The myth of accessibility uncoveredHow accessibility affects the users of your website

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Users and their technologies

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Reading difficulties• Needs the ability to highlight

all texts and have it read aloud– When having text in images

make sure that there is an equivalent alt text

• Can have a need to stop / hide moving content

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Low vision• 'There is often a need to be able to adapt text

– A need to change colours for text and background– Need to be able to resize text– A problem with text in image

• May find there is a problem with forms given in columns / content belonging together but not visually close

• A problem with images conveying information• Problems with information only conveyed by

colour• Needs sufficient contrasts between text and

background• Can have a problem with change in context /

focus unexpectedly• Need text or audio description for videos

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Platforms• Meeting the W3C syntax

requirements• Responsive design / device

specific versions also help

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Colour blindness• Can experience problems

with information only conveyed by use of colour

• Needs sufficient contrasts between text and image

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Motion impairments• Problems with things only being

accessible with a computer mouse and not from the keyboard alone

• Form elements being small and not connected to control

• Need a meaningful sequence for content and for the focus order– Focus needs to be visible

• Can have a problem with change in context / focus unexpectedly

• Needs to be able to bypass blocks of repeated content (such as global menu)

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Deafness• Needs captions for videos• Might need a transcript of

video• (Consider signing)

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Blindness• Cannot access non-text content such as

images, Flash animations and the likes - need a text alternative

• Need text or audio description for videos• Need information about elements and their

relationship / Tagging: headings, forms, semantic elements, tables, …

• The need for content to have a meaningful sequence

• Cannot use sensory characteristics used to identify content

• Cannot use elements identified only by colour

• Need to be able to control audio that starts automatically (stop / pause / control volume)

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Blindness II• Needs to be able to access everything

from the keyboard alone– A meaningful focus order is necessary

• Can have a need to stop / hide moving content

• Needs to be able to bypass blocks of repeated content (such as global menu)

• Need link texts that makes sense (not ‘read more’, ‘click here’ etc.)

• Need for pages to have a language defined

• Can have a problem with change in context / focus unexpectedly

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For all• Provide adjustable time limits to give

everyone a chance to work through content

• Give all pages titles that are informative about the page and it’s content

• Provide multiple ways of finding pages: Search / Index / Site Map

• Have a website that looks and works in a consistent manner

• When providing forms:– Always give labels / introductions– Provide error identification and provide it in

text identifying the field– Validate input and possibly provide a

summary of entered data

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END OF PART I

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Accessibility Top 5Text for everyoneVersatilityAssociation Colour for everyoneRobustness

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Text for everyone• Make sure all text can be highlighted

and read aloud so that screen readers and reading tools can access them– Turning off style sheets– Try it with reading tools– Simulations such as Fangs– Test with real users!

• Avoid images of text where possible. Where not, make sure that text alternatives are equivalent

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Text for everyone II• Give alternative text

for images for those (screen readers and search engines) that cannot see an image. An alternative text must reflect the purpose of the image.

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Decorative / creating visual

context: no alternative text

Linking: Describe

destination

Having a function:

describe the function

VersatilityCreate a website that can be used by as many as possible, in as many ways as possible according to user needs. •All functionality can be used with a mouse •All functionality can be used without a mouse – from the keyboard alone.•Users can adapt colour and font according to specific needs.

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Association• Text, headings, buttons,

fields etc. that are logically connected must also visually be connected.

• Make sure it is also connected in the code.

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Colours for all• Make sure that the colour of the

background a and colour of the text is in sufficient contrast to each other. That way people with low vision can also read it.

• Make sure you do not give information to the user only by use of colour (such as saying ‘In the green box you will find…’). Otherwise it can create problems for both users with low vision or no vision or people with colour blindness.

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Can you read this?

Can you read this?

Robustness• Have a consistent design

throughout the website• Follow known conventions• Follow sthe standard for the

format you are publishing in (for example xhtml 4.1 syntax) – this will optimise your website for many different platforms and user agents

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SEO & Accessibility• Page titles• (Alternative text for images)• Headings• Link texts• Text in image

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More information• Next webinar: Working with

content that requires accessible alternatives – sign up!– June 12th: Working with content

that requires accessible alternatives

• Whitepaper

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