Accessible Web (Electronic) Based Information Design

Contents

• Introduction
• Good Web Site Design
• Good Use of Web Page Features
• Good Use of Special Feature
• Testing Web Pages
• References and Resources
• Quick Accessibility Checklist

Introduction

Authoring accessible Web/Electronic pages means being aware of all these different environments, and accounting for them in design choices. Fortunately, accessible design does not generally mean extra work (or page duplication) and it usually benefits the Web community at large. Following the guidelines will generally shorten page download times and make sites easier to manage (e.g., by sharing style sheets).

Accessible design also benefits other Web users, for instance by promoting device-independence for Web content. Checkpoints that support Web access for visually impaired people also help people accessing the Web from mobile phones, hand-held devices, or automobile-based PC's; when connection speed is too slow to support viewing images or video; or when a person's eyes are "busy" with other tasks. Checkpoints such as captions support access for hearing impaired people also help people who are using the Web in noisy or in silent environments; and they make it possible to index and search on audio content. Use of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) for control of presentation not only facilitates accessibility, but also speeds download time of pages and can reduce costs of maintaining or updating the "look and feel" of sites.

For those unfamiliar with accessibility issues pertaining to Web page design, consider that many users may be using documents in contexts very different from your own:

• They may not be able to see, hear, move, or understand easily or at all.
• They may be in a situation where their eyes, ears, or hands are busy or interfered with (e.g., driving to work, working in a loud environment, etc.)
• They may have difficulty reading or comprehending text.
• They may not have or be able to use a keyboard or mouse.
• They may have an early version of a browser, a different browser entirely, a voice browser, or a different operating system.
• They may have a slow connection, a small screen, a text-only screen, etc.
• They may not speak or understand fluently the language in which the document is written.

Availability of information and services in electronic form via the web has the potential to provide equal access for disabled people; and to provide access more broadly, more cheaply and more quickly than is otherwise possible using other formats.

The following guidelines and quick check list are taken from a number of sources (references at the end of this document), including the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), and have been summarised into, hopefully, a more workable document.
These guidelines are only a starting point and it must be recognised that the guidelines will change as technology and the Internet develops.
Further information is available from the references mentioned at the end of this document.

If there are any queries or further information is required, please contact:

For further information contact Alex Mcdonald at info@on-line.org.uk or +44 (0)161 273 5122.

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