fonts and font size to allow disabled users to easily switch from the browser interface.

– Avoid poor color contrast in your design, and use color to get a meaningful description.

– Avoid the use of animation, and flash that can affect users with photosensitive epilepsy.

– Avoid using frames, which can pose problems for the technology used by some disabled users.

– Try not to use the graphics for the menu button and shapes.

– Avoid hiding menu items (with DHTML or applets)

II-Content

Web designers should organize content in a way that can provide ease of use and simplicity. Here are some tips that Designers must take into account when designing an accessible website:

– Use clear language and write short sentences.

For example, a website should give the blind user, with a brief summary of what they can find. A search function is important because a blind person can not scan the page and usually confidence first result he / she receives.

– Add tags and attributes accessible by the joint use of tags to improve accessibility. By example, an ALT tag is used to provide text equivalents for images of a website. The

Alternative text description is what the screen reader or talking browser will read to blind users.

– Use a clear link, and include links that a user can click to skip repetitive regions of page.

– Ensure that pages are usable when scripts, applets, or stylesheets are switched off or not

compatible.

– All audio and video content must contain captions, transcription, and descriptive information.

Analysis:

It is estimated that 20% of the population has some type of disability. The Internet opens

A new window of opportunity and independence for disabled users read news on the to carry out banking business. For example, using the screen reader technology for a blind user can listen to the latest newspaper published electronically. Similarly, a user with mobility problems who can not go shopping to buy a newspaper, or use a

keyboard or mouse independently can not use software to monitor the eyes allow people to use a computer with nothing more than eye movement.

Today, organizations are asking designers to make their websites accessible and

good reasons. First, more people can use a site, the more potential can

generate. Online stores in particular have much to gain as many people

problems of functional limitation, it is much easier to shop online. Most web designers

are not personally opposed to the concept of making websites accessible people

disabilities. In fact most accessibility errors on web pages are the result of ignorance. A large proportion of designers and web developers have simply never thought about accessibility issues. A small proportion of web designers (4%) do not understand the needs users with disabilities, and other (46%) understand some of the needs of users with disabilities. While only (26%) of the designers to understand most users' needs

with disabilities and can accommodate a [3].

The challenges and shortcomings of the Web Accessibility:

This section highlights the challenges and requirements posed by the needs of the user,

access the Web. We argue the need for a new approach to address accessibility issues, and

cycle.We included in every web project life recognize that the vast majority of users with disabilities face challenges in accessing the web. Why is this? Is the lack of technical solutions to meet your needs – at all! You will hear today that there new technological solutions to deal with more extreme form of disability. It is the cost?

Again, it is not! Some technical solutions, cost nothing at all, and already in the software. So, what then? Is that web applications are being developed for the design current challenges accessible? Is the lack of knowledge and skills to meet your needs?

There seems a general lack of awareness of web accessibility issues. The Web designers and developers, you need a better approach to address the problem in each phase of web development. For example, during the needs analysis phase of a web developer must define the target site, and should take into account people with a combination of disabilities. Besides this, during the creation prototyping phase of a web designer must have the knowledge to accommodate end users with special needs, and abilities to meet their expectations.

In addition, tests using different web site

technologies is essential to a successful web site, to ensure compliance with accessibility

standards and user requirements [4].

Therefore, in every stage of web development, accessibility plays an important role. Accessibility and Usability should be fully integrated in web design and development cycles from beginning to end.

The future looks bright for web accessibility. Commits to educate web designers and developers about accessibility issues, through training courses offered at universities.

Conclusion:

The Internet offers independence and freedom. However, this independence and freedom is limited to certain users. Many web sites are not created with accessibility issues in mind.

If the lack of web design knowledge or ignorance, to exclude a segment of users who benefit in many ways over the Internet [5].

In summary, the design of accessible websites does not require much effort and time. Simply, it requires commitment and responsibility to achieve a universal goal.

Reference:

[1] D. Duckworth (2003). Web Accessibility in Australia. Retrieved June 18, 2005, from

http://www.tonneten.net/mt/blog/archieves/000024.htm

[2] Conference (2003). IT – The Universal Enabler, London. Retrieved May 28, 2005

of http://www.stcsig.org

[3] Accessibility Web Survey (2003). Retrieved June 24, 2005 from

http://cita.rehab.uiuc.eduu/survey/2002-2003-web-practices.html

[4] Volpon A. (2002). The cycle ofWeb accessibility of life. Retrieved June 24, 2005 from

http://www.evolt.org/article/The_Lifecycle_of_Web_Accessibility/20/50376/

[5] Bohman P. (2003). Introduction to Web Accessibility. Retrieved June 24, 2005 from

http://www.webaim.org/intro

[6] D. Mertz (2000). Tips: Designing accessible websites. Retrieved June 22, 2005 from

http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/web/library/w-mertz.htm

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