Disability Access Information
Unless your Web site is designed for accessibility, people with certain disabilities may face barriers when trying to use some or all of your materials. The information in this section outlines some of the issues that surround accessible Web design. As you read through this section, keep in mind that although designing accessible Web sites may seem challenging at first, accessible design leads to pleasing, usable sites available to wider audiences, regardless of computer equipment, modem speed, browser, and ability status.
Types of Disabilities
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over 49 million people aged five and over in the U.S. (about 19% of the population) have disabilities1. Almost 21 million people in the U.S. are estimated to have disabilities that affect their ability to access information via the World Wide Web2. These disabilities include the following:
- blindness and visual impairments
- deafness and hearing impairments
- mobility impairments (such as impairments that affect keyboard or mouse use)
Less obvious disabilities that affect Web access include colorblindness or other color vision anomalies (estimated to affect as many as 1 in 12 males, and 1 in 200 females3), dyslexia, and various learning disabilities. Keep in mind, too, that many of us will experience some deterioration in vision, hearing, and fine motor coordination as we get older, which may affect how we interact with our computers.
Assistive Technologies
People with certain kinds of disabilities use assistive technologies (AT) to facilitate their use of computers and Web sites. Examples include input and output devices (e.g., voice, Braille), alternate access aids (e.g., headsticks, light pointers), modified or alternate keyboards, switches, and special software (e.g., speech recognition software). In order for some of these AT devices to benefit their users, Web sites must be designed with such users in mind.
Accessible Design
Accessible does not equal boring! You do not need to eliminate all graphics. (In fact, for some users who don't process text well, appropriate graphics can be very important in conveying information.) Learning the truth behind such misconceptions is key to creating accessible Web sites.
Your first goal for accessible design is to produce Web pages that are both attractive and effective, regardless of the equipment used to access them. In fact, there is "often substantial overlap between usability findings and accessibility needs.4
Besides creating a well-designed and usable Web site, you must follow a set of additional practices to ensure accessibility. Some examples of these practices include the following:
- Provide ALT (alternative text) tags within the image tags of your HTML.
- Do not only use color to convey information (e.g., different colored text headings with the same font size).
- Use consistent design (e.g., consistent locations for your site's navigational links, a site title on every page, etc.).
To learn more about accessible design practices, review the Web Accessibility Standards outlined in the University's Accessibility of Information Technology Policy.
A great advantage of designing an accessible Web site is that many other site users benefit:
- Non-disabled users with older equipment, particularly slower modems, may use text-only browsers, or use their browsers with graphics turned off, in order to reduce download time. Older equipment may not display the large color palettes used, or be adequate to support plug-ins for the audio and video clips included in some Web sites. In addition, older versions of browsers often don't support some of the "bells and whistles" of newer versions of HTML or can't utilize Java applets or other scripts.
- Many users now access the Web with telephonic devices, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), and other technologies that are not able to display full graphics.
- Users who use search engines also will benefit from accessible Web design. ALT="text" tags, captioning, and text descriptions can be used by search engines, especially for searching audio and video files.
Designing accessible Web sites may seem challenging at first, but if you think ahead, cultivate an awareness of accessibility issues, and develop good design habits, designing an accessible site will quickly become second nature.
Section 508
Section 508 is a portion of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that sets policy for the buying or obtaining of goods or services by Federal agencies. Section 508 is intended to ensure that individuals with and without disabilities, both Federal employees and members of the public, have equal access to and use of information and services provided by Federal agencies. In 1998, Congress significantly updated and strengthened section 508 to cover the development, procurement, maintenance, or use of electronic and information technology (EIT), including Web sites, software, hardware, and other electronic devices. In addition, the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 requires all states that receive funding under the act to comply with section 508. Compliance with the updated section 508 became mandatory during summer 2001.
University of Minnesota Compliance
Universities are not legally bound to comply with section 508. However, other sections of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and various other state laws compel universities to provide equal access to persons with disabilities. Though not legally bound to comply with section 508, the University of Minnesota is committed to providing equal access to information technology. The University has developed a policy that outlines this commitment, known as the Accessibility of Information Technology Policy.
WebVista and Accessibility
WebVista is a Web-based course management and Web site development software that the University provides to its faculty and instructors to create course Web sites. WebCT, Inc. is currently working to make its product more accessible. However, there are some concerns, particularly for persons using screen readers. Until WebCT, Inc. provides a completely accessible product, instructors must be aware that if they use WebVista their students with disabilities may encounter limitations. Therefore instructors must be prepared to offer information and materials in alternate formats.
Accessibility Testing
There are a number of Web sites that can help you evaluate the accessibility of your Web site. Some sites test for compliance with standards developed by the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative. Others provide simulations of what a site looks like to people with color vision anomalies or low vision. Still others let you experience your site as if you were using a text-only browser or a screen reader. It should be noted that most validators work on one Web page at a time, so problems with your site's navigation may not be identified. It is important to remember that no such single "test" is comprehensive, so it is a good idea to use several methods of evaluating your Web site for accessibility. Also, just because your site meets all of the technical aspects of accessible design doesn't mean it's accessible. The best way to get an accurate evaluation of your site's accessibility is to use common sense and to test the usability of your site with people that have a variety of disabilities.
- US Census Bureau. Census 2000 Summary File 4. Table DP-2. Profile of Selected Social Characteristics: 2000. http://factfinder.census.gov/.
- Vaas, Lisa. April 2000. Web Blind Spots. eWEEK. http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1497048,00.asp.
- Causes of Color (Colorblindness section). http://webexhibits.org/causesofcolor/2C.html.
- Burke, Patrick J. and Kevin Price. March 2000. Collaboration For Accessibility: Practical Experience in Creating Accessible Web Sites at UCLA. Presented at CSUN Technology and Persons With Disabilities Conference, Northridge, CA. http://www.csun.edu/cod/conf/2000/
proceedings/0122Burke.htm.
