Desiging Accessible Websites
Learner Description: This page is created for online learners that wish to know more about web accessibility, the rules that govern it and how you cam make use of popular tools to help develop accessible pages for those with disabilities.
What is Web Accessibility?
Many of us are fortunate to view the web in its current state. We are able to read the information, appreciate the graphics, enjoy popular videos or interact with others through our popular social networks. There are people less fortunate then many of us with disabilities that should have the same privilege as the rest of us to view and interact with the web just as the rest of us do.
Web accessibility simply means that those that have disabilities can view and use the web. This means those suffering from blindness, hearing loss, those who can not use a mouse or a keyboard can all make use of the web. But web accessibility does not just apply to people with physical disabilities, but rather logistical disabilities as well. Logistical disabilities would be for those people who do not have access to a high speed internet connection, and therefore can not enjoy some of the same features that might be accessible to those with a high speed connection.
The W3C has an initiative called the WAI – Web Accessibility Initiative – http://www.w3.org/WAI/. Here they feature some excellent information in regards to web accessibility and the rules that apply to it.
Rules are Constantly Changing!
Just as technology changes, so do the rules of the Web Accessibility Initiative. Web Credible has an excellent article on how the rules have changed with the W3C – read the article here. This article goes into detail about how the rules have changed along with the web and the technology used on the web
The web never sleeps, nor do people who are constantly trying to make it accessible to others. There was once a time when creating accessible websites meant not using fancy graphics, headlines that displayed as text, or making use of popular animation frameworks like Flash and Ajax. Today nearly all of these are acceptable through the W3C standards, as long as you follow their guidelines. Ajax and Flash can be made accessible to those with disabilities. However it is important to note that even though these technologies can be made accessible doesn't mean that they should be used unless necessary.
Some more information on making Flash and Ajax accessible to your audience:
- Flash - http://www.webaim.org/techniques/flash/ -
This site describes the different things one can do when using Flash to make it accessible, it even talks about assistive technology for Flash as well as screen readers available for Flash content.
- Ajax - http://www.exforsys.com/tutorials/ajax/making-ajax-accessible.html –
This site helps explain some of the myths of Ajax and accessibility and how you can do simple tasks within an Ajax script to make it accessible.
Designing an Accessible Website:
Understanding what web accessibility is only part of the battle. The truth test is developing pages with the understanding that you should make them accessible to everyone, no matter what their disability. In order to do this it is first important to understand that the internet was first developed as a medium to share information. This principle is still the main reason why people use the internet today, they are simply seeking out information. No matter what website you are trying to build, whether it is an educational game, blog or even possibly an educational community site, you'll need to provide information about what the site does, who it is for, and how it works. You'll want to provide your information in a logical and easy to understand format.
Below are several different web authoring tools that can be used to help create accessible website:
- Dreamweaver - http://www.adobe.com/products/dreamweaver/ -
It is considered the professional standard software for web development, it is expensive, but has many features that allow you to test and validate the pages you create.
- Aptana - http://www.aptana.com/ -
It is considered the professional standard software for web development, it is expensive, but has many features that allow you to test and validate the pages you create.
- WordPress - http://wordpress.org/ -
It is considered the professional standard software for web development, it is expensive, but has many features that allow you to test and validate the pages you create.
- Movable Type - http://www.movabletype.org/ -
It is considered the professional standard software for web development, it is expensive, but has many features that allow you to test and validate the pages you create.
It is important to note that all though the applications or software above make it easier to make pages accessible, it doesn't mean that everything you create will be, it is important to constantly test your pages to ensure that they do validate and that they are accessible to widest range of audience. If you would like more information on testing your pages for accessibility you can check out the following:
- RNIB - http://www.rnib.org.uk -
It is considered the professional standard software for web development, it is expensive, but has many features that allow you to test and validate the pages you create.
