Web Accessibility Introduction DRAFTS
Note: This document is an
early, rough draft and should not be distributed, referenced, or
quoted under any circumstances.This document is under development by
the Education and Outreach Working Group (EOWG), and will be offered to other
W3C groups and the public for review. A change log lists revisions in
progress.
versions on this page: 2004.07.20 - 2004.07.16 - 2004.06.11 - 2004.06.10
Version: Draft
2004.07.20
Web accessibility focuses on developing the Web so that people with
disabilities can use it effectively. More specifically, the primary goal of
Web accessibility is that people with visual, auditory, physical, speech,
cognitive, and neurological impairments can perceive, understand, navigate,
and interact with Web sites. How different disabilities affect Web
use and scenarios of people with
disabilities using the Web are described in "How People with Disabilities
Use the Web."
Flexibility to meet different needs, situations, and preferences is a key
principle of Web accessibility and one aspect that can benefit all Web users,
including people without disabilities, people with temporary disabilities,
and older people. Organizations can also benefit from Web accessibility,
which is addressed in "Developing a
Web Accessibility Business Case for Your Organization."
The Web plays an increasingly important role in education, employment,
commerce, and government. An accessible Web that allows people with
disabilities to actively participate in society is essential for equal
opportunities in many areas. The opportunity that the Web offers of
unprecedented access to information and interaction for people with
disabilities is addressed in Web
Accessibility is a Social Issue.
There are millions of people who have disabilities that affect their use
of the Web. Currently most Web sites are designed with accessibility barriers
that create unnecessary difficulties for many people with disabilities or
even prevent them from using the site at all. However, if Web tools and Web
sites were made accessible, people with disabilities could use the Web
effectively.
Web accessibility is required by law in some cases. "Policies Relating to Web Accessibility" lists laws
and policies around the world.
Web accessibility is dependent on many factors, including Web site
developers, Web browsers and media players, assistive technologies, authoring
tools and evaluation tools, Web technologies, and users, as explained in "Components of Web Accessibility."
The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) develops
guidelines for these components, that are international standards for Web
accessibility.
The effort required to make a Web site accessible depends on many factors,
including the type of content, the size and complexity of the site, and the
development tools and environment. Many accessibility features are easily
implemented when planned from the beginning of a Web development project.
Most sites today are not accessible primarily because of lack of awareness
of accessibility issues when the site was initially developed. Retrofitting
existing sites can require significant effort, especially sites that do not
meet other Web standards, such as XHTML, and sites
with certain types of content, such as multimedia.
"Implementation Plan for Web
Accessibility"
lists basic steps for making an organization's Web site accessible.
Simple techniques such as changing settings in a common browser can be
used to determine if a Web page does or does not meet some accessibility
guidelines. A comprehensive evaluation to determine if a Web site effectively
meets all accessibility guidelines is much more complex.
"Evaluating Web Sites for
Accessibility" includes a section on preliminary review with techniques
to quickly assess some of the accessibility issues on a Web site, and a
section on conformance evaluation
with general procedures and tips for evaluating to accessibility
guidelines.
There are automated tools that
help with evaluation; however, no tool alone can determine if a site meets
accessibility guidelines. Knowledgeable human evaluation is required to
determine if a site is accessible.
For More Information
WAI guidelines and support material to help implement the
guidelines - such as "Quick Tips to Make
Accessible Web Sites" - are provided free on the WAI Web
site. Many other organizations also provide resources to help make the
Web accessible.
Links in this Document
- [list all links and the URIs for printouts]
Version: Draft
2004.07.16
Web accessibility is primarily about developing the Web so that people
with disabilities can use it effectively. More specifically, the goal of Web
accessibility is that people with visual, auditory, physical, speech,
cognitive, and neurological disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate,
and interact with Web sites. How People
with Disabilities Use the Web describes how different disabilities affect
Web use and includes scenarios of people with disabilities using the Web.
An accessible Web is flexible to meet different needs, situations, and
preferences. Web accessibility can benefit all Web users, including people
without disabilities, people with temporary disabilities, and older people.
Web accessibility also benefits organizations whose Web sites are accessible,
as addressed in Developing a Web
Accessibility Business Case for Your Organization.
One example of Web accessibility is designing a Web site so it can be used
without a mouse. Some people with disabilities cannot use a mouse. Some
people without disabilities may be in a situation where they cannot use a
mouse, or prefer to use only a keyboard. Organizations that provide
accessible Web sites that can be used without a mouse potentially get more use because
of the benefits of accessible design.
Web accessibility efforts often focus on the responsibilities of Web
developers; however, Web accessibility is dependent on many factors. Components of Web Accessibility
explains the integrated role of Web site developers, Web browsers and media
players, assistive technologies, Web authoring tools and evaluation tools,
Web technologies, and Web users.
The Web plays an increasingly key role in education, employment, commerce,
and government. An accessible Web that allows people with disabilities to
actively participate in society is essential for equal opportunities in many
areas. Web Accessibility is a
Social Issue discusses the opportunity the Web offers of unprecedented
access to information and interaction for people with disabilities.
There are millions of people who have disabilities that affect their use
of the Web. Currently most Web sites are designed so that many people with
disabilities have unnecessary difficulties using them or cannot use them at
all. However, if Web developers made Web tools and Web sites accessible,
people with disabilities could use the Web effectively, as demonstrated in How People with Disabilities Use the
Web.
Web accessibility is required by law in some cases. Policies Relating to Web Accessibility lists
information related to Web accessibility governmental laws and policies
around the world. Developing a Web
Accessibility Business Case for Your Organization: Legal Factors includes
guidance on determining which policies apply to a specific Web site.
The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
developers guidelines that are international standards for Web accessibility.
Components of Web Accessibility
explains the role of the different WAI guidelines for Web content, browsers,
media players, assistive technologies, authoring tools, and accessibility
evaluation tools.
The WAI guidelines and support material to help implement
the guidelines - such as Quick Tips to
Make Accessible Web Sites - are provided free on the WAI
Web site. Many other organizations also provide resources to help make
the Web accessible.
The effort required to make a Web site accessible depends on many factors,
including the type of content, the size and complexity of the site, and the
development tools and environment. Many accessibility features are easily
implemented when planned from the beginning of a Web development project.
Most sites today are not accessible primarily because of lack of awareness
of accessibility issues when the site was initially developed. Retrofitting
existing sites can require significant effort, especially sites that do not
meet other Web standards - such as XHTML - and
sites with certain types of content - such as multimedia.
Implementation Plan for Web Accessibility
lists basic steps for making an organization's Web site accessible.
It is fairly easy to determine if a Web page does or does not meet some of
the basic accessibility guidelines by conducting a preliminary review with simple
techniques such as interacting without a mouse and changing settings in a
common browser. A comprehensive evaluation to determine if a Web site
effectively meets all accessibility guidelines is much more complex.
There are automated tools that
help with evaluation; however, no tool alone can determine if a site meets
accessibility guidelines. Knowledgeable human evaluation is required to
determine if a site meets all accessibility guidelines.
Evaluating Web Sites for
Accessibility includes a section on preliminary review with techniques
to quickly assess some of the accessibility issues on a Web site, and on conformance evaluation with general
procedures and tips for evaluating to accessibility guidelines.
Conclusion
@@
Links in this Document
- [list all links and the URIs for printouts]
Version: Draft
2004.06.11
Web accessibility is making the Web usable by everyone, regardless of
disability.
Web accessibility focuses on designing so that people with disabilities
can use the Web effectively. For example, some people cannot use a mouse. Web
accessibility ensures that the Web can be used with only a keyboard and does
not require a mouse.
More specifically, the goal of Web accessibility is that people with
visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, and neurological disabilities
can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the Web.
How People with Disabilities Use the
Web describes how different disabilities affect Web use and includes
scenarios of people with disabilities using the Web.
Web accessibility efforts often focus on the responsibilities of Web
developers; however, Web accessibility is dependent on many factors. Components of Web Accessibility
explains the integrated role of Web site developers, Web browsers and media
players, assistive technologies, Web authoring tools and evaluation tools,
Web technologies, and Web users.
An accessible Web is flexible to meet different needs, situations, and
preferences. Web accessibility can benefit all Web users, including people
without disabilities, people with temporary disabilities, and older people.
For example, people without disabilities might need to use the Web without a
mouse in certain situations.
Developing a Web Accessibility
Business Case for Your Organization lists many benefits of Web
accessibility. The Technical Factors
and Financial Factors pages include
benefits to organizations that make their Web site accessible.
The Web plays an increasingly key role in education, employment, commerce,
and government. An accessible Web that allows people with disabilities to
actively participate in society is essential for equal opportunities in many
areas. Web Accessibility is a
Social Issue discusses the opportunity the Web offers of unprecedented
access to information and interaction for people with disabilities.
There are millions of people who have disabilities that affect their use
of the Web. Currently most Web sites are designed so that many people with
disabilities have unnecessary difficulties using them or cannot use them at
all. However, if Web developers made Web tools and Web sites accessible,
people with disabilities could use the Web effectively, as demonstrated in How People with Disabilities Use the
Web.
Web accessibility is required by law in some cases. Policies Relating to Web Accessibility lists
information related to Web accessibility governmental laws and policies
around the world. Developing a Web
Accessibility Business Case for Your Organization: Legal Factors includes
guidance on determining which policies apply to a specific Web site.
The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
developers guidelines which are international standards for Web
accessibility. Components of Web
Accessibility explains the role of the different WAI guidelines for Web
content, browsers, media players, assistive technologies, authoring tools,
and accessibility evaluation tools.
The WAI guidelines and support material to help implement the guidelines,
such as Quick Tips to Make Accessible
Web Sites, are provided free on the WAI Web site.
Many other organizations also provide resources to help make the Web
accessible.
The effort required to make a Web site accessible depends on many factors,
including the type of content, the size and complexity of the site, and the
development tools and environment. Many accessibility features are easily
implemented when planned from the beginning of a Web development project.
Most sites today are not accessible primarily because of lack of awareness
of accessibility issues when the site was initially developed. Retrofitting
existing sites can require significant effort, especially sites that do not
meet other Web standards (such as XHTML) and sites
with certain types of content such as multimedia.
Implementation Plan for Web Accessibility
lists basic steps for making an organization's Web site accessible.
It is fairly easy to determine if a Web page does or does not meet some of
the basic accessibility guidelines by conducting a preliminary review with simple
techniques such as interacting without a mouse and changing settings in a
common browser. A comprehensive evaluation to determine if a Web site meets
all accessibility guidelines is much more complex.
There are automated tools that
help with evaluation; however, no tool alone can determine if a site meets
accessibility guidelines. Knowledgeable human evaluation is required to
determine if a site meets all accessibility guidelines.
Evaluating Web Sites for
Accessibility includes a section on preliminary review with techniques
to quickly identify some of the accessibility problems on a Web site, and on
conformance evaluation with
general procedures and tips for evaluating to accessibility guidelines.
Conclusion
@@
Links in this Document
- [list all links and the URIs for printouts]
Web Accessibility Introduction
Version: Early
Draft 2004.06.10
At the most basic level, Web accessibility is about people with
disabilities being able to use the Web. The goal of Web accessibility is that
people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact
with Web sites and Web applications. An accessible Web is flexible to meet
different needs and preferences.
More on What is Web Accessibility
Components of Web
Accessibility explains the role of Web sites
and Web applications, Web browsers and media players, assistive technologies,
Web authoring and evaluation tools, Web technologies, and people in the Web
accessibility.
How People with Disabilities
Use the Web provides a general introduction to
how people with different kinds of disabilities use the Web through scenarios
describing Web accessibility.
The "Web Accessibility is a
Cross-Disability Issue" online slide lists some examples of requirements
for people with different kinds of disabilities.
Web pages often include images, such as graphical navigation buttons,
illustrations, and photos. People who are blind cannot see the images. Most
people who are blind use a screen reader, which reads aloud the text on a
screen. However, screen readers cannot "read" a bitmap image itself.
Accessibility provides equivalent text descriptions for
images, so that people who cannot see the images can get the
information they need about the images. For example, the text descriptions of
the images at the top of this page are "W3C logo" and "Web Accessibility
Initiative (WAI) logo". These text descriptions are called ‘alt text’, which
is short for alternative text. Alt text is read by screen readers and similar
assistive technology.
Alt text for images is just one example of accessibility for people who
are blind, which is just one disability. It is important to remember that Web
design also affects people with other disabilities.
In many countries the Web is increasingly used for government information
and services, education and training, commerce, news, workplace interaction,
civic participation, and entertainment. There are millions of people who have
disabilities that affect their use of the Web. An accessible Web that allows
people with disabilities to actively participate is essential for equal
opportunities in many areas.
Currently there are significant barriers on the Web such that many people
with disabilities have unnecessary difficulties using the Web, and in some
cases cannot effectively use the Web at all. However, if Web developers made
sites accessible, people with disabilities could use the Web. Because the Web
can be made accessible, it offers the opportunity of unprecedented access to
information and interaction for people with disabilities.
Why it is Important Example
@@...
The primary focus of Web accessibility is access by people with
disabilities, including people with visual, auditory, physical, speech,
cognitive, and neurological disabilities that affect access to the Web.
Accessibility also benefits people without disabilities who use accessible
Web sites, and benefits organizations that make their site accessible.
Other Benefits Example
Alt text (described in web accessibility example
above) is also an example of how accessibility benefits people without
disabilities. Some people cannot see images because they are working with a
handheld device that cannot display images, or they have turned off image
downloading because they have a slow Internet connection. Alt text can be
displayed instead of the image in these cases. An example of benefits to
organizations is that search engines can index alt text; for example, the
content of a logo bitmap image is not available to search engines, but the
alt text is.
The effort required to make a Web site accessible depends on many factors,
such as the type of Web content, the size and complexity of the site, and the
development environment. Most accessibility features are easily implemented
when planned from the beginning of a Web development project.
Many sites today are not accessible primarily because of lack of awareness
of accessibility issues when the site was initially developed. Retrofitting
existing sites can require significant effort, especially sites that do not
meet other Web standards (such as XHTML), and certain types of content such
as multimedia.
It is fairly easy to determine if a Web page meets most basic
accessibility guidelines by conducting a "preliminary review". Simple
techniques such as changing settings in a common browser and interacting
without a mouse can identify accessibility problems.
There are also automated tools
that help with evaluation; however, no tool alone can determine if a site
meets accessibility guidelines. Knowledgeable human evaluation is required to
determine if a site meets all accessibility guidelines, which can be called a
"conformance evaluation".
Document Information
Editor: Shawn Lawton Henry. Developed by the Education
and Outreach Working Group (EOWG).
Last updated $Date: 2004/08/02 19:19:24 $ by $Author:
shawn $