website accessibility for people with disabilities kate todd november 27, 2007
TRANSCRIPT
What has changed? The Legal Environment
IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (1975)
Rehabilitation Act(passed 1973; effective 1977; amended many times) Section 504 (forbids disability discrimination if receive
federal funds) Section 508 (technology)
Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) Forbids discrimination against individuals with disabilities in
employment, public services, public accommodations and telecommunications
IDEA: Basic provisions
Federal legislation covering K-12 schools Requires Free Appropriate Public Education
regardless of ability Requires students to be placed in “least restrictive
environment” Requires schools to write IEP (Individual Education
Program) for students with qualifying disabilities Requires schools to provide assistive technology if
determined necessary by IEP team
Sample IEP
http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/publications/policy/iep/schoolageiep.htm
What has changed? The Legal Environment
IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (1975)
Rehabilitation Act(passed 1973; effective 1977; amended many times) Section 504 (forbids disability discrimination if receive
federal funds) Section 508 (technology)
Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) Forbids discrimination against individuals with disabilities in
employment, public services, public accommodations and telecommunications
What has changed? Technology
In mid-70s, Ray Kurzweil saw the potential of new technologies to assist people with disabilities
This prototype Kurzweil machine combined optical character reader technology with computer synthesized speech
Machine reads books aloud to individuals with visual impairments
Technology can now be used by people with disabilities to do things that they could never do before
What has changed? Technology
Technology can also become a barrier when people are trying to live independent and meaningful lives
What has changed? Expectations
Students in K-12 education: least restrictive environment
Individual Education Program (IEP) and testing accommodations
Assistive Technologies Students encouraged to be independent
Want to be “like everyone else”
What has changed? Disabilities
Original Speech, Vision, Hearing impairments Mental Retardation Wheelchair User (orthopedic)
Now added LD (Learning Disability) EBD (Emotional Behavioral Disability) ADD (Attention Deficient Disorder) Autism
Many Disabilities are “invisible”
How disabilities interfere with use of the Internet
World Wide Access http://www.washington.edu/doit/Video/www.html
Some assistive technologies used by people with disabilities
Hundreds available New ones every day Some “industry standards”
A.A.C.Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Definition Systems that supplement, replace or enhance
conventional oral communication Not only includes symbol system, but also
strategies and aids Examples
Braille American Sign Language Picture Communication Systems
Learning curve
Technologies that support AAC
Braille Braille notetaker Refreshable Braille display Duxbury software Printers/Embossers: Romeo/Juliet
Sign Language Sign Smith
Boardmaker Picture communication
Support for Braille
Braille Notetaker
Refreshable Braille Display
Braille Computer Output
hardware software
Sign Smith
1. Illustrated Dictionary for learning ASL
2. Sign Smith Studio
3. ASL Animations
http://www.vcom3d.com
Assistive Technologies
Screen Readers JAWS
Optical Character Reader Kurzweil
Speech Recognition Dragon Naturally Speaking
Speech Synthesizer DynaVox
Assistive Technologies
Computers require powerCost can be highSteep learning curveNeed own computers to use
Activity 2: Online checkers for web accessibility
Links available at
www.EduKateTodd.com/check
Accessibility Notices
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
http://dnr.wi.gov/WWWAccessibilityNotice.html
U.S. Army Redstone Test Centerhttp://www.rttc.army.mil/navtips.htm
Skokie Public Libraryhttp://www.skokielibrary.info/s_kids/kd_COI/index.asp
Web page design
HTML, the language used for web pages, allows each browser to format information
Web designers and graphic designers want to control the visual
They use tables to hold elements in place on a page
They convert text to graphic representation so that the font will always look the same
HTML/Dreamweaver
To make web pages accessible: Use text, not graphic representation of text Use alt= tag when inserting an image Place directions before boxes and forms
rather than below them Think twice before using tables for formatting
Accept the fact that you cannot control everything on the web
View HTML Do’s and Don’ts athttp://infopeople.org/resources/htmltips.html
Flash
Don’t rely on colors for control choices Put text on buttons Label complex controls such as sliders or
dials Best Practices for Accessible Flash Design
link at:http://www.adobe.com/resources/accessibility/best_practices/bp_fp.html
Adobe Acrobat Reader (.pdf)
Documents that are scanned and saved as “image only” cannot be read by a screen reader such as JAWS
Adobe version 7 has a feature that will use OCR technology to convert the scanned document to readable text
You can find the Adobe manual on creating accessible PDFs athttp://www.adobe.com/accessibility/index.html
Testing Web Sites
Use free web site check tools Web designers should own testing products
such as Bobby All web sites should have user tests Users should include people with disabilities When it comes to accessibility, the solution
for each individual may be unique
Explore Web Accessibility
Thatcher, Jim et al. Web Accessibility: Web Standards and Regulatory Compliance. New York: Springer-Verlang, c2006.
ISBN: 1-59059-638-2