Web accessibility is the measure of how well web-delivered content is processed by E&IT equipment and software, including assistive technology. In addition to being accessible, web content should also be usable. Usability refers to performance, ease of use, and understandability of web-delivered content. Both accessibility and usability are necessary for effective websites.
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is considered the de facto standards body for web specifications. According to the W3C, web accessibility means, "access to the web by everyone, regardless of disability or method of access." An important thing to note about this definition is that it specifies two areas of concentration – disability and "method of access." The vast majority of accessibility issues are "method of access" issues for people without disabilities.
Topics in web accessibility and how they affect you as a faculty web author/designer include:
- Web sites and web-enabled applications
- The proper implementation of web technologies greatly affects the accessibility of your web sites and web applications.
- Web authoring tools and evolving web technologies
- Web authoring tools and technologies have varying degrees of accessibility support. Choosing tools and technologies that provide good accessibility makes your job as a web designer much easier.
- If you are a web designer with a disability, choosing authoring tools that are accessible is important.
- Web browsers and media players
- Designing web sites and applications to be used with a specific browser is not recommended. Knowing the caveats of the different browsers can help you make design choices so that your website is accessible using any format.
- Knowledge of how assistive technologies interact with your web sites and applications will help you make efficient design choices.
Going Further: Java Accessibility Information
http://java.sun.com/products/jfc/jaccess-1.0/doc/guide.html
It's important to note that good web accessibility is a function of design, not the technology used. For example, many faculty ask the question, "Is Javascript accessible?" The answer is, "It depends on how it's used." Javascript is not inherently inaccessible, but the implementation of Javascript can be. The use of Javascript is not the issue. The same principle applies to virtually all web technologies. This is where your responsibility as a faculty web designer comes into play.
Screen reader technology and web accessibility Demohttp://www.washington.edu/accessit/surfing.php
Duration: 2.7 minutes
For more information about web accessibility, visit
http://www.w3.org/WAI/Resources/#in
Key Concept: Web technologies are not inherently inaccessible, but the implementation of a technology may be.
