Web+Design+for+the+Vision+and+Hearing+Impaired

Vision and Hearing Impaired
This article describes ways that web designers can do their part to help make the internet more accessible to all.

When you think of the topic of accessibility on the internet, thoughts of assistive technologies such as adaptive keyboards, screen magnifiers and the like come to mind. However, you may be missing an important element in helping to make the internet accessible for everyone. That important element is web design. Without consideration for how websites are designed, it is as if we are using wheelchairs without building ramps on buildings. Adaptive software only works if the site is compatible. For example, one technique in web design is to create links using images rather than text. A text reader would not be able to ‘read’ the image, so the user would be unaware of the link. Fortunately most programmers include an alternative line in their code that offers a text explanation of a link behind the scenes. This is just one example of the cooperation needed from both adaptive engineers and web designers. Open source sites provide some unique challenges for some users. Fortunately, one site YouTube Subtitler ( [|http://yt-subs.appspot.com] ) has an open source solution. Visitors to the site can enjoy YouTube videos that have added subtitles for the deaf. As you can imagine, there is a huge and growing library to add captions to. So YouTube Subtitler calls upon its users to add captioning to videos in this open source format. The power of the masses works to make these video resources more accessible for all. The Web Accessibility Initiative sites these and a few other ways to make the web more accessible when programming when they site these tips from the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) [|WCAG 1.0]. **//Image maps. //**// Use the client-side **map ** and text for hotspots. // **//Hypertext links. //**// Use text that makes sense when read out of context. For example, avoid "click here." // **//Page organization. //**// Use headings, lists, and consistent structure. Use **CSS ** for layout and style where possible. // **//Graphs & charts. //**// Summarize or use the **longdesc ** attribute. // **//Scripts, applets, & plug-ins. //**// Provide alternative content in case active features are inaccessible or unsupported. // **//Frames. //**// Use the **noframes ** element and meaningful titles. // **//Tables. //**// Make line-by-line reading sensible. Summarize. // **//Check your work. //** [|//Validate//]//. Use tools, checklist, and guidelines at //[|//http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG//] **List from **[] These are examples of ways programmers and web 2.0 community members can help to make the internet a place where everyone can contribute.