In Australia and many other developed countries, initiatives are being
made to ensure access to online resources for those members of the community
who are disadvantaged. The term digital
divide is increasingly being used to describe the effect of inequitable
access to the information economy.
Since 1998, the Commonwealth Government has funded nearly $3.0 million
in grants to ensure that people with disabilities have adequate access
to online information and communication services. This funding supports
innovative projects that develop new products, new services or new ways
of using current products or services, to improve access by people with
disabilities. (http://www.accessability.noie.gov.au)
The AccessAbility Online Resource aims to raise awareness of the
accessibility issues faced by people with disabilities who wish to use
online services.
These web development guidelines have been developed according to
"aphasia-friendly"
principles. They have been developed in collaboration with people who
have aphasia.
Aphasia is a communication disability, which can occur following stroke.
A person with aphasia may experience the following:
- Reading and writing problems
- Difficulties expressing themselves and understanding what other people
say.
- Visual impairments caused by stroke or aging.
- Physical disabilities affecting the ability to control the mouse,
including
paralysis of one side of the body often affecting their ability to use
a standard mouse. People with aphasia often need to use their
non-dominant hand for mouse control.
- Memory and concentration difficulties.
When people have aphasia, they are often unable to read
the same printed material they have previously enjoyed. Books, newspapers
and other printed material may be too complex and the print may be too
small. The internet however, has features which enable access to printed
information for people who have reduced literacy skills. For
example, the iconic nature of most internet browsers can enhance a person's
web navigation skills. People with aphasia may be able to read and navigate
web pages by using drop-down menus and clicking on buttons and hyperlinks
. Web developers have an important role to play in ensuring a standard
of accessibility for those who have a reduced level of literacy by considering
the following guidelines:
Formatting:
- Use a one-column (or maximum 2 column with graphics) layout with generous
margins on each side. A narrow reading column will lessen the difficulty
of reading long lines of text.
- Use of white space makes a page easier to read.
- Use of borders can clearly delineate sections of text and graphics.
- Use clear headings to break up page into more manageable content.
- Avoid use of distracting banners, advertising images and logos. A
person with literacy disability may find this clutter detracts from
their ability to locate and use the browser’s navigation toolbar.
- Avoid animated graphics. They are visually distracting.
- Convert photos to thumbnails where possible to minimize download time
and to reduce to need to scroll through long pages.
- Recommended font size 14 to 18.
- Font colour: where possible use black/dark blue font on white or pale
coloured backgrounds. Avoid yellow font as older readers view text as
though through a yellow filter.
- To allow easy recognition of pages, use different background colours
or identifiable graphics to distinguish one page from another. This
will assist the reader to orientate themselves quickly without having
to rely on text only.
- Background Font style: keep to the simple
"easy to read" fonts. This may seen boring, but it will be
easier on the reader.
Web content:
- Keep the information as simple and concise as possible.
- Use short phrases and sentences, avoiding long words.
- Use words which are commonly used rather than words which the
reader would rarely come across.
- Where possible use bullets and numbers to create lists of hyperlinks,
rather than embedding links in paragraphs of text.
- Accompany text with text equivalents e.g. graphics, photos
- use "alt" tags to add simple labels to images.
Navigation elements:
- Organise pages predictably with the navigation bar in the same place
on each page.
- Recommend no more than 6 links in navigation bar.
- Use of buttons in addition to links if necessary.
- Use large buttons and links to facilitate mouse accuracy.
- Horizontal placement of navigation bar to leave maximum area for text
and white space across table.
- Provide navigation mechanisms to assist orientation e.g. within page
instructions, directions to previous/next page (text and non-text equivalent).
- Use internal links on web pages to minimize scrolling through long
pages of text. Keep it simple and provide instructions if necessary.
Provide clear web-master contact details on each page to encourage feedback
from users.
Note: Some websites provide a "Text only" web option. This
accessibility option is not recommended for people with aphasia due to
their reliance on graphics and photos to assist with literacy and navigation
skills.
References/recommended reading:
