Accessibility (Part II) – The Importance of Web Standards

This is a three part series on Web Accessibility, Parts I and III may be accessed below:

• Part I - Identifying Disabilities
• Part III - Exploring Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) and Guidelines

To become more aware of accessibility issues, Part I of this Accessibility series discussed what accessibility is, along with describing the several different disability conditions that exist in today’s world. Along with a description of these conditions, several examples were given for the devices available to assist people with disabilities. As talked about in Part I, disabilities can be deceiving, and not every condition can be detected just from site. The term disability often includes cognitive, neurological, visual, auditory, physical, and speech. Disabilities are a main focus for Internet accessibility, in this part of the Series we will attempt to shed a light on the importance of using Web Standards for accessibility on the Internet "super highway".

Currently millions of people around the world are affected by one or more disability condition(s). Having a disability should not hinder anyone from being able to navigate on the Internet. Disabilities in general are one of the reasons the World Wide Web Consortium® (W3C) is working to develop Web Standards and Guidelines. The W3C is an international consortium made up of full-time staff and member organizations. These entities join forces with the public to strategize ways in which to standardize the Web. The Web Standards and Guidelines set forth by the W3C are paving the way for persons with disabilities, giving them the opportunity to understand, navigate, perceive, effectively interact, and also to contribute to the Web. Having the flexibility and uniformity in the form of Web Standards and Guidelines not only assists the disabled, it can also benefit everyone.

The W3C is not the only entity that is addressing Web accessibility. The U.S. Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act in 1998 to require Federal agencies to render accessibility of electronic information technology to those with disabilities. “Section 508” as it is known, was enacted to grant access to information and give opportunities to people with disabilities, eliminating any hindrance in information technology. Currently, this law applies to all Federal agencies using information technology, electronic technology, or when developing, procuring, or maintaining it. Disabled Federal employees and members of the public must be given comparable access to information that is available to others. (More in depth information about Section 508 will appear in Part IV of this series.)

Section 508 standards may have met with a snag; recently several European governments are expanding on these standards and exploring new standards, which have the technology industry worried. This could mean conflicting accessibility guidelines. The need for the U.S. Government and the European Commission to agree on policies and guidelines and remove barriers is crucial to accessibility. If global standards are reached it could lead to worldwide competition for manufacturers, along with greater benefits for workers or citizens as a whole.

Navigation on the Internet itself can sometimes become difficult even for those without disabilities, just add equipment differences and customization and that is where problems start to arise. Some equipment used may only use a keyboard without a mouse or visa versa. Adjustability of output such as font size or color can also present problems. Standard monitors are often not even connected for most blind users. There are a wide range of factors to the accessibility equation.

From the non-disability perspective, accessibility issues should also encompass the elderly, young children, and even persons who have a temporary disability, such as a broken arm. Let’s face it, the Internet is here to stay, and with the increasing role it plays in employment, government, commerce, education, and recreation, the formation and use of guidelines should make it easier and more accessible for navigation.

Although disabilities are the main reason for accessibility issues, they are not the only one. There are other issues people have when accessing the Internet, such as, the wide range of platforms, different types of equipment, i.e., cell phones, PDA’s, different web browsers, connection speed, etc. For example, cell phones and PDS’s have small display screens and most Web site displays are much too large for this size screen, they also typically use a styluses or scroll wheel that may not be accessibility compatible.

There are also many technologies that could present support problems, such as Lynx, a text browser used by Linux users, or enabled hand-held devices that don’t support web technologies like Flash, JavaScript, or even Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). Even having an older computer that is slower or using a monitor with low screen resolution sometimes cause issues.

The “technical” group of users is probably the largest group of users to suffer from accessibility issues. Not only do the devices that are to be used in conjunction with the Internet have to be accessibility compliant, the information available on the Internet must be accessible or have standards that work in conjunction with these devices. Even the different types or versions of web browsers are starting to use web standards. Since every web browser may have been developed using a different set of rules, this could cause one browser to display a web page while another cannot. Using a standard set of rules, and allowing for a wide range of browser and users will help to achieve accessibility.

Presently the percentages of Web sites that are accessibility compliant are low leaving the majority having accessibility barrier obstacles. The advantages of having an accessible web site do not just lie within the disabled community, others who can profit from it are those that use cell phones, other hand-held devices, or maybe just someone looking for information, services, or even merchandise that your company presents. It’s the non-compliant companies that could potentially be loosing sales due to accessibility issues. Businesses must consider reaching out to all types, not everyone can be categorized into a simple group and used as the main target audience.

Often times, a target audiences leave out individuals without even realizing they has done so. A good example of this is the elderly. As the population ages, many elderly people are learning to surf the Internet, and many times use it to carry out daily transactions that they might not be able to do otherwise. There usually comes a time when the elderly are unable to drive anymore, and getting to the store becomes an issue. Shopping on the Web could be a great convenience for them.

The elderly Internet audience often has reduced mobility, hand-eye co-ordination, and/or poor vision, which would make them a good candidate for an accessible Web site. This is true for many young users too, or those who don’t speak fluent English, or have impaired mobility. Another growing segment of today’s population, are people using hand-held devices that just don’t have the time to do things themselves, so they depend on the Internet to carry out their business. It is these types of groups that are often forgotten, and in turn these groups are just another reason for having standards and guidelines for Internet accessibility.

Developing Web pages and having an accessible site stems back to the design. In order to support accessibility, it is important to keep in mind page design. Designing pages that allow for adaptive technologies leaves a wider range of audiences, for example those who surf on PDA’s or cell phones. Accessible sites are also more search engine friendly. Developers need to avoid fixed layouts, single device only controls (i.e. mouse/keyboard), or overriding set preferences by the user. A negative experience on a site may not only turn away prospective clients, if could even bring negative feedback which could be passed on to others.

The wide range of Web accessibility issues that effect the large population of site owners and users are the reasons for the growing awareness for the need of website accessibility, pushing information technology today to change. As we have indicated in this article, issues with having an accessible Internet run deeper than physical disabilities. Being able to actively participate socially on the Web is just as important to some as gathering information is to others.

Web accessibility is often times misunderstood, and the advantages are sometimes passed over. It is with the many advantages in making the Web accessible, and agreeing upon open technology standards that will help benefit the broadest audiences, and leave the possibilities open to ultimately affect a businesses bottom line. Industry today has made crucial steps toward bridging the gap of accessibility, and it is with that commitment that will help to bring innovative solutions into play.

Take the accessibility challenge, take a moment and close your eyes, then try to navigate the Web. Now you can see how important it is to have Standards and Guidelines for Web accessibility. Stay tuned for Part III of this series, where we will discuss Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, (WCAG) and the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI).