accessibility and usability for web sites: accessibility 'gotchas

A centre of expertise in digital information management

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Accessibility and Usability For Web Sites: Accessibility 'Gotchas'

Brian KellyUKOLNUniversity of BathBath

[email protected]://www.ukoln.ac.uk/

UKOLN is supported by:

http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/workshops/eemlac-2005-01/http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/workshops/eemlac-2005-01/

In this session we will:• Explore a number of common

misunderstandings• Explore your understanding

and interpretations of WAI guidelines

• Explore some of the difficulties of implementing WAI guidelines

In this session we will:• Explore a number of common

misunderstandings• Explore your understanding

and interpretations of WAI guidelines

• Explore some of the difficulties of implementing WAI guidelines


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To Logo Or Not?You see sites with accessibility logos (WAI, Bobby, Cynthia Says, …)

Issues:• Are they patronising?• Do they distract from page

design?• Are they confusing (who is

Cynthia?)• Do they tell the truth?

Web site with:• WAI AAA logo• WAI AA alt text

Note that displaying an accessible logo does not make your site accessible – and having a misleading logo is dishonest and makes you vulnerable to legal claims.

Note that displaying an accessible logo does not make your site accessible – and having a misleading logo is dishonest and makes you vulnerable to legal claims.

http://www.openia.com/accessibility/modaccessibilityhttp://www.openia.com/accessibility/modaccessibility

But not HTML-compliant so:• WAI A only (at best)


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Text-Only Web Sites

Text-only Web sites are great for people with disabilities?

Beware Web developers who provide Web sites with WAI logos, text-only features, …Let's now explore other possible areas of confusion

Beware Web developers who provide Web sites with WAI logos, text-only features, …Let's now explore other possible areas of confusion

Many other issues: • Many visually impaired users

have some sight• Needs of dyslexic users • Why should I miss out?

Text-only pages should not be necessary to ensure accessibility of Web pages that follow the "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, "except in very rare cases. In fact, text-only pages are frequently counterproductive to accessibility since they tend to be kept less up-to-date than "primary pages," or in some cases leave out information that is on primary pages.

Text-only pages should not be necessary to ensure accessibility of Web pages that follow the "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, "except in very rare cases. In fact, text-only pages are frequently counterproductive to accessibility since they tend to be kept less up-to-date than "primary pages," or in some cases leave out information that is on primary pages.

WCAG Facts Sheet at <http://www.w3.org/1999/05/WCAG-REC-fact#text>

WCAG Facts Sheet at <http://www.w3.org/1999/05/WCAG-REC-fact#text>


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Understanding / Interpreting WCAG

Exercise• Complete the Exploring Your Knowledge Of

Web Accessibility Issues form• Do not spend too long on this – the aim is to

explore the extend to which there is a shared agreement and interpretation of various aspects of Web accessibility


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Web Accessibility – It's Easy?

In order to provide accessible Web sites all you need to do is:• Follow the WAI guidelines• Add ALT tags for your images• Make sure your Web page is HTML compliant• Use CSS• Not using colour alone to distinguish between content• …

You find many Content Management System (CMS) vendors (licensed and open source) who will claim to do this 'out-of-the-box'

So why do we need a day's workshop if it's simply a question of following some simple rules or using standard software?

So why do we need a day's workshop if it's simply a question of following some simple rules or using standard software?


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Web Accessibility – It's Difficult!

Surveys show that many public sector organisations have difficulties in providing accessible Web sites:

UK University Home Pages• Surveys in 2002 and 2004 used Bobby to analyse University

home pages. Results showed that only 1.8% and 5.6% comply with WAI WCAG AA

Disability Rights Commission (DRC) Survey• DRC commissioned survey published in April 2004 which

used Bobby to analyse 1,000 home pages. Results showed that over 80% fail to comply with WAI WCAG A(Note that in Dec 2004 the report itself was not available in HTML format )

Note that the UKOLN Benchmarking Web Sites workshops for NEMLAC and EEMLAC Regional Agencies give similar results

Note that the UKOLN Benchmarking Web Sites workshops for NEMLAC and EEMLAC Regional Agencies give similar results


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Conclusions From Surveys

It should be noted that:• The automated survey can only prove that a page

is inaccessible so that the findings are likely to be worse than reported

• Only the home page was analysed

What can we conclude from the findings:• The community doesn't care about Web accessibility• WCAG AAA and AA compliance can be difficult to

achieve (even on a single, high profile page)• There are other issues to consider• There may be other approaches to Web accessibility


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WCAG AA and AAA Compliance

In order to achieve WAI WCAG AA compliance:• Avoid deprecated features (e.g. FONT)• Use W3C technologies when available and

appropriate (no Flash, MS Word or PowerPoint).• Use the latest versions [of W3C formats]• Create documents that validate to published

formal grammars (i.e. HTML must be valid)In order to achieve WAI WCAG AAA compliance:

• Provide information so that users may receive documents according to their preferences (i.e. markup language)

• Specify document collections with the LINK element and "rel" and "rev"


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Concerns Over WAI WCAG

Guidelines Too Theoretical• Some WCAG guidelines appear theoretical• WCAG seeks to promote W3C standards

(including new ones) in addition to addressing mainstream accessibility issues

• Overall WAI approach is dependent on content, authoring tools and user agent guidelines – the latter two are outside the remit of Web authors

Developments Outside Of W3C• WAI has succeeded in raising awareness of

accessibility – and commercial sector has responded (cf. accessibility in OS, proprietary formats, …)


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Standards Or Guidelines

Are WAI's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines: • Pragmatic and much needed guidelines which can

help authors to make Web pages more accessible• To be interpreted and applied sensibly - on par with

Jakob Neilson's usability guidelines

or:• Mandatory standards which must be implemented in

order to (a) claim WAI compliance and (b) abide with legislation

• No room for interpretation

Do you use GIF images or FONT tags? Use HTML 4.0? HTMLvalidation errors? WAI A is best you can achieve!

11.1 Use W3C technologies when they are available and appropriate for task and use the latest versions when supported. [Priority 2]


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Universal or User-Centred Design?

Universal Design:• The design of products and environments to be usable by all

people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for

adaptation or specialized design <http://www.design.ncsu.edu:8120/cud/univ_design/princ_overview.htm>

• Underlying principle behind WAI activities

User-Centered Design:• Ask 'Who will be using the product?'. … Once this target

audience has been identified [ask] questions such as: What do you want the product to do for you? In what sort of environment will you be using the product? What are your priorities when using the software? … <http://www-3.ibm.com/ibm/easy/eou_ext.nsf/Publish/2>

The word 'universal' implies a single solution will apply to all. This does not appear to reflect experiences in developing educational or cultural services or an environment which values diversity.

The word 'universal' implies a single solution will apply to all. This does not appear to reflect experiences in developing educational or cultural services or an environment which values diversity.


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Any Questions?

Any Questions?

accessibility and usability for web sites: accessibility 'gotchas

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