Web Accessibility: What You Should Know

Overview There is a lot of talk these days withand you should never do anything to encourage
regard to proper development practices andthem to leave your site quickly. Aside from looking
accessible web design. If you don't think any of thistacky, flashing effects are to be avoided to ensure
applies to you or your website, you probably don'tthose sensitive to seizures are not at risk. Content is
understand exactly what this is all about. Webboth more effective and better understood by those
Accessibility refers to the practice of creatingwith developmental and learning disabilities when it is
websites that will be useable for people of any abilitywritten in plain text. The Web Accessibility Initiative
or disability. Many things come into play whenThe WAI started in 1999 by the World Wide Web
accounting for a person's eye sight, mobility, auditoryConsortium and is viewed as the standard set of
and logic skills. Too many web developmentguidelines for creating accessible websites. Although
companies overlook the importance of coding athere has been some criticism of their guidelines they
website in meaningful HTML. Utilities for blind users,have been working since 2003 to release the second
such as text-to-speech software, make use ofedition of accessibility standards which will be much
alternate text for images and properly named links.more technology-neutral. This will leave more room
Another downside to overlooking proper HTML liesfor interpretation and adaptability. The guide goes
with the robots search engines send out to readinto great depth on how to create accessible web
your website. These computers that browse thecontent and includes a checkpoint summary by topic
internet by themselves can learn a lot more aboutand priority. They discuss important issues and
your website, and get a lot deeper into your siteprovide design solutions for a number of scenarios
when they aren't confused by poor coding practices.that cause conflicts. The Future of Accessibility We
Many people have difficulty controlling a mouse withare at a point now where there is no doubt
precision, and can become frustrated whileaccessibility is important, in fact it is already a legal
attempting to select a small link. Web designers needrequirement in certain countries. Try searching Google
to allow for enlargeable text sizes and create largerfor anything along the lines of 'web accessibility' and
clickable areas whenever possible. Links should alwaysyou'll see the vast amounts of information available.
be styled and colored different than body text soThere's still a lot of work to be done, but we've
that even color blind users can quickly locate the linkscome a long way over the last few years. With
on any web page. Pages can even be coded in amore and more websites being populated with user
fashion that allows them to be navigated without agenerated content, a simple set of guidelines for web
mouse or keyboard should your audience be likely todesigners is becoming less useful. It is impossible to
require this. No website should ever rely solely on amonitor this content for accessibility as it is being
video or audio component to convey information.created at such a rapid rate. We are also seeing new
Problems here extend farther than those who areassistive technologies that support elements like
hard of hearing or have poor eyesight. You areJavaScript, PDF's and Flash which will create many
relying on certain hardware and or software to benew options for websites that remain fully accessible.
installed on the visitor's computer. If a user has noSummary: An article for everyone on accessible web
speakers, or if they are turned off, they could missdesign. Discusses the common mistakes made by
your important message or even be annoyed if theydesigners and why you should concern yourself with
were listening to something else. Visitors are valuablethem.