Web accessibility is the inclusive practice of ensuring there are no barriers that prevent interaction with, or access to, websites on the World Wide Web by people with physical disabilities, situational disabilities, and socio-economic restrictions on bandwidth and speed. When sites are correctly designed, developed and edited, more users have equal access to information and functionality.[1]
Use the WebAIM: Contrast Checker to check color contrast for one or more web pages. Make any corrections necessary to pass the contrast check.
Use the Paletton website to identify good color schemes. Experiment with monochromatic, adjacent-color, three-color, and four-color designs.
Lesson Summary
Web accessibility is the inclusive practice of ensuring there are no barriers that prevent interaction with, or access to, websites on the World Wide Web by people with physical disabilities, situational disabilities, and socio-economic restrictions on bandwidth and speed.[2]
The needs that web accessibility aims to address include:[3]
Visual
Motor/mobility
Auditory
Seizures
Cognitive and intellectual
Assistive technologies include:
Screen reader software
Braille terminals
Screen magnification software
Speech recognition software
Keyboard overlays
Subtitles / captions
The Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C) has published Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.[4]
Compliance with web accessibility guidelines is a legal requirement primarily in North America, Europe, parts of South America and parts of Asia.[7]
Key Terms
accessibility
The design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities.[8]
assistive technology
Adaptive and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities and the elderly.[9]
authoring tool
A program that has pre-programmed elements for the development of interactive multimedia software titles.[10]
disability
Any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or effectively interact with the world around them (socially or materially).[11]
user agent
Any software, acting on behalf of a user, which retrieves, renders and facilitates end-user interaction with Web content.[12]
