Evolution of Web Evolution of Web AccessibilityAccessibility

Meenakshi Sripal Meenakshi Sripal

ms3395@columbia.edums3395@columbia.edu

COMS E6125COMS E6125

Web Accessibility is not difficult!Web Accessibility is not difficult!

Mostly it is common sense.Mostly it is common sense. Enables all types of users to interact with web Enables all types of users to interact with web

browser using assistive technologies with ease. browser using assistive technologies with ease. Improving accessibility make the website more Improving accessibility make the website more

user-friendly and more usable.user-friendly and more usable.

Facts about Web AccessibilityFacts about Web Accessibility•11 years ago (1996) – web accessibility issues began to arise with the release of HTML 3.2

•Web Accessibility address the following needs:

•User-friendly and to decrease complexity

• Vision Impairment

• Motor and Mobility Impairment

• Cognitive Impairment

• Hearing/ Auditory Impairment

•Web Accessibility is also mandated by law

• Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act

• Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

Issues/ChallengesIssues/Challenges

Throughout the web era, web architectures have Throughout the web era, web architectures have become more complex with the addition of graphics become more complex with the addition of graphics and animation, video and audio, and personalized and animation, video and audio, and personalized interactive rich media. interactive rich media.

Making web pages accessible can be expensive.Making web pages accessible can be expensive.

Needs of different web-based assistive technologies Needs of different web-based assistive technologies overlooked when implementing accessibility onto a overlooked when implementing accessibility onto a websitewebsite

Accessibility validation toolsAccessibility validation tools

WebXact WebXact – Popular validatorPopular validator– Program that validates the HTML to test Program that validates the HTML to test

accessibility accessibility – Highlights errorsHighlights errors– Also available online: Type any URL in Also available online: Type any URL in

this website and it will give you the this website and it will give you the accessibility report and list of defects if accessibility report and list of defects if any: any: http://webxact.watchfire.com/http://webxact.watchfire.com/

Accessibility auditsAccessibility audits

Cheaper and quicker, more comprehensive Cheaper and quicker, more comprehensive than accessibility testing than accessibility testing

i.e. Digital Media Access Groupi.e. Digital Media Access Group– http://www.computing.dundee.ac.uk/projehttp://www.computing.dundee.ac.uk/proje

cts/dmag/cts/dmag/

– Consulting group offering variety of Consulting group offering variety of services: services: An expert in accessibility field can evaluate web site for An expert in accessibility field can evaluate web site for

issues and provide recommendationsissues and provide recommendations Provide training workshops and seminarsProvide training workshops and seminars Create or redesign accessibility products Create or redesign accessibility products

Assistive TechnologiesAssistive Technologies

Screen ReadersScreen Readers Screen MagnifiersScreen Magnifiers Speech Recognition ProgramsSpeech Recognition Programs

Screen ReadersScreen Readers Web users with vision (blind/low) and cognitive (dyslexia) Web users with vision (blind/low) and cognitive (dyslexia)

impairment benefit from this technology.impairment benefit from this technology. Transforms web page content to speech using speech Transforms web page content to speech using speech

synthesizer or to Braillesynthesizer or to Braille Example: Example: IBM Home Page ReaderIBM Home Page Reader

– Can be downloaded from: Can be downloaded from: http://w3.austin.ibm.com/~snsinfo/ibmdownloads.htmlhttp://w3.austin.ibm.com/~snsinfo/ibmdownloads.html

– Can read images with and without alternative textCan read images with and without alternative text Image with alternative text: i.e. [Previous]Image with alternative text: i.e. [Previous] Image without alternative text: displays message part Image without alternative text: displays message part

of src attribute ( i.e. [Image with no alt text: image.gif] )of src attribute ( i.e. [Image with no alt text: image.gif] )– Can read maps with/without alternative textCan read maps with/without alternative text

Without alternative text: displays href attribute of MAP Without alternative text: displays href attribute of MAP AREA (i.e. AREA (i.e. [Map: subst/home/home.htm]) [Map: subst/home/home.htm])

– Can read graphs and charts with alternative Can read graphs and charts with alternative descriptions: i.e. [Pie Chart: 75% cars and 25% trucks] descriptions: i.e. [Pie Chart: 75% cars and 25% trucks] Image DescriptionImage Description

Screen MagnifiersScreen Magnifiers

Web users with low vision/partial sight benefit from this Web users with low vision/partial sight benefit from this technology.technology.

Magnifies certain aspects of the screen for better viewingMagnifies certain aspects of the screen for better viewing Screen magnifiers in general: Screen magnifiers in general:

– Possible to make sections of the screen 1 to 16 times bigger Possible to make sections of the screen 1 to 16 times bigger – Provide color inversionProvide color inversion– Provide capability to make bigger font-sized text less blurry Provide capability to make bigger font-sized text less blurry

and less thicker when enlargedand less thicker when enlarged Example: Super MagnifyExample: Super Magnify Common Challenge: Common Challenge:

– Web browsers not big enough to provide an unified view Web browsers not big enough to provide an unified view when the text is enlarged. Hidden information revealed when the text is enlarged. Hidden information revealed by repetitive scrolling the horizontal bars which can by repetitive scrolling the horizontal bars which can cause strain for individuals. cause strain for individuals.

Speech RecognitionSpeech Recognition

Users with motor disability benefit from this Users with motor disability benefit from this technology.technology.

Remove the barrier of typing on the keyboard by Remove the barrier of typing on the keyboard by talking directly into the voice-enabled web site.talking directly into the voice-enabled web site.

Example: Example: – Archimedes Project's Total Access Processor Archimedes Project's Total Access Processor

Challenge: Challenge: – Not always 100 percent accurate of speech-to-Not always 100 percent accurate of speech-to-

text input into web browserstext input into web browsers– Less useful for people whose English is their 2Less useful for people whose English is their 2ndnd

language. language.

System design for web accessibility

Developers should incorporate and evaluate accessibility design in all 3 stages: development, implementation, and testing.

source:www.unf.edu

Web accessibility between the developers and users

Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG)

Web Content Accessibility Guildelines (WCAG)

User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG)

source:www.ozewai.org

Web Accessibility StandardsWeb Accessibility Standards

Web design standardsWeb design standards– i.e. W3C Web Accessibility Initiative i.e. W3C Web Accessibility Initiative

(WAI) (WAI) GuidelinesGuidelines

– i.e. User Agent Accessibility Guidelines i.e. User Agent Accessibility Guidelines ChecklistsChecklists

– i.e. IBM Web accessibility checklist i.e. IBM Web accessibility checklist

Current ResearchCurrent Research the study of multimodal representations is undergoing the study of multimodal representations is undergoing

the research to embed the dynamic configuration of web the research to embed the dynamic configuration of web user interfaces feature to save time and energy for the user interfaces feature to save time and energy for the user with any disability to set their preferences user with any disability to set their preferences

Futuristic IdeasFuturistic Ideas Design a better validation tool that addresses Design a better validation tool that addresses

broad range of users broad range of users Read and interpret the mathematical expressions Read and interpret the mathematical expressions

and equations in its entirety…and equations in its entirety… Design speech recognition targeting foreign people Design speech recognition targeting foreign people

with motor problemswith motor problems