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Proceedings ArticleDOI

A lightweight methodology to improve web accessibility

TL;DR: A methodology to improve the accessibility of websites with the use of free so-called automatic tools, namely assessing a website against accessibility guidelines, user testing and creating in-house 'guidelines' to prevent similar mistakes in future versions of the system.
Abstract: This paper introduces a methodology to improve the accessibility of websites with the use of free so-called automatic tools. The methodology has three iterative phases, namely assessing a website against accessibility guidelines, user testing and creating in-house 'guidelines' to prevent similar mistakes in future versions of the system. Aspects of accessibility addressed include the use of colour, accessibility guidelines and priorities, readability or comprehensibility, and screen reader simulators. We recommend free tools for each of these accessibility aspects and discuss the process that should be followed when evaluating a website.
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Accessible Colour Evaluator (ACE, daprlab.com/ace) as mentioned in this paper is a color palette design tool that enhances web developers and designers' ability to balance aesthetic and accessibility constraints.
Abstract: Colour can convey a mood or elicit a particular emotion and, in terms of web design, colour can influence attitudes, perceptions, and behaviours. However, many websites demonstrate inaccessible colour choices. Numerous online colour palette design tools only focus on assisting designers with either the aesthetics or accessibility of colours. With a user-centered design approach, we developed the Accessible Colour Evaluator (ACE, daprlab.com/ace) which enhances web developers’ and designers’ ability to balance aesthetic and accessibility constraints. We distributed an online questionnaire to 28 web developers and designers to understand their attitudes and utilisation of accessibility guidelines, as well as to gather initial design requirements for ACE. With this information, we created three low-fidelity paper prototypes that were used to create two high-fidelity prototypes. The high-fidelity prototypes were discussed with 4 web developers and designers during a design workshop, and their feedback was used to develop the final version of ACE. A comparative evaluation of ACE and three existing alternative tools was conducted with 10 new web developers and designers. All participants were able to complete a colour palette design task when using ACE and identified ACE as their most preferred tool. The mean scores for the six TLX measures show ACE as providing the best performance and causing the lowest frustration. Finally, we conducted a small focus group with 3 web developers and designers to gather qualitative feedback about ACE. Participants identified a number of ACE’s strengths and made suggestions for future extensions and improvements.

40 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This article tackles teaching novices to create Web sites for visually impaired audiences using a five-stage, recursive approach, and recommends that novice developers examine how different tools can be used in combination to provide a variety of feedback.
Abstract: Novice Web developers and other technical communicators need to learn not only accessibility standards but also factors that make designs usable to audiences with disabilities. One challenge of teaching accessibility to novices is creating exigency; another is emulating experiences of users with disabilities. This article tackles teaching novices to create Web sites for visually impaired audiences using a five-stage, recursive approach. Teaching best coding practices is only one stage: Instructors should create exigency by introducing real users and their experiences. They should also check for accessibility and emulate screen-reader output using tools such as WAVE and FANGS, respectively. Furthermore, novice developers should examine how different tools can be used in combination to provide a variety of feedback.

39 citations


Cites methods from "A lightweight methodology to improv..."

  • ...Although FANGS has been used in accessibility research (Kopackova, Michalek, & Cejna, 2009), and its merits for development have been touted (e.g., Greeff & Kotzé, 2009), this article differs from those accessibilities studies in that it looks at FANGS’s pedagogical value, describing how…...

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The result of the review reflects an array of proposals to incorporate accessibility requirements and evaluation tools, but they do not describe a comprehensive testing process at each phase of the development lifecycle of accessible web applications.

33 citations


Additional excerpts

  • ...[36] proposed methodologies to include Web accessibility....

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  • ...Development methodology [35], [36], [37], [1], [25], [38]...

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper surveys accessibility literature and presents a general overview of the primary challenges of accessibility barriers on websites, including standards and guidelines (WCAG 2.0), during website’s design and development and during evaluation.
Abstract: Despite the importance of web accessibility in recent years, websites remain partially or completely inaccessible to certain sectors of the population. This is due to several reasons, including web developers’ little or no experience in accessibility and the lack of accurate information about the best ways to quickly and easily identify accessibility problems using different Accessibility Evaluation Methods (AEMs). This paper surveys accessibility literature and presents a general overview of the primary challenges of accessibility barriers on websites. In this sense, we critically investigate main challenges forms related to accessibility including standards and guidelines (WCAG 2.0), during website’s design and development and during evaluation. Finally, a set of recommendations such as enforcing accessibility legislations are presented to overcome some challenges.

28 citations


Cites background from "A lightweight methodology to improv..."

  • ...The choice of the tools without previous experience can be a daunting task, especially when working under the pressure of time constraints [59]....

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  • ...The use of varied assistive devices, like screening techniques, may cause further problems during the evaluation, especially due to the fact that the mastery of a particular device does not mean an automatic skills transfer to another or newