Accessibility

Accessibility, Web Accessibility

Web accessibility is about enabling equal access to online content and services for all people, including those with visual and mobility impairment.

In practice, authoring an accessible website includes:

  • Structuring content using code that indicates information types and hierarchies (semantic markup); semantic markup enables a screen reader to emulate the process of scanning a webpage (using headings and link text) and read webpage content aloud
  • Marking-up content with 'hooks' that enable content to be effectively accessed with assistive technologies (such as screen readers)
  • Creating an interface that is device-neutral, for example supports keyboard alternatives to mouse-based interaction

Code validation and accessibility

Valid code alone does not ensure that web content is accessible....

Web accessibility initiatives often include a validation process; checking the code of a webpage against a formal technical or applied standard, often using an automated service (validator).

One of the limitations of automated validation is a literal (non-contextual) interpretation of a standard. A validator can only be used to check the accuracy of markup and not whether or not the markup is appropriate.

For example, to increase the size of text an author could use a heading element:

This text will be larger

As the markup is 'correct' in terms of structure and syntax, it will both make the enclosed text larger and pass an automated validation test. However using semantic markup to create a visual effect is an inappropriate application of the standard.

Based on the use of the heading element (<h4>), the text 'This text will be larger' is accorded a greater relative importance than the surrounding text. This 'relative importance' may then be reinterpreted, for example factored into search ranking for the webpage; or repurposed, for example used by a screen reader to quickly 'scan' content.

The key benefit of validation is in avoiding markup errors that may have an adverse affect on accessibility.

For example, failing to close an element may affect both the visual presentation and the semantic meaning of content. At its most extreme, poorly formed markup (or 'tag soup'), can result in an unusable webpage.

Valid code alone does not ensure that web content is accessible - however content may be made more accessible through considered adherence to relevant technical and applied standards. [3]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References: [1]www.designtalkboard.com [2]www.webopedia.com [3]www.motive.co.nz [4]www.joedolson.com [5]www.wikipedia.org [6]www.beseenwebdesign.com [7]www.launchmark.com [8]www.101webbuilders.com [9]www.answers.com [10]www.usabilityfirst.com [11]www.designer-info.com

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