WEB ACCESSIBILITY
by
Harry Woodrow
harrry@harrry.net
Abstract
WEB ACCESSIBILITY
by
Harry Woodrow
If the purpose of a Web Site is to communicate a message to the maximum number of people in its target group it is essential to ensure that all sites are designed in a way that enables all members of society to access it both for reasons of Commercial Gain and for reasons of Equity.
This paper presents a broad overview of the effect of Disabilities on an individual’s ability to access a web page, the social and legal factors affecting creators of web pages and reasons why Web Authors should consider Universal Accessibility factors.
Consideration is given to ways individuals with specific access problems may access information and particular emphasis is given to the Accessibility Options used in Microsoft Operating Systems such as Windows 2000 and browsers such as Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5.
An overview of the World Wide Web Consortium Access Standards for people with disabilities is given together with some examples of how to assist in providing Universal Access.
In conclusion an example of a recent Court case regarding a major Web Site is given to emphasise the importance of Accessibility and the cost of not taking this into account.
Chapter 1
WHY DO WE MAKE WEB PAGES
Although many of us enjoy making web pages and sites, and some of us get great satisfaction from the artistic results of our endeavours, most web pages are made for much more mundane reasons.
Historical Background
The use of the web and HTML has transformed the way computers are used in the few years since Dr. Tim Berners-Lee provided the foundations for the Internet at. CERN and Marc Andreessen (later to start Netscape) invented the Internet Browser MOSAIC in 1993. This foundation is still acknowledged in the HELP ABOUT credits of Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Based on NCSA Mosaic. NCSA Mosaic(TM); was developed at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Uses of the Web
In the eight years since the creation of Mosaic the Internet has pervaded every aspect of society. Just a few of these applications include:
· Commerce
· Education
· Entertainment
· Dissemination of Information
Increasingly we are using Web Pages in Intranets and as a form of interface with the computer in such areas as:
· Education
· Employment
In fact it is difficult to imagine an aspect of our lives which does not involve the use of HTML encoded web pages.
What are we trying to do with a Web Page
There are many reasons for making a Web site but they all really come down to Communication. We are trying to get a message to a reader and hopefully get the response we intend.
Sites used for Commerce hope to entice the user to buy or use the products or services covered. We have made a successful sit if we reach the maximum number of potential buyers, we can’t do this if we exclude from access large parts of the population because they have a disability.
Sites used for Education must convey their message to ALL students. If a student can’t easily access this information discrimination occurs. Education is a special case too as failure to enable access is not covered by the defence of “Unreasonable Hardship”.
With Entertainment sites we must ensure that to the greatest extent possible all users can use them. If the sites are pay sites failure to ensure this means lost revenue if they are free there is still a legal and moral obligation to maximise accessibility.
What is Discrimination
Discrimination in Australia is covered by both State and Federal Legislation. In the case of the Commonwealth this is the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and in the case of Western Australia the relevant legislation is contained in The Equal Opportunities Act 1984.
The areas in which discrimination applies are roughly similar in both acts and are summarized in this extract from the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission Website..
The DDA makes it against the law to discriminate against someone if they have a disability in the following areas of life :
Employment. For example, when someone is trying to get a job, equal pay or promotion.
Education. For example, when enrolling in a school, TAFE, university or other colleges.
Access to premises used by the public. For example, using libraries, places of worship, government offices, hospitals, restaurants, shops, or other premises used by the public.
Provision of goods, services and facilities. For example, when a person wants goods or services from shops, pubs and places of entertainment, cafes, video shops, banks, lawyers, government departments, doctors, hospitals and so on.
Accommodation. For example, when renting or trying to rent a room in a boarding house, a flat, unit or house.
Buying land. For example, buying a house, a place for a group of people, or drop-in centre.
Activities of clubs and associations. For example, wanting to enter or join a registered club, (such as a sports club, RSL or fitness centre), or when a person is already a member.
Sport. For example, when wanting to play, or playing a sport.
Administration of Commonwealth Government laws and programs. For example, when seeking information on government entitlements, trying to access government programs, wanting to use voting facilities
http://www.hreoc.gov.au/disability_rights/dda_guide/areas/areas.html
It is readily apparent that the areas in which websites are used are all covered by the relevant sections of the Act and it is hard to imagine a use where accessibility is not required.
