Adapting+the+Web

​Explore the accessibility issues that need to be addressed when using the web. Jodi Schmidt Marsha Primeau

Most people today can hardly conceive of life without the internet. It provides access to news, email, shopping, and entertainment, at any hour of the day or night. Some have argued that no other single invention has been more revolutionary since Gutenberg's printing press in the 1400s. Now, at the click of a mouse, the world can be "at your fingertips"—that is, if you can use a mouse... and see the screen... and hear the audio—in other words, if you don't have a disability of any kind.

The major categories of disability types are:
 * **Visual**- Blindness, low vision, color-blindness
 * **Auditory-** Deafness
 * **Motor ability**- inability to use mouse, slow response time, limited fine motor control
 * **Cognitive**- learning disabilities, distractibility, inability to remember or focus on large amounts of information

Check out this video to see the software and resources available for the blind. media type="youtube" key="lr6xDiwPTpQ" height="344" width="425"

This introduction should help you understand how people with disabilities use the web, the frustrations they feel when they cannot access the web, and what you can do to make your sites more accessible.

=People with Disabilities on the Web= Though estimates vary, most studies find that about one fifth (20%) of the population has some kind of disability. Not all of these people have disabilities that make it difficult for them to access the internet, but it is still a significant portion of the population. Businesses would be unwise to purposely exclude 20, 10, or even 5 percent of their potential customers from their web sites. For schools, universities, and government entities it would not only be unwise, but in many cases, it would also break the law.

The Web Offers Unprecedented Opportunities. The internet is one of the best things that ever happened to people with disabilities. The following are adaptations made available to people with disabilities:

=**Visual Adaptations:**= Adaptive devices are able to adjust font, size, and color, which otherwise can be barriers for users with visual impairments.

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Further adaptations are needed to make technology accessible for the blind. -click on this link to see a PDA and all of its uses []
 * Electronic books
 * Screen reading programs
 * Character recognition programs that scan printed text, speak the text, then Braille embossers turn the text into a Braille hard copy
 * PDA's that provide access to calendars, schedules, phone numbers, etc.
 * Braille keyboards and printers

=**Hearing Adaptations:**=
 * Amplification systems for computers
 * Electronic mail and instant messaging
 * Text telephones, allow people to type messages over the telephone using a keyboard, printer and visual display
 * Written text on auditory elements of websites
 * Provide captions
 * Provide visual information that is redundant to audio information

=**Motor Impairment Adaptations:**= media type="youtube" key="Y0wjnQaePk8" height="344" width="425" = =
 * One handed keyboards
 * Keyboards used with other parts of the body
 * Keyboards with keys rearranged to suit the user's needs
 * Ergonomical alterations to fit the user
 * On screen keyboard that scans through the keys, when the desired key is highlighted, the user can perform a command using various actions (breath, voice, or hand)
 * Voice recognition and dictation software gives the user the ability to control a computer verbally using spoken commands
 * speech systems to read printed material out loud
 * digital assistants to maintain schedules and lists of tasks
 * software to correct spelling

=Cognitive Adaptations:=
 * Text to speech software
 * Freeze animated graphics
 * Use consistent design
 * Use consistent navigation tools
 * Use clear and simple language
 * Provide captions for video and audio

=**Future Technology:**= According to Joseph J. Lazzaro from Assistive Computer Technology for Persons With Disabilities, "Legislation such as the Americans with Disabilities Act in the United States and the Disabilities Discrimination Act in the United Kingdom is fostering the development of assistive technology for persons with disabilities. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act in the United States is helping to make the World Wide Web more accessible as well. The development of computer platforms of increasing speed and power also contributes to the ongoing evolution of assistive technology. As computers get more powerful, assistive technology also increases in capacity and potential, driven by the advancement of microprocessor-based technology. The increasing miniaturization of powerful computer components will lead to assistive technologies that are more portable, lightweight, and cost effective, allowing for increased independence and improving the overall quality of life for persons with disabilities."

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