*** Read my published article on Web 2.0 and Accessibility ***
What is an accessible Web site?
An accessible Web site is available to many more users than a Web site that is not designed to be accessible. In 2004 a study commissioned by Microsoft showed that among adult computer users in the United States:
- 1 in 4 has a vision difficulty
- 1 in 4 has a dexterity difficulty
- 1 in 5 has a hearing difficulty
- 1 in 16 has a cognitive difficulty
- 1in 33 has a speech difficulty
- accessibility benefits 57% of computer users
Who benefits from an accessible Web site?
Everyone! Including people with disabilities such as:
- blindness
- low vision
- color blindness
- macular degeneration
- deafness
- hearing loss
- impairments of intelligence, memory, or thinking
- learning disabilities
- speech impairments
- paralysis
- arthritis
- carpal tunnel syndrome
- photo sensitive epilepsy
- many others
- combinations of the above
In addition, users who experience mild impairments or occasional difficulty performing daily tasks also benefit greatly from an accessible Web site design. Accessibility actually improves the overall experience of ALL users regardless of their abilities or the way in which they access or use the Internet by providing:
- Improved Web site usability
- Clear and consistent navigation
- Device independence
- Clear and understandable content
- Improved search engine indexing
- Improved access for low-bandwidth/dial-up users
Why make a Web site accessible?
Studies have shown that nearly 75% of people who experience some type of difficulty or impairment use computers today and more than 65% of them use some form of assistive product. Sixty-nine percent of computer users with mild or severe disabilities or impairments are currently using some form of assistive product. Furthermore, the rapidly aging population and the increasing use of computers in older generations will lead to growth in the population of computer users who are likely to benefit from assistive products. It is interesting to note that correcting most accessibility issues in society were originally intended and designed for individuals with severe disabilities yet these changes now benefit many others without disabilities. For example: Sidewalk cut-curbs were initially required to assist users in wheel-chairs. Today they also benefit people on roller-blades, skate boards, cyclists, mothers with baby strollers, the aging and more. http://soap.stanford.edu/ It is commonly assumed that individuals choose to use assistive products because they have a disability or impairment. However, one third of computer users who use assistive products use them because it makes the computer easier, more convenient, and more comfortable to use. Many other users report using assistive products to avoid a health issue. For example, a user may use voice recognition software to simply not have to type and another user may use a screen magnifier just to make it easier to see.
Types of Assistive Products
Today 44% of computer users use some form of assistive product and the number is increasing everyday. In addition, there is a high level of awareness of assistive products such as:
- Keyboard options
- Mouse options
- Sound options
- Display options
- Closed captioning
- On-screen keyboard utilities
- Screen magnification utilities
- Screen reader utilities
- Alternative keyboards (for example, keyboards for use with one hand and alternative key configurations)
- Augmentative communication aids (for example, software that speaks text aloud)
- Augmentative communication devices (for example, a hand-held device that speaks aloud)
- Braille embosser/printer
- Electronic pointing devices (such as those used to control the cursor on the screen using ultrasound, an infrared beam, eye movements, nerve signals, or brain waves)
- On-screen keyboard programs
- Refreshable Braille displays
- Reading tools for learning disabilities (such as text highlighting and text tracking)
- Screen magnifiers
- Screen readers
- Sip-and-puff switches
- Speech training software
- Talking word processors
- Touch screens or monitors
- Trackball
- TTY/TDD modems
- Voice recognition products
- Word prediction programs
