ACCESSIBILITY

"Accessibility refers to ensuring that Content is accessible, ie. ensuring that Content can be navigated and read by everyone, regardless of location, experience, or the type of computer technology used. Accessibility is most commonly discussed in relation to people with disabilities, because this group are most likely to be disadvantaged if the principles of accessible Web design are not implemented. Failure to follow these principles can make it difficult or impossible for people with disabilities to access Content. Creating accessible Content should be an integral part of the Web design philosophy, and accessibility features should be incorporated into all aspects of the design process. Testing for accessibility should also be incorporated into any and all user testing regimes, and should never be seen as an isolated event that can occur after other user testing has taken place. Designing for accessibility is thus as much a strategic issue as a purely technical one."
www.murdoch.edu.au/cwisad/glossary.html

Question for designers - After reading the above defnition, based on your design & user experience, do you think that accessibilty is only confined to the disabled? Many times when we see the word accessibilty, we equate that term to the impaired. Do you agree or disagree?

W3C Accessibility Guidelines for the general audience (Resource - McCracken PPT)

• Provide equivalent alternatives to auditory and visual content
• Don't rely on color alone
• Use markup and style sheets and do so properly
• Clarify natural language usage
• Create tables that transform gracefully
• Ensure that pages featuring new technologies transform gracefully
• Ensure user control of time-sensitive content changes
• Ensure direct accessibility of embedded user interfaces
• Design for device-independence
• Use interim solutions
• Use W3C technologies and guidelines
• Provide context and orientation information
• Provide clear navigation mechanisms
• Ensure that documents are clear and simple

Links to accessibility information on Web Design

1. Guild of Accessible Web Designers http://www.gawds.org/

2. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/

3. Color Bindness Resources (Download software and view simulation for various color blindness issues) http://www.vischeck.com/