Design for Disability Access.

Vision Impairment.

There are three basic categories of visual impairment:

1. Those who are partially blind; (Jump to the section on this page for the partially blind.)

2. those who are totally blind; (Jump to the section on this page for the totally blind)

3. those who are colour blind.  (Go to the Colour Blindness Page.) 
   please click on the following link:  Design for Colour Vision Impairment.

"Not every website can be designed nor converted to be fully accessible. 
If that is the case with your website, please consider creating a text only version." 

When we create a Vision Impairment accessible website, we enable the site to be read by text-to-speech software, screen readers and devises that do not rely on the use of the mouse or keyboard. 

The Partially Blind:

The partially blind may make use of computer systems by means of screen 
magnification devices, as well as through special software that display text on the CRT through the use of extra large fonts.

• Screen Magnification software enlarges the viewing area of a computer 
  monitor display.

• Combination Packages. Software applications that feature: 
  Screen reader, Screen Magnification and Text Reader.

• O C R Applications - O C R  means Optical Character Recognition.
  Using a scanner for reading printed matter (hard copy) and inputting into 
  the computer to be read aloud and/or magnified. Once in the computer the 
  information can then be accessed using one of the devised mentioned above.

• Large Print Keyboard.

• Overlays for large print keyboards.

• Extra large cursors.

• The Totally Blind:

• Those that are totally blind are unable to use their sight as a means of input and have to rely on other senses. This can be in the form of:

• • Braille output devices, which converts text that is displayed on the screen into braille characters on a 'touch-pad'. The user then 'feels' what is on the screen.

  • Screen Readers are  software applications that read aloud information displayed on computer monitors. 

    • reads reads aloud text within a document.

    • reads aloud information within dialog boxes and error messages. 

    • reads aloud menu selections, graphical icons on the desktop. 

    • reads aloud aloud information on the World Wide Web.

  • Text to Speech synthesizers - These are NOT the same a 
    Screen Readers. The Text  to Speech synthesizers work along with 
    a software package to read aloud text on the screen.  

Additionally some people who are vision impaired may also be physically impaired. 
Please visit  our section for accessibility for people with poor or no hand movement by clicking on the following link: Website Design for Poor or No Hand Movement.

The Accessible Website:

We ensure the following so  the above mentioned software can maximally utilized.

• ensure that there is no use of "absolute" fonts or font sizes. *

• use style sheets when applicable.

• ensure that the web pages can be used with style sheets turned off.

• ensure that the user can opt to use their own style sheets.

• ensure that there is adequate contrast between the page background 
  and foreground.

• ensure that colour alone is not used to convey information.

• ensure that the language is specified for the screen reader software 
  and that any changes in langue are clearly identified.

• ensure that images have a text only version if the image is complex 
  enough to  warrant a description. If the image is  not complex, 
  we ensure that there is a simple alternate description of the image 
  (examples: icons or graphic buttons.)

• ensure that every lines of text make sense when read out aloud, 
  by listening to all text on all pages.

• test each page with applicable software tools for handicap access 
  such as A-Prompts, Bobby or other applicable test tool.

• guarantee, that each page is fully accessible.

• ensure proper usage of punctuation at end of sentences or lines of text.

• ensure that there are no large blocks of text. 

• ensure that there are no "long" lines of text, to minimize the need 
  for excessive eye or head movement.

• form fields are labeled and easy to navigate.

• ensure that when tables are used, they are summarized,  cells are properly 
  labeled and readable when linearized.

• As Java Script is largely not accessible for text to speech software or screen readers, we avoid the use of Java design until such a time that browsers support script by incorporating accessibility features.