The Commonwealth Legislation takes a very broad view of the meaning of Access and various decisions of the Commission and the Courts have made it very clear that failure to provide access to a web site is Discrimination. This failure can be where a person is unable to use a site in a comparable way to others because of his or her disability.
If everything possible has been done and a person cannot use the site the author may claim that making the site accessible would be too expensive or difficult and claim Unreasonable Hardship then the discrimination would still occur but it would be Lawful to do so. It is very important to realize though that the threshold for this test is very high and the defence of Unreasonable Hardship does not apply in the area of Education (except for allowing entry) so full access must be provided.
What you should have got from this Chapter
This Chapter should have given a broad overview of the legislation that underpins the need for Web Accessibility in Australia. You should not try for a detailed understanding of this but should have the concept that Web Accessibility is required both by legislation and equity and that good Web Accessibility also has Commercial ramifications.
Suggestions
Browse the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission website paying particular attention to the area of Disability Rights.
www.hreoc.gov.au
Chapter 2
WHAT IS A DISABILITY
Introduction
When many of us get up in the morning the first thing we do is reach for our glasses. Without them we can’t see very well but when we use our glasses we can see, often as well as or even better than those who don’t need them In this case we have a visual impairment myopia, which has the effect that we cannot see very well without glasses giving us a disability which is corrected or alleviated by an adaptive technology, glasses which make the environment accessible.
When we see people using wheelchairs we often focus on the chair rather than the person in it. The wheelchair is merely the adaptive technology used by a person who has difficulty in accessing the environment without it.
Types of Disability
Disabilities are individual things, there are as many types of disability as there are people having them but it is possible to class them into several categories including:
· Visual Disabilities
· Mobility Disabilities
· Cognitive Disabilities
· Hearing Disabilities
· Speaking Disabilities
Each of these can be further subdivided to an almost unlimited degree. In the case of Visual Disabilities this may comprise:
· Short Sight
· Long vision
· Lack of accommodation
· Restricted field of view
· Obstructed vision
· Cataracts
· Colour Blindness
· Many other problems.
It is important to note that a person who is blind may often still see something, His or her view of the world may be affected in varying ways by his disability, it may be blurred, distorted, partly obstructed or limited in many other ways.
Barriers
A barrier is something that restricts a person’s ability to access the environment. It can occur naturally or it may be introduced by others. Many barriers can be overcome or alleviated.
In the case of wheelchair users barriers include such things as:
· Ramps too steep
· Abrupt kerbs
· Steps
· Heavy doors
· Obstructions placed in pathways.
These introduced barriers prevent the wheelchair user accessing the environment so it is important that they are removed.
In the case of the Web barriers include such things as:
· Bad structure…preventing the use of text readers
· Poor colours…affecting Colour Blind users.
· Unexplained Graphical elements.
It is the job of the Web designer not to introduce these barriers and to remove them if they are found.
Disabilities are Individual
It is very important to remember that few disabilities are the same so pre-packaged solutions can not be given to solve them. The best that can be done is to ensure that to the best of our ability we have done what we can to enable the user to access the site. This means using the best available techniques and applying the most comprehensive standards.
Many people have more than one disability, either arising from a single cause or from multiple causes. The total effect of these combined disabilities must be taken into account.
There is only one person who can tell the effect of his or her disability and that is the user. Most disabilities are not visible and many people show very good adaptive behaviour to hide their disability. If someone tells you they can’t access something in a certain manner it is wise to accept their statement.
Whose Responsibility is a Disability.
An old Western Australian TAFE pamphlet really summed up the division of responsibility .It proudly stated:
Your Disability….Our Problem.
The person may have a disability, the responsibility to provide access rests on the provider of the goods or service.
Things to do
Browse round the HREOC site to see what kinds of disabilities exist and the effect they have.
Try and think of a few different kinds of adaptive technology….hint technologies don’t have to be complex.
