iwmw 2003: web accessibility debate (kriss fearon)
TRANSCRIPT
‘Web accessibility is easy’
Approaches to creating accessible web pages
Problem 1: Which level?
• Reaching a basic level of A compliance• Aiming higher?
Problem 2: web authors don’t understand what they’re doing
• Provide good web authoring tools• Provide validation tools• Provide training• Provide templates or develop/test them with web
authors• Prioritise key areas• Inform HoDs about legal liability issues and make
them aware it is a priority• Any improvement is better than none
Usability vs Accessibility
• No guarantees that an accessible page will be easy to use.
• However, forcing designers/developers to think about their audience’s needs can never be a bad thing surely?
Garbage in, garbage out?
• If we rely on the goodwill of part time web authors with varying skills and time, is it any surprise that the standard is inconsistent?
• Long term issues: professionalisation of web authors, higher status for web-based information
• But in the meantime, we have to make the best of what we have…
• In the real world, we will always have to make some compromises.