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[Table of Contents] One of the best writers on the subject of Universal Design of Internet resources is Cynthia Waddell, JD, ADA Coordinator, City of San Jose, CA USA. Here are some quotes and references contained in her paper titled "Applying the ADA to the Internet: A Web Accessibility Standard", presented on June 17, 1998 at the National Conference of the American Bar Association. (http://www.rit.edu/~easi/law/weblaw1.htm). Cynthia Waddell's reports may now be found together at her own website, http://www.icdri.org/cynthia_waddell.htm "Universal Design calls for the development of information systems flexible enough to accommodate the needs of the broadest range of users of computers and telecommunications equipment, regardless of age or disability... Unless a web site is designed in an accessible format, significant populations will be locked out as the World Wide Web rapidly advances from a text-based communication format to a robust, graphical format embracing audio and video clip tools." "... the benefits of accessible web design extend beyond the community of people with disabilities and an aging population since it enables low technology to access high technology. There are substantial business incentives for technology transfer in underdeveloped countries and for populations who do not have the "state of the art" technology. Accessible web design features enable CD technology and videotapes to be archived with word search capabilities due to text captioning. Even people who are illiterate can access the Internet since screenreaders can audibly read text out loud from accessible webpages." "When blind people use the internet and come across unfriendly sites, we aren't surfing, we are crawling... Imagine hearing pages that say, 'Welcome to ... [image].' 'This is the home of ... [image].' 'Link, link, link.' It is like trying to use Netscape with your monitor off and the mouse unplugged. See how far you'll get." (NY Times Cybertimes, 12/1/96) "Whereas the Internet in its infancy was only a text-based medium, the current graphical environment and problems associated with Portable Document Format (PDF) and hyperlinks designed as animated gifs are currently barriers on the World Wide Web. As technology erects additional new barriers, such as video-streaming and audio, people with hearing loss will also be impacted. Internet kiosks will need the flexibility and interoperability that accessible web design provides in order to be accessible to our communities." "In response to the monitoring of ADA Internet complaints and the need to incorporate City ADA implementation policies, the City of San Jose Web Page Disability Access Design Standard was developed in 1996." (See http://www.ci.san-jose.ca.us/oaacc/disacces.html) "By integrating the requirements of the ADA and applying Universal principles, we have ensured the widest public access to City government information and services... seven minimum requirements were identified to ensure web accessibility:" 1. Provide an Access Instruction Page for Visitors (includes email hyperlink for visitors to communicate problems with web page accessibility) 2. Provide support for text browsers 3. Attach "Alt" tags to graphic images so that screenreaders can identify the graphic 4. Hyperlink photographs with descriptive text "D" 5. Caption all audio and video clips by using "CC" hyperlinks 6. Provide alternative mechanisms for on-line forms (such as email or voice/TTY phone numbers) 7. Avoid access barriers such as the posting of documents in PDF, table, newspaper or frame format or requiring visitors to download software. If posting in PDF, the HTML text or ASCII file must also be posted. The ultimate universal standards may, of course, be found on the website of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), http://www.w3.org/. Web authoring guidelines can be found on the W3C's site, http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-WAI-PAGEAUTH. Another web validation tool, which ensures that the page HTML code conforms to W3C HTML standards (which do incorporate the concept of universal design), may be located at http://validator.w3.org/. A developer using these tools can be assured of good design, but conforming to these exacting standards may involve considerable effort in upgrading all existing Congressional websites! The best determination of accessibility would be to seek the assistance of several persons with different abilities and disabilities to review your sites. Additional Resources: "Adapting systems for the disabled isn't as tough as you think," FCW Government Technology Group http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2000/0807/cov-access-08-07-00.asp "Electronic Curbcuts: How to Build an Accessible Web Site" by Leslie M. Campbell and Cynthia D. Waddell, CAPED Communique, California Association on Postsecondary Education and Disability, Spring 1997 http://www.prodworks.com/ilf/w5bcw.htm "Electronic Curbcuts for Government Web Sites: Making Your Web Site Accessible" by Cynthia D. Waddell, ADA Update, Fall 1997, National League of Cities Web Accessibility Initiative, World Wide Web Consortium http://www.w3.org/WAI/ Bobby, a web site that will perform a free accessibility diagnostic and make suggestions http://www.cast.org/bobby/ "Locking Out the Disabled," PC WEEK ARTICLE, http://www.pcworld.com/shared/printable_articles/0,1440,17690,00.html Starling Access Services- a web site that provides excellent tools for webmasters http://www.igs.net/~starling/acc/index.htm More Than Screen Deep: Toward Every-Citizen Interfaces to the Nation's Information Infrastructure, Computer Science and Telecommunications Board, Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Applications, National Research Council; National Academy Press 1997 Full text posted at http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/screen |