Architecting and Designing for
Accessibility
Sarah Marie Gilbert
INF 385E
Research Topic Presentation
October 16, 2013
Presentation
Agenda:
• Define disability and accessibility
• Laws and accessibility
• Universal Usability
• Accessibility Best Practices
• Helpful tools
• Q&A
Disability
According to the Americans
with Disabilities Act of 1990
an individual with a disability
is a person who: (1) has a
physical or mental
impairment that substantially
limits one or more major life
activities; OR (2) has a
record of such an
impairment; OR (3) is
regarded as having such an
impairment.
http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/disabilities/physical/definition.htm
We can’t forget about the elderly!
… and the rural
communities!
Diversity of Abilities
•Auditory
•Cognitive and
neurological
•Physical
•Speech
•Visual
http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/people-use-web/diversity
Accessibility
“The power of the Web is
in its universality.
Access by everyone
regardless of disability is
an essential aspect.”
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
The law (or lack there) of the land
STEVIE WONDER!!!!!
• Individuals with
Disabilities Education
Act
• 21st Century
Communications and
Video Accessibility
Act
• Section 508 of the
Americans with
Disabilities Act
• W3C World Wide
Web Consortium
Universal Usability
• “Enabling all citizens to
succeed”
• Universal usability
strives to make the
content and
functionality accessible
and usable by all.
Best Practices
• Understand the coding
languages you use
• Labels are your friend
• Navigation bars and menus
• Font and text choices
• Colors
• Images
• Documents
• Terminology
Helpful hints: https://www.webaccessibility.com/best_practices.php
Helpful tools
BBC – My web my way
WAVE
W3C Markup
Validation
Example 1:
Example 2:
Questions?
Works Cited
ADA Best Practices Tool Kit,
(http://www.ada.gov/pcatoolkit/chap5toolkit.htm).
Section 508, (http://www.hhs.gov/web/508/).
American foundation for the blind,
(http://www.afb.org/section.aspx?SectionID=57&TopicID=167).
Riley-Huff, D. (2012). Web accessibility and universal design.
Library technology reports, 48(7), 29-35. URL:
http://ezproxy.lib.utexas.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com
/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=83242903&site=ehost-live
BBC, My way my web, (http://www.bbc.co.uk/accessibility/).
Booth, C. (2012). Why accessibility?. Library Technology Report,
48(7), 5-6. URL:
http://ezproxy.lib.utexas.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com
/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=83242899&site=ehost-live
EvenGrounds, accessibility consulting,
http://evengrounds.com/blog/how-do-blind-people-use-thecomputer
Universal usability, a web page connected to Sarah Horton’s book
“Access by Design”, (http://universalusability.com).
WAVE, web accessibility evaluation tool, (http://wave.webaim.org).
W3C, The World Wide Web Consortium. Accessibility,
(http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/accessibility.php).
Web Accessibility, Best practices,
(https://www.webaccessibility.com/best_practices.php).
Fulton, C. (2011). Web accessibility, libraries, and the law.
Information Technology and Libraries, 30(1), 34-43. URL:
http://ezproxy.lib.utexas.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com
/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=58478965&site=ehost-live
Horton, S. Access by design table of contents.
Wisconsin department of health services,
(http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/disabilities/physical/definition.htm)