Accessibility

In professional communication, it is important to adopt a stance that promotes access to information and services for all people.

The growth of the web and advancements in technologies for the web provide many opportunities and challenges for the people who work with electronic communication. However, barriers to the technology and/or the messages do exist for many. In thinking about audiences for electronic communication, consider potential users' differences in vision, hearing, dexterity, cognitive and other learning and perception areas (such as dyslexia), as well as the limitations of the economic, educational, and physical environments in which people use your work.

Websites pose challenges for web designers because of the diversity of their audiences. To design web sites that are accessible to the largest potential number of users, designers need to understand accessibility concepts in a number of areas including hardware, software, and design principals. Communicators have a responsibility inform themselves as advocates of all potential users of electronic communication.

Technology. The same technologies that help make websites "cutting edge" can be an obstacle to website accessibility. The rapid advances in the development of communication tools have led people to create Websites using the latest technologies available without fully considering the implications for their audiences. Some new technologies include programming languages and computer applications that a portion of the audience may not be able to use because of differences in hardware and software. Some users' hardware or software may not retrieve or display information in the form for which it was created; or the design of information is not compatible with enhanced technology available to people with specific disabilities (Assis-Tech, 1998 for product information). Some audiences may use hardware and software that provide alternative methods of navigating or receiving information, such as screen readers for the blind.

Experience. Users will have all types of abilities and education; they will have differing access to equipment and software; they will be of all ages; they will come from various cultures and countries. Unless you are designing and writing for very specific audiences with whom you are familiar, professional communication should serve the largest potential audience

Design and writing. The areas of design and content provide the most opportunity for professional communicators to facilitate others. Since it isn't possible to know what hardware and software users have, the goal, should be to implement design considerations that will be accessible by the most types of hardware, software, and users.

Two particular problem areas are that

the design of interface and/or instructions are not clear or intuitive; instructions rely on graphics that are not available to all audiences; alternatives (such as "no frames," text only) are not provided.
the design and delivery of is obscured by backgrounds, colors, or graphics; font choices or sizes are difficult for some people to read.

A working group of architects, product designers, and environmental design researchers has identified seven design principles for use in evaluating existing designs, guiding the design process, and educating both designers and consumers about the characteristics of usable products and environments. The authors are involved in a collaborative effort to establish and validate "universal design" principles to guide a wide range of design disciplines including environments, products, and communications. Though not all the principles are applicable in all instances, they include:

Equitable Use. The design is useful and marketable to most users.

Flexibility in Use. The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities.

Simple and Intuitive Use. Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user's experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level.

Perceptible Information. The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user's sensory abilities.

Tolerance for Error. The design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions.

Low Physical Effort. The design can be used efficiently and comfortably and with a minimum of fatigue.

Size and Space for Approach and Use. Appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of user's body size, posture, or mobility.

Issues such as cost, aesthetics, and audience appropriateness certainly must be considered as well. But the criteria above don't inhibit good design; they enhance usability

Features of Accessible Websites

It is essential that people involved in professional communication are aware of accessible design concepts as they relate to information development and management. As much as tools like special hardware and software can help users who have disabilities, they will not make up for inaccessible site design on the developer's' side. Developers need to:

understand the opportunities and limitations of the virtual environment and its potential users.
know something about the assistive hardware and software available and be aware of how the design of a Web site could impact the technology your audience may be using.
concentrate on good design principles and integration rather than on what "cool" things you can do with programming languages, unless those functions help the majority of your audience receive the information and services you are offering.
use various methods for providing information on your site so that you accommodate the greatest number of visitors.

Developers can do a number of very simple things that don't require a lot of training time or technical knowledge to help audiences better access their electronic communication environments. Here are a few suggestions:

Provide alternative representations of information. Give people choices of page displays, such as with or without frames; graphic and text or text only; with or without audio; or large-font text displays. This doesn't mean just taking the page and stripping out the "cool stuff." This is about considering each rendition on it's own merits.

Use alternative tagging ("ALT" tags). When a user places the mouse on a graphic, the alternative tag enables a popup box with a simple text explanation of a function, link, or graphic.

Add transcripts and captioning to audio. If people can't hear your audio, they won't get your message.

These suggestions won't solve all the accessibility problems we now have with Web based information. However, we need to continue studying how advances in technology and in information delivery will impact all users.

Click here to get additional information from the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI).

Checking Websites for Accessibility

In addition to paying attention to accessible design principles, testing can help you ensure that your websites are accessible. As you develop websites, you should ensure that your design meet the needs of people with varying needs. To do this, we can

establish a testing program for our sites that includes diverse users
use online testing services such as "Bobby," or the World Wide Web Consortium's free HTML Validator Service to test our sites periodically.

Resources for Accessible Web Page Design

Three are a number of resources on the web that may help you design more accessible websites:

The ADA Technical Assistance Program provides information, training, and technical assistance to businesses and agencies with duties and responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act and to people with disabilities with rights under the ADA.

"Bobby" is a Web-based public service that analyzes web pages for accessibility to people with disabilities and compatibility with various browsers (by CAST)

Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) is guide to website accessibility by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

CAST is a site where people can learn about accessible design concepts in general.