Accessibility - Suggestions
Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 4:44 am
Purpose of the Topic
For this topic I would like suggestions on how to think outside normal screen design on how to cater for those people who are unable to read a normal screen (using the normal browser be it IE/Firefox etc), due to visual impairment or other disability. Links to applications allowing developers to experience how others use the page design would also be appreciated.
Why
I admit, when I design a page I always tend to design for the screen. With Ajax and other newish "fads" this tends to be even more the case. One of the things we should all be aware of though, is providing pages accessible to the disabled. I think it is even law in some countries (uk for example). Sure we all know the basics such as avoid the use of tables, use css instead unless the information is really tabular table, use alt attributes in images, have alternatives to javascript etc and sometimes we actually do it. The question is how can we "experience" what a page is like to use through the eyes of a person with disabilities... We hear of screen readers etc but how many of us actually have them and have experienced them. One simple way to "test" a site is to use Lynx on Linux, but that is the only one I know about.
Initial Reading
SitePoint - An Introduction To Accessible Web Design
Web Design Group - Accessibility Myths
Web Design Group - Accessibility Tips
For this topic I would like suggestions on how to think outside normal screen design on how to cater for those people who are unable to read a normal screen (using the normal browser be it IE/Firefox etc), due to visual impairment or other disability. Links to applications allowing developers to experience how others use the page design would also be appreciated.
Why
I admit, when I design a page I always tend to design for the screen. With Ajax and other newish "fads" this tends to be even more the case. One of the things we should all be aware of though, is providing pages accessible to the disabled. I think it is even law in some countries (uk for example). Sure we all know the basics such as avoid the use of tables, use css instead unless the information is really tabular table, use alt attributes in images, have alternatives to javascript etc and sometimes we actually do it. The question is how can we "experience" what a page is like to use through the eyes of a person with disabilities... We hear of screen readers etc but how many of us actually have them and have experienced them. One simple way to "test" a site is to use Lynx on Linux, but that is the only one I know about.
Initial Reading
SitePoint - An Introduction To Accessible Web Design
Web Design Group - Accessibility Myths
Web Design Group - Accessibility Tips