A good summary of access for people of disabilities is found in the paper:
ACCESSIBLE E-COMMERCE IN AUSTRALIA:
A DISCUSSION PAPER ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF ELECTRONIC
COMMERCE DEVELOPMENTS ON PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
Prepared by Tim Noonan
http://www.bca.org.au/ecrep.htm
SUPPLEMENTAL HREOC E-COMMERCE REFERENCE RESPONSE
Prepared by Tim Noonan (trading as SoftSpeak Computer Services)
On Behalf of Blind Citizens Australia
http://www.hreoc.gov.au/disability_rights/inquiries/ecom_subs/bca1.htm
Chapter 3
ADAPTIVE TECHNOLOGY
We have already seen that the effects of a disability can often be alleviated by the use of Adaptive Technology. This section looks at what we mean by Adaptive Technology, some examples of how it is used and concentrates on ways in which adaptive technology can be used in computing. It also looks fairly closely at the Accessibility Options that Microsoft have included in their Operating Systems.
What is Adaptive Technology
Adaptive Technology is any tool used to assist a person in alleviating a disability. Adaptive Technologies may be as simple as a stick from a tree or so complex that it may cost many thousands of dollars.
Accessibility aids are specialized programs and devices that help people with disabilities use computers more effectively. There are many types of aids. Some examples include:
· Screen enlargers for people who have low vision
· Screen readers for people who are blind
· Voice input utilities for people who provide verbal commands to their computers instead of using the keyboard or mouse
Types of Adaptive Technology in Computing
Adaptive technology includes any non standard way of interacting with a computer system. This can include the use of standard devices in non-standard ways such as the use of a mouse to control input of text into the computer. It can also include using special devices such as breath controlled to input devices.
Sometimes what was once adaptive technology becomes so much a part of modern life that it becomes a normal form of technology.
Screen readers
One very common adaptive technology that is worthy of special note is the screen reader. They are commonly used by people who are blind to read text and the screen. Screen readers generally read the titles of all the objects on the screen. They generally can read the text in word processors, e-mail clients and web browsers
Because screen readers are commonly used it is important to know a little about them. Screen readers usually read one line of text at a time straight across the screen so they get confused with multiple columns and tables can often cause problems as the screen reader either reads the column straight across combining all the fields or goes to the next line at the end of the first column.
They can often read properly constructed forms but to do this the focus must be set correctly to each form element. It also helps if each field contains a descriptive place holder prompt.
Screen readers can vary from very basic Public Domain products to much more complicated products suxh as “JAWS” or specially designed web browsers such as that produced by IBM at a cost of about $400 a person.
Things to Try
Think of different types of adaptive technology people use.
Browse the Microsoft Accessibility Web site
http://www.microsoft.com/enable to find examples of adaptive technology both on the web and otherwise.
Chapter4
THE MICROSOFT ACCESSIBILITY OPTIONS
One of the most commonly used sets of accessibility is right on the computers most of you use…. except of course the Linux freaks among you. Microsoft have included in operating systems right since Windows 3.1 a growing set of Accessibility Options.
What are the Accessibility Options
The Accessibility Options are a set of tools supplied with the operating system to assist people in using computers.
The features have been constantly added to but Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows NT4 and Windows 2000 all provide at least:
· Special keys to control the Keyboard
· Mouse Keys
· Sound Sentry which gives visual indication of events which would normally be given by sound.
· Ways to change the screen colours and appearance
· High Contrast Screens
Windows 98 (Especially the later versions) and Windows 2000 also provide:
· A magnifier
· A basic Screen Reader called Narrator
· An on-screen keyboard
· An easy to use wizard.
Who can use the Accessibility Options
Many kinds of user can benefit from the accessibility options. As individual needs vary so widely it is hard to give prescriptive advice on who should use which option or combination of options. The inbuilt Accessibility options are not meant to replace more specialised tools but are meant to enable users who have moderate special needs to access the web. The number of people covered by this need could be as many as 35% of the population.
How to get information on the Accessibility Options.
Much of the information that you meed to make use of the accessibility options is available by pressing the F1 key on your computer and browsing for Accessibility Options. Much more detailed information may be found at
www.microsoft.com.au/enable
Things to Try and Do
Have a look at the help files obtained by pressing the F1 key.
Browse the Accessibility site at www.microsoft.com/enable
Take particular note of the Step by Step Guides.
Try setting the accessibility options on your computer so that you get an idea of the effect.
