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Synopsis: Websites Accessibility for the disabled.

An accessible website excludes no users. It will be fully accessible to persons who use text to speech software, screen reader software and switches, persons who are deaf, hearing impaired, have epilepsy, dyslexia or are colour blind. The experience must be equally rich and fulfilling for all site visitors.

Just like adding captions to a movie or TV show, adding access features to a website turns it into true multimedia. No one needs to be cheated out of the full Internet experience.

Some objections to Accessibility Design.

It’s Expensive!

Yes.

Just like installing automatic doors, or sign-language interpreters, Braille button in an elevator, adaptive technology; attendant services; wheelchair-accessible housing, buses, and trains. Accessible websites are more expensive to develop.

Why?

The developopment of a truly accessible website, is more work, takes more time and the designer must pay close attention to details that are normally neglected in regular web page design.

And NO. 

If you start out to design a fully accessible site, you may measure the cost in a few extra dollars per page. Planning for accessibility, budgeting for it and implementing it is a lot cheaper than redesigning an existing site for accessibility.

An alternative to redeveloping a complex website for full access is to create a text only version of the website. So that each complex page has a text equivalent, with an easy link at the top of each page.

The additional benefit of having a well designed handicapped access site is that it is accessible for everyone, including users of:  mobile phones, handheld devises, Web TV or Kiosk. 
If you are in a noisy environment you need the same utilities as a person who is deaf.

Disabilities that MUST be Considered in Accessible Website Design:

Full or partial blindness:

The person who has a visual disability may need to be able to “hear” the website using special software such as text to speech readers or screen readers.

Or they may need to be able to set their own font or font size. All images must have a text equivalent.

Complex images may require a “long description” – a text only commentary on what the image is communicating to the seeing.

Poor or no hand movements:

Persons with poor or no hand movement may require special hard ware as well as software to navigate a website.

The site design must be compatible with the use of special switches for example: switches that follow eye or eyebrow movement; cheek activated switches or sip and puff switches among some. 

Colour blindness: 

Good design takes into consideration all the forms of colour blindness, ensuring that colours are not used to convey information without other clues.

Contrast between background and foreground must be sufficient so that the user will be able to distinguish between the two. 

Dyslexia:

 To aid the dyslexic person in reading information on a page, accessible design ensures that language is simple and straight forward and that there are no large blocks of text. 

Epilepsy:

 Accessibility for persons with some forms of epilepsy means that there can be no flashing or flickering elements on a page.

Flashing or flickering within certain frequencies may cause an epileptic episode. 

Cognitive Impairments:

 Some persons with cognitive impairments, may benefit from the same considerations as people who are blind or partially blind such as “hearing” a we page.

Keeping language simple and straight forward and avoiding large blocks of text also enhances the website experience. 

Hearing Impairments:

 If sound is used on a website, there must be a text equivalent. For example - If a song is playing, have the lyrics available. 

Low Literacy:

 Requires the same considerations as for blindness and dyslexia.

Design for Poor or No  Hand Movement - Design for Sight Impairment - Design for Colour Vision Impairment - Design for Dyslexia - Design for Hearing Impairment - Design for Epilepsy - Design for Cognitive Impairment.  - Tips and Hints  

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