Level 3 - Formats

Accessible Web Sites

Page Contents

1. What is an Accessible Web Site?
2. How do Screen Readers work?
3. Examples
4. When to use Accessible Web Sites
5. Linked References and Resources

1. What is an Accessible Web Site?

Users of your Web site employ different technologies to access its information. For example, there are an increasing number of different Web browsers in use.

Some people with physical disabilities may be unable to use a mouse and therefore need to navigate your site using only a keyboard. Others may use voice activation. Visitors who are blind may be using screen readers, devices that can transfer text, forms and control buttons into audio or braille. People with learning disabilities may be using text-to-speech technology to increase comprehension. And visitors who are hard of hearing or deaf may require a text transcript of any audio on your site.

An accessible Web site looks similar to one that is inaccessible except that its design and structure allows access regardless of what technology may be used by visitors.

2. How do screen readers work?

Screen readers transfer all text and controls to audio, braille or large print but they cannot explain graphics. Each graphic therefore requires an accompanying text explanation.

Most screen readers read text across the page. If text is put into columns, the screen reader would then read the first line from the first column, then the first line from the second column and so on, making it impossible to understand. It is necessary therefore to avoid columns or use a range of technical strategies that can convert the text to a linear layout.

Unlike sighted visitors who can ignore the repetitive links in Web site navigation, a screen reader would read those links every single time a page is accessed, creating a source of frustration and requiring a method to reduce the repetition.

Forms are another key area. The special coding used to make forms work is not seen by sighted users but is read by screen readers. For example, if a form offers a list of options, each button may have a code that says "yes" if the option is clicked on and "no" if it is left blank. The screen reader will then read out loud every "yes" and "no" for each option. Forms must be handled differently for accessible Web sites.

The way in which your Web copy is written also matters. People using screen readers do not use a mouse and so the phrase "click here" does not make any sense.

These are just a few of the issues regarding accessibility. There are many ways in which Web sites can be made accessible and these are beyond the scope of this tutorial. Your Webmaster will need to adopt the measures outlined in the reference links at the bottom of this page.

3. Examples

Text in Columns

Here is a typical example of columns arranged using tables.

Sighted users read the text in each column on the screen separately. If you are not using a screen reader, the text is not difficult to understand. But imagine if you had to read the first line of the first column, then the first line of the second column, the second line of the first column, then the second line of the second column. Obviously, the text would not make any sense.

This is the text in the second column. It is separate from the first column for site visitors who have access to the tables. But most screen readers will keep reading right across the page and that would make it impossible to read this text.

Now, here are the same columns as a screen reader might read them. Can you make any sense of this text?

Sighted users read the text This is the text in the second in each column on the column. It is separate from screen separately. If you are the first column for site not using a screen reader, visitors who have access to the text is not difficult to the tables. But most screen understand. But imagine if readers will keep reading right you had to read the first line across the page and that of the first column, then the would make it impossible to first line of the second read this text. column, the second line of the first column, then the second line of the second column. Obviously, the text would not make any sense.

Imagine also how this might read if one column was in English and the other in French.

Audio conversion of forms

Many people do not use a mouse to navigate Web pages. Forms must therefore be designed to work with a keyboard. In addition, the form elements, such as buttons and other interactive components, need to be labelled so that they make sense when read out loud.

4. When to use Accessible Web Sites

All Government of Canada Web Sites must be made accessible.

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has developed a series of guidelines to make Web sites accessible. The W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are divided into a series of priorities.

The Government of Canada has adopted the WCAG under its Common Look and Feel Standards and made the Priority 1 and Priority 2 checkpoints mandatory for all Government of Canada Web Sites.

5. Linked References and Resources

• Common Look and Feel Accessibility Section
  
• W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
  
• Web Accessibility Initiative
  

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