Chapter 5
WEB STANDARDS
Although in Australia the legislation relating to disability differs from that in the United States of America in that it does not generally set legislated standards it is probable that if a site complied with the WW3 Consortium Standards any discrimination would not be considered unlawful.
The WW3 is a body which sets standards for the use of the internet and as such has set a set of standards. They consist of three related components.:
· Guidelines
· Techniques
· Checklist
Most people think of compliance with the standard as meeting the requirements of the Checklist but this in itself doesn’t guarantee accessibility. It is quite easy to design a site that will pass all of the Checklist requirements especially for Level A compliance and still be totally unusable.
The Guidelines.
This is the basic document covering accessibility. It is designed to be a relatively constant document and lays out the basic principles that are required to be followed to make sites accessible. It does not concern itself with how this is done it confines itself to what will be done.
The guidelines introduce the idea of three levels of compliance to the standards.
· Level A consists of things which MUST be done
· Level B covers things that should be done
· Level C are the items which would improve the site if they were compliant.
Level A compliance is generally considered the absolute minimum that can be accepted.
The Techniques
This document provides suitable ways of meeting the guidelines. It goes into considerable detail on how to meet each aspect of the items covered in each level of the Guidelines. This document changes often as new developments in web technology occur.
The Checklist
Although most people seem to think the checklist is the standard it is merely a simple way of checking that each of the items required by the guidelines is covered. Like all the other documents it is divided into three parts for levels of compliance but mechanically following this will not make the site accessible. The real way is to know what you are doing and why.
Bobby
Bobby is a software tool that can be used to do a mechanical check of the probable level of compliance of a site. It exists in two forms, a Web based site to which you can send the URL of a site for checking which returns a report giving areas which need further work. It can also be downloaded for use on your own computer and this is advisable if whole sites need to be checked rather than individual pages.
Like all automated tools it is effective for purely mechanical checks but cannot make the judgements that can only be made by experienced developers. Generally Bobby will return a report which will indicate that the site has passed the mechanical tests but then provide a list of items which need manual checking. Sadly most people consider the sit is accessible at this stage and affix the Bobby compliance label without doing the further work that is needed.
Things to Try
Read the Guidelines Techniques and Checklist at
http://www.w3.org (These would be useful downloads to keep)
Send a few sites to Bobby and examine the reports. (You could try the Murdoch home page, which is mechanically compliant but falls down in judgement areas)
Bobby can be found at:
http://www.cast.org/css-validator/
Chapter 6
SIX STEPS TO ACCESSIBILITY
The WW3 Guidelines can appear rather daunting at first and Kynn Bartlett has a page on the HTML Guild page which gives a six step approach which if followed will go a long way to making your site accessible.
The HTML Guild is an organization of people interested in making good web sites. The HWG site http://www.hwg.org/ provides a wealth of material useful to web designers and though some of its members may seem to be almost fanatical membership is well worthwhile. Among other things it provides very low cost on line courses on topics that include a course on Web Accessibility.
As all the material for the Six Steps is easily available on line I will just list the steps here and refer everyone to the source site for the details.
http://www.hwg.org/resources/accessibility/siprinciples.html
· I. Create pages that conform to accepted standards.
· II. Know the difference between structural and presentational elements; use stylesheets when appropriate.
· III. Use HTML 4.0 features to provide information about the purpose and function of elements.
· IV. Make sure your pages can be navigated by keyboard.
· V. Provide alternative methods to access non-textual content, including images, scripts, multimedia, tables, forms and frames, for user agents that do not display them.
· VI. Be wary of common pitfalls that can reduce the accessibility of your site.
Chapter 7
TEXT AND COLOUR
Although Accessible sites are not restricted to text only there is no doubt that an understanding of how to use text effectively will improve any site. As this topic is extremely well covered on the following site I am not going to concern myself here with this other than to refer you to the Lighthouse site where text principles for low vision users is presented very well. Although this is mainly a resource for people making print documents the principles espoused are completely transferable to Web Development. There is also some mention of Colour and Contrast here that is well worth reading although I will give more details on this topic.
http://www.lighthouse .org/
Colour Blindness
Although many people laugh at colour blindness it is a condition which has a real effect on the people affected. Most people with colour blindness are men as it is a genetic condition. Colour blindness is a barrier preventing people from working in many fields including any form of military or police service, security, as an electrician or electronic technician and countless other occupations.
