www.wright.edu/web/acce ss/ 1 Web Accessibility: What is it and How do we get it? Copyright Donna Hamilton, 2001. This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non- commercial, educational purposes, provided this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.
Transcript
www.wright.edu/web/access/ 1
Web Accessibility:
What is it and
How do we get it?
Copyright Donna Hamilton, 2001. This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials
and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written
permission from the author.
www.wright.edu/web/access/ 2
Define Accessibility
• Accessible adj. –capable of being reached –capable of being used,
seen, or known–Obtainable
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Accessibility
• “An information technology system is accessible to people with disabilities if it can be used in a variety of ways that do not depend on a single sense or ability.”
-- the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board)
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In the beginning…
• Section 504 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973
1. Establishes that disability rights are a form of civil rights and therefore covered by the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
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Section 504 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973, continued
2. Mandates that institutions receiving federal funds provide equal access to their programs.
3. Uses total institutional budget (not just the computing area's budget) in measuring the "reasonableness" of required accommodations for accessibility.
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The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
1. Extends the requirements of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to all public and commercial facilities, with few exceptions, not just those that receive federal funding.
2. Requires that every institution receiving federal funds establish and maintain a plan of compliance.
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1996 Statement about ADA
The Department of Justice stated that the ADA will cover government entities on the Internet as well as those providers whose services are deemed to be “public accommodations.” *
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/foia/cltr204.txt
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1998 Amendment to Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973
1. States that federal agencies must ensure Web sites are accessible to employees and the public to the extent it doesn't pose an "undue burden" to the site owner.
2. Provides accessibility standards, developed by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board), for the Web and many other areas of electronic and information technology.
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1998 Amendment to Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973
3. Standards for Web pages were published Dec. 21, 2000.
• Complaints are being settled out of court in favor of the disabled community using the ADA.– Connecticut Attorney General's Office– Bank of America– America Online
http://www.wright.edu/web/access/laws.html
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Statistics on Disabilities
1. 20% of all U.S. citizens have some kind of disability.
2. 1 in 2 Americans 65 and older has a disability.
3. Nearly 30% of all families in the U.S. are affected by a member who has a disability.
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Statistics, continued
• Disabilities include the following areas:
1) Low or Limited Vision2) No Vision3) Color Blind4) Deaf or hearing impaired5) Physical and motor impairments6) Cognitive or Neurological
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Statistics, continued
• People with disabilities boast a population of 54 million and have a discretionary income of more than $175 billion – that’s nearly twice the buying power of the teen market.
President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, Aug. 2000
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And now …
• Close your eyes and “listen” to a Web page, as many of your customers do.
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Other Reasons for Accessibility
• Win/Win situation – all users benefit from a well-organized Web site
• PDAs and WAP – Accessible pages more easily convert to alternate platforms
