Building accessible and useable websites

1
Building accessible and useable websites

• Penny Garrod
• UKOLN
• University of Bath
• Bath, BA2 7AY

Email p.garrod_at_ukoln.ac.uk URL http//www.ukoln.ac
.uk/
2
Contents

1. Understanding how people with disabilities use
   the web
2. Web accessibility guidelines how can they help?
3. Making effective use of web-based tools and
   advice
4. What can we learn from others?
5. Conclusions

3
Introduction and rationale

• "The power of the Web is in its universality.
  Access by everyone regardless of disability is an
  essential aspect
• Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director and inventor of the
  World Wide Web
• the web was developed primarily as a visual
  medium
• HTML and browsers have limitations
• accessibility issues should be considered at
  design stage tendency to focus on visual aspects
  of web and making site seem cool (young and
  newish medium)
• Why do it? legal imperativeDDA 1995 SENDA
  2001 social inclusion agenda convincing
  facts/statistics design for all usability
  accessibility benefits everyone.

4
Understanding how disabled people use the web

• Visually impaired people use browser
• screen reader/magnification or braille displays
  e.g. Dolphin Supernova
• keyboard instead of mouse (tab enter keys to
  navigate websites)
• Motor impairment upper limbs, manual dexterity,
  co-ordination use variety of input devices
• Cognitive impairment learning difficulties
  dyslexia plain language, easy navigation,
  uncrowded pages

examples available on W3C WAI www.w3.org/WAI/EO/D
rafts/PWD-Use-Web/ Note impossible to design
single site accessible to everyone testing with
users with disabilities is best. (BBCi
accessibility study, Feb 2003)
5
Web accessibility guidelines how can they help?

• Guidelines for UK Government websites.
  Illustrated handbook for web management teams.
  OeE May 2002 revised March 2003.
• www.e-envoy.gov.uk/webguidelines.htm
• Section 2.4 - 29 pages on building in universal
  accessibility
• Checklist of 23 points includes statement that
  pages must comply with WAI A (priority 1)
  standard.
• includes W3C 10 quick tips
• includes the 14 point checklist of the Web
  Content Accessibility Initiative Guidelines 1.0
• Plus more e.g.myth busting stuff advice re
  frames, applets, scripts provide skip
  navigation etc etc

6
More guidelines and resources

• WC3 Web Accessibility Initiative (WCAG)
  guidelines www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/
• - the benchmark most guidelines advise
  compliance
• RNIB See it right campaign www.rnib.org.uk/dig
  ital
• - Recommends WAI guidelines recent initiative
  with Mandoforms (online forms specialist)
  promotion of Adobe PDF accessibility
• Higher education (UK) www.techdis.ac.uk/
• Trace (University of Wisconsin-Madison,USA)
  http//trace.wisc.edu/
• Jakob Nielsen (2000) Designing web usability
  the practice of simplicity. Indianapolis,
  Ind.New Riders. Also has website www.useit.com/

7
Questions

• Do guidelines actually help?
• Are they presented in a format which is easy to
  use?
• Are they too complex, long-winded, too
  time-consuming?
• Are they used?
• How do other governments organisations handle
  it?

8
Lessons from BBCi Accessibility study February
2003

• Set series of tasks for disabled users to carry
  out
• Jargon busting and making the obtuse clear very
  important
• Guidelines (WAI) used but not recipe for
  success
• good navigation is vital

• Tested with users with disabilities
• Identified problem areas Portable Document Files
  (PDF) tables colour schemes Javascript Flash
• need for meaningful ALT tags for images
• Identified characteristics of high compliance
  sites

9
Learning from others Canada
www.cio-dpi.gc.ca/clf-upe/6/tools-outils_e.asp
10
UKonline easy access site
11
Making effective use of web-based tools and advice

• Bobby http//bobby.watchfire.com/bobby/html/en/in
  dex.jsp
• Test for either W3C compliance or Section 508
  (USA). Simple enter URL, results returned very
  quickly
• The Wave http//wave.webaim.org/index.jsp
• Pennsylvanias Initiative on Assistive
  Technology, Temple University,Philadelphia, USA
  icons denote errors. Enter URL and go.
• Bobby and The Wave require considerable human
  effort to interpret results.
• W3C HTML validator may be better
  http//validator.w3.org/ and CSS validator
  http//jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/

12
Conclusions

• Government guidelines provide comprehensive
  overview useful checklists and summaries but..
• Compliance with WC3 guidelines recommended
  Priority 1 A rating (in line with UK Govt
  guidelines) or AA is even better
• Ensure consistency and ease of navigation
• Ideally test with users with disabilities try a
  screen reader close eyes switch off graphics
  navigate using tab/enter keys
• Learn from award winners e.g. SOCITMs Better
  Connected award RNIBs See it right campaign
  read the BBCi report it contains useful stuff

13
and more conclusions

• Use style sheets
• ensure good contrast between text and background
  and left alignment of text (no right
  justification)
• online forms can they be completed by people
  using screen readers/magnification software?
• Content important e.g. plain language, no jargon
  - helps those with dyslexia or learning
  difficulties also note that screen readers read
  everything on screen.
• Use lots of white space overcrowded screens are
  hard to read and navigate
• Set test tasksget colleagues to complete them
  using tab and enter keys make changes, test
  again..