What is colour Blindness
Colour blindness is the inability to discriminate between certain colours. It is not the inability to see a colour it is the inability to tell them apart. There are several types of colour blindness but unless you have a special interest a deep knowledge is not needed for this subject.
Designing for Colour Accessibility
Although Colour is only a second level requirement in the WW3 Guidelines I feel that it is a prime requirement because the results of poor design can cause a site to be totally inaccessible and up to one in eight people have some degree of colour blindness.
Many people think they can check colour blindness by just turning the colour off on the monitor so they see the screen in black and white. This is not true although doing so may assist a person with colour blindness to read a site.
Others think using a few rules such as not using Red or Green is enough. This may help a little but it is quite possible to use Red and Green on a site and be completely accessible, it just depends on where they are used.
The best way is to use a safe palette. This is a set of colours that are able to be discriminated. I won’t go into details here but the following site gives a complete coverage of this technique.
http://innovate.bt.com/people/rigdence/colours/index.html
Another important principle to remember is never to use colour alone to convey information. If you use colour for a button use shape and text labels to further discriminate between them. Never use colour as a navigation guide, the instruction “Click on the Red Link” is useless if you cannot tell which is the red one.
Chapter 8
WHAT BROWSER
There are two sure ways to start an argument, one is to say that one beer is the best beer and the other is to say that Internet Explorer is better than Netscape or that Opera is better than both. The truth is that just as there are no bad beers, just some that are better in some respect to others, there is really no such thing as the best browser.
Internet Explorer
I must admit if I have a favourite browser it is Internet Explorer. There are many reasons for this but the main one is probably the way the Windows Accessibility options integrate with it and the support that Microsoft provides in the form of a comprehensive accessibility web site and, although this is rather parochial the fact that Microsoft includes Perth in all its regular seminars and briefings.
IE is sometimes criticised for the fact that it is more forgiving to sloppy coding than Netscape however this does not provide a reason to be sloppy. For accessibility good structure and good HTML coding is essential. Criticising a browser for being too forgiving is a little like criticising a car because its ABS braking system is so good that if you make a mistake with your driving you may not be killed.
IE has some Microsoft specific extensions which can improve accessibility if you area coding for a closed environment that only uses this browser but it is important that if you do use these features to benefit users of IE you also provide the ability for “graceful degradation” so that the information can be gained from any browser.
Another important “feature” of IE is that it uses J-script not Java Script however well written code will run in both browsers.
At the moment IE probably provides the best support for XML if you wish to use this, and XML has the potential of making all your information more accessible.
Internet Explorer also uses probably the most consistent set of keyboard shortcuts to access all its functions and this assists many people with disabilities which make using a mouse difficult as well as being of benefit to any good typist.
Netscape
Many people love Netscape probably because they see it as countering the almost monopolist position of Microsoft. I must admit I dislike Netscape for exactly that reason. When Netscape was the monopoly browser all users logged on one day and were presented with a screen saying their browser wouldn’t work any more except to download a new one from Netscape. This occurred without warning and I am sure you can imagine the chaos this caused while everyone tried to download a new browser over 300 baud modems. That is real monopoly arrogance and Microsoft have never done that to me.
Many writers display similar arrogance by testing for the type of browser used and then telling people that they must download Netscape to view the site. If this happens on a commercial site you can be almost certain that that is one customer that you have lost for ever and as customers are the reason firms stay in business doesn’t seem good business sense to me. Of course coding like that can make a site totally inaccessible to people using screen reading browsers.
The Netscape browser is generally usable by people with disabilities and some attempt has been made to provide accessibility functions such as the ability to change the size of the font and for those users who like it is quite adequate.
Opera
The Opera browser is used by a small but dedicated group of users which include some people with visual disabilities as it is recommended by some blindness associations.
It is not a free browser though a version is available that is supported by “Adware” a situation that could provide security problems for users.
It is a good browser and has very easy access to a zoom function that can make text easy to read. Other features of use to users with disabilities are the ability to have text only downloads and the use of cascading style sheets. It does not support Access Key Navigation well.
Which browser to code.
With all these browsers the constant question asked is:: ”Which one should I code for?”. The answer is all of them. It is a user decision which browser to use so your responsibility is to code in such a way that all information is available in all.
It is possible to code correct HTML and to use image maps, Java script and even Java Applets so that sites can be used by all using any of these browsers and also the speech reader browsers needed by some users.
Chapter 9
SCRIPTING JAVA AND IMAGE MAPS
There is absolutely no reason that sites may not use Java Script on a site providing that the information conveyed by it is also available to blind people through the use of Screen Readers.
The WW3 guidelines for level A accessibility do not cover scripting in any detail however it is covered in the US disability legislation. In Australia we have not set prescriptive standards but failure to make a site fully accessible is discrimination.
If care is used scripting may be used across browsers. Care must be taken that any information available through scripting can also be gained through text. This is especially important when Java Script is used for navigation. In this case it is essential that text links are also provided.
JAVA
Applets are growing in popularity and Java 2.0 introduced a set of accessibility classes which can be used to interface with adaptive technology. It is perfectly possible to have Applets which are accessible however very few applets are. Some suggestions for handling Java problems are to examine ithe information available and then providing it in other means. If the <OBJECT> tag structure is used (as is recommended) it is possible to use the Long Descriptor attribute to hold links to text descriptions. Another way is to ensure that a transparent one pixel gif is loaded and the ALT attribute of this having the appropriate information.
Image Maps
These are commonly used for navigation. Probably the best method of avoiding problems with these is to use transparent gif images in the appropriate location with the ALT Attribute containing the information that would be conveyed by the image. This method has been deprecated in the latest WW3 Techniques but is probably still valid. Remember to always provide a separate method of navigation such as a text menu at the bottom of the screen.
Chapter 10
IMAGES VIDEO AND AUDIO
Multimedia enriches the web and can be used on web sites without causing major problems if a few rules are used.
Images
The rule here is to first decide whether the image adds to the site. If it doesn’t do something why use it, it may be better to use another one. If you are using an image you must tell people what is in that image. This can be done in several ways. The HTML 4.0 way is to use long descriptions. The older way was to put a “d” near the image hyperlinked to a long descriptio of the image with a short description in the ALT attribute. Often a transparent one pixel gif is used instead of the d. This method has been deprecated but is still worth thinking about.
Audio and Video
People with hearing disabilities cannot hear the soundtrack in ausio or video content however both Real Video and Windows Media Player support closed captioning however at the moment this is rarely used. If you are making your own content you should ensure captioning is done. Regardless of the use of closed captioning it is probably best to provide a link to a transcript of the media so that it can be used by hearing impaired people or fed into a screen reader for blind people. People who are blind also need a description of any information that happens in the film. Always provide a way of turning the audio or video off, it can interfere with screen readers.
Chapter 11
NAVIGATION
However much effort you put into providing relevant good content on your site it is of little use if people can’t find their way around it. This of course applies to all users but failure to plan your site well can be catastrophic for users with disabilities. In my view these problems can be helped by
· Plan your site and how pages should interact
· Use standard structure.
· Do not misuse HTML elements
· Provide redundant methods of linking
· Tale special care if you use frames, if possible do not use them.
Planning
Think of how people are going to access your site and how they make their way through it. Always provide a one click clear text option for returning to a home navigation page. Try and ensure that there are not too many levels of pages.
Structure
People get used to standard ways of navigating and the same applies to people with disabilities. If you deviate from the standard ways make sure yu have a good reason. Keep to strictly standard html and use it for the intended purpose. Don’t use elements such as block quotes for general formatting (unless of course it is a block quote).
Redundancy
Alternate methods of navigation should always be provided. It seems to be becoming a defacto standard to provide a row of text links at the foot of a page and this is probably good practice.
Frames
br>
Most modern screen readers can handle frames to some degree however it is wise to avoid their use if at all possible. If you do use them make sure that you do not in any way interfere with the use of the Back button because if you do you can cause severe navigation problems.
Open Windows
It is becoming common for web sites to open new windows. This practice causes a lot of difficulties for blind users and should be avoided. It often irritates sighted users too and an irate user is a lost customer.
Chapter 12
MULTI CULTURAL REMOTE AND AGED USERS
Multicultural Factors
Australia is a multicultural society with a multitude of languages spoken in it. As well as that we live and trade in the Asian Region where a huge number of people use English as a second language.
One of the best way to make a site accessible to second language speakers is to use a special form of simplified English. This is not primary school level English but a form of English with a slightly limited vocabulary where special care is taken to use a standard grammar which does not include problem areas such as double negatives. A form of this is used by the European Economic Community Parliament for all its documents as they must be easily and reliably translated into the languages of the member states while retaining the original meaning.
Social and cultural factors also affect sites which are used by people from diverse cultures. Symbols such as are used for icons and colours may not be thought of in the same way in each culture.
A reasonably good site catering for multicultural use is: www.centrelink.gov.au
A variety of automatic translations sites abound on the web, some of these are free however many provide these services for a fee.
Remote Users
Australia has a widespread population and many people live in communities which have very limited communication options. Even the Perth Observatory which is located in the Perth Hills could only use 9Kb modems because of old telecommunications infrastructure .
To cater for Rural users it is helpful to reduce downloads to a minimum and many Rural users turn images off and rely completely on the text information. This is needed because of slow communications and also the high cost of connecting through STD lines.
Aged Users
Aged users are a very fast growing sector and have a rapidly increasing use of the internet. Older people have become very committed users of e-mail, on-line banking and to a growing degree purchasers of goods such as books and music using the Web.
Some of the special problems facing some older users are problems with sight, hearing and arthritis or muscular problems giving problems in fine control of the mouse and keyboard.
Ways of assisting older people access the web include all of the techniques we have discussed especially in terms of consistent structure, clear fonts and the consistent use of Access Keys for keyboard navigation.
Chapter 13
THE SOCOG EXPERIENCE
Maguire v SOCOG
Prior to the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games Bruce Maguire a blind person who accesses the Web using a Braille screen reader contacted the Organizing Committee with concerns about the inaccessibility of the ticket book.
He subsequently made a complaint to the Human Rights Commission under the access provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act in the course of the hearing of which the problem of access to the SOCOG website was raised.
SOCOG challenged the authority of the Commission to hear the case in the Federal Court however they lost their appeal and the case was referred back to the Commission for hearing.
In the hearing SOCOG claimed that to make their site accessible would take over a year and need the investment of an additional $1.5M in hardware.. Expert witnesses for Maguire challenged this claiming the site could be made accessible by five skilled people in about 6 weeks with no hardware investment. The Commissioner in his judgement stated that regardless of what the cost was (although he was more inclined to accept the lower estimate) the site should have been made accessible and that if they failed to do so Maguire could claim personal damages.
The site was not made accessible and Maguire was subsequently award abot $20000 damages. While this may not seem a lot the real damage was to SOCOG and its contractor IBM with the loss of reputation being considerable.
This has been taken a a test case for the need for accessibility on the Web and the Human Rights Commission has taken the opportunity to publish this case widely as an awareness raising measure.
It would be a foolish company now that ignored the need for accessibility on any of its sites.
Chapter 14
HOW I SEE WEB ACCESSIBILITY
Good Luck and Good Webbing
I believe that accessibility to all users is essential for all Web sites. There are many reasons why this should be so but the prime one is that not to do so is discrimination and discrimination is not right, if this motive is not enough the economic one of maximizing the number of users your site reaches should convince any organization. If none of these is considered enough the Law requires it.
My approach to accessibility consists of a few simple steps:
· Know your users needs
· Know the tools used both by the user and yourself
· Know the correct techniques for HTML and other languages used
· Plan your site for logical navigation
· Use images and multimedia when they help the site not just for effect
· Apply the knowledge you have using the appropriate standard or better
· Check your site against the WW3 Checklist
· Get users of all types to trial your site especially people with disabilities or the relevant disability organizations.
· Review your site often to ensure nothing has changed to affect it.
I hope that you have enjoyed this lecture and that you have gained even a little more awareness of the needs of people with disabilities and how to avoid creating barriers. There is a wealth of material available which will help you increase your skills and assist you in creating valuable interesting varied and attractive sites accessible by all.
Good luck with your future webs.