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