Universal access, by design
| Date | 01 February 1997 |
| Published date | 01 February 1997 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb040633 |
| Pages | 42-47 |
| Author | Mark Kerr |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management |
Universal access,
by design
by Mark Kerr, Internet Training
Coordinator, Learning and Information
Services, South Bank University
This article offers some much needed
practical and technical HTML design
suggestions for making Web sites accessible
to all users. While the focus of the article is
largely on design for blind users accessing the
Web page via a screenreader, making pages
accessible in the ways suggested improves
clarity for all users.
Introduction
There can be a fine line between enabling and
excluding technology. All it takes is some careless
HTML, the addition of
a
few unsupported images
and some multimedia frills, and entire Web sites
can disappear from view for substantial numbers of
users.
Complying with HTML standards, designing for
universal access and applying plain english
guidelines should be the foundation of any well-
designed, content-driven Web site, and not just
a philanthropic afterthought.
These HTML design suggestions are drawn from a
variety of
sources.
Their implementation need not
add significantly to the design or management
costs of
a
Web site — even less so if they are
designed-in from the outset. Each adds a little to
the universality of the medium. Combined, they
can ensure that no users are excluded for reasons
of design.
The focus in this article is largely on design for
blind users accessing the Web page via a
screenreader. This is of course not the only group
which has difficulty accessing Internet-based
information, but "the primary problems in Web
access are encountered by this population"(1).
However, solutions for those with learning diffi-
culties and mobility problems are either mostly
centred on support and training, or based on
hardware and browser development, rather than
design of the content.
First principles
The suggestions below are based on three basic
Web design principles:
• Pages should not be browser-specific; the
page should make sense to all its readers,
not just those using particular technologies.
• Images — their description or their meaning
within the page — should be accessible to
all readers, even those who cannot see them.
• Universal access to information is a right,
not a favour, and designing accordingly is
entirely compatible with exciting and
attractive Web page design.
Technological solutions
Screenreaders combined with a voice synthesiser
(or Braille output), typically using the Lynx text
browser, provide access to those with sight or
mobility problems. Some screenreaders can work
with graphical browsers however, although most
design advice here and elsewhere is based on the
assumption that they are 'reading' Lynx.
All graphic browsers provide some customisation
facilities, notably the ability to adjust colour, type
size and font. Dyslexic or partially sighted users
can thus compensate for some poor or problematic
design. Screen magnifiers provide further control
over size and often colours.
However two browsers go further than most in
providing solutions for users:
• Opera (http://opera.nta.no/opera/) provides a
full set of keyboard commands to replace the
use of
a
mouse, as well as a zoom facility to
enlarge the screen content up to
1,000%,
or
reduce to 20%. (See Figure 1).
• PwWebSpeak (http://www.prodworks.com/)
provides text conversion to speech, in
conjunction with a voice synthesiser. Text
size is variable, and words in a particular
paragraph can be listed and spelled out. The
browser can also provide response to voice
commands.
42 — VINE 106
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