Visual+Impairment+and+Websites

People that have a visual impairment or blindness face difficulties using many Web 2.0 technologies. It can be difficult for a person with a visual disability to be able to use the internet and various Web 2.0 technologies such as blogs or social networking sites. Website accessibility is often overlooked by web developers. Many web developers would rather spend money on other issues rather than being in compliance with disability laws.

A study conducted in 2008 by WebAIM found that only 3% out of 100 different college institutions websites were in compliance with disability laws. There have been numerous lawsuits against universities due to discrimination against visually impaired people being able to access the universities website and resources on the website.

Website developers should consider reviewing the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). These guidelines were created by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) which is part of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) more famously known for their work in developing HyperText Markup Language (HTML) and Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) specifications. The well-defined WCAG recommendations help ensure that a website is accessible for everyone.

There are many resources found online that let website developers “test” their site to see if it is accessible for all users. Two sites that you can use are Cynthia Says and the [|Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool] (WAVE). With the Wave site, it will provide a visual feedback of areas on the site that may not be in compliance which may be most useful for website developers. With the Cynthia Says site, it provides a text feedback that would likely be most friendly for someone using a screen reader trying to figure out what a problem might be with a particular site. Cynthia Says also provides feedback for both WCAG and section 508 compliance. All website developers should consider using these simple tools to test for website accessibility when designing a website. Providing an accessible website is also required by federal law.

There are several tools available for people with vision impairments. There is the option of a screen reader which is a software program that “reads” the computer screen and either speaks what is on the screen and puts it on a Braille display. Another option for visually impaired people is special browsers designed for visual impairments. There is also the option of screen magnification.

While screen readers are very useful in reading the elements and text on a page, there are problems that can occur. I tested the [|NVDA] reader and tried going to the CNN.com website. However, I found that the screen reader would get stuck in a loop and never be able to fully finish reading the page. By vising the WAVE site, I found that there was a refresh element being used that caused the reader to reset and start reading the page over again. By not adhering to WCAG recommendations, it can provide a very confusing experience to someone relying on a screen reader.

In regards to screen magnification, you can use the built-in magnification tool in Microsoft Windows. While this tool allows you to zoom in and see a bigger version of something, you have to be able to see the tool on the screen and click on it to change its properties such as size, magnification, or to close the tool. One way to make it much more user-friendly is to use [|Microsoft's Intellipoint]software in conjunction with a compatible mouse with at least one extra mouse button. It is then possible to assign the extra button to open the magnification tool. The software makes it possible for the user to easily control the properties (such as size or magnification) of the tool using only the mouse and not having to rely on clicking a specific area on the screen to change the tool.

Sources: [] @http://www.washington.edu/doit/what-web-accessibility-initiative-wai [] [] [] @http://www.cynthiasays.com @http://wave.webaim.org @http://www.nvaccess.org @https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=26948