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Website accessibility is about providing equal access to all users, regardless of ability, technology or situation. Website accessibility, contrary to popular belief, does not just affect people with visual impairments. It also addresses the needs of a much wider audience, including people with dyslexia, those with restricted upper body mobility, the hard of hearing and the elderly.
Assistive technologies
Impaired users may use one, or more, of the following assistive technologies to aid them in their internet experience:
- Text-only browser - Displays websites in a text-only format. Limited support for images, multimedia, tables, stylesheets or scripting.
- Screen reader - Reads the content of the page through the users speakers.
Steps to Accessibility
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has laid down a series of guidelines to aid website designers in creating accessible websites. The following list is by no means definitive but highlights 10 basic changes or additions to your website that will greatly improve its accessibility to all users.
1. Standards
In the same way that language has certain rules; websites have their own "grammar". Using website code that is compliant to the W3C standards makes a clean, error free website that is compatible with assistive technologies.
2. Structure
Use cascading stylesheets (CSS) for layout and presentation. Stylesheets are made up of a list of formatting "rules" that control how your website pages are presented. If changes to the style, font or colour of your website are needed, only the stylesheet needs to be modified.
3. Colour
Use high contrast colours between text and background. One way to test if the contrast is sufficient is to print a page from your website in greyscale, and see how easy it is to read. When conveying important information, such as link text, do not rely solely on colour to distinguish it from the rest of the text. A solution could be to make the text bold.
4. Font Size
Use relative sizing when defining font sizes. Users may need to enlarge the text on your website to view it effectively. A font that uses a relative size, i.e. "100%" can be resized by the user.
5. Images
Provide a text equivalent for all informational images. Sighted people need images to entice them into, and break up, the text; otherwise the page is very bland. Users with visual impairments also need enticing into the text, and good, lively descriptions of images can enhance their experience.
If an image is purely for decoration, or to aid in layout then it is advised that the alternative text of the image is assigned a null value (alt=""), which means that browsers that don't support images will ignore it.
6. Links
The commonly used link text "Click Here" or "More" should be avoided at all costs. Write link phrases that make sense when read out of context. With good, descriptive link text the user knows the link destination without having to read the surrounding text. Links should always be underlined to make them identifiable in the surrounding text.
7. New Windows
Avoid opening your links in new windows or using "pop-ups" as this can cause a great deal of confusion to browsers using assistive technologies, or to a user with cognitive impairments. If it is essential that a link be opened in a new window always give a clear, advanced warning.
8. Language
Use language that is easy to read. Some visitors to your website may be from outside your industry and may not understand some of the jargon or acronyms. It is advisable to break down the text of your website into small paragraphs.
9. Multimedia
Avoid the use of plug-ins, scripts and applets. Not only do assistive technologies not support these, some users have them switched off to allow for faster browsing. If multimedia is used, provide text transcripts of audio, and descriptions of video.
10. Consistency
Be consistent with your websites' layout, colour scheme and placement of navigation. This avoids confusing users from one page to the next.
What now?
After completing your website, or after editing, it is important that you check your work. The W3C website has facilities to check the code of your website and your stylesheet to make sure they are compliant to the W3C standards.
Run your website through an automated website accessibility program such as Cynthia Says. This will automatically highlight any accessibility issues that remain, along with guidance on how to fix them.
Talk to people. If you know someone with an impairment, ask for their input. How do they use it now, and what would help them use it more effectively? Ask the experts - there are many places on the internet to discuss issues, ask for advice or to voice your thoughts. A great place to start is the Accessify Forum.
Always remember, technology makes things convenient. For an impaired user, it makes things possible.
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Source: http://www.articlealley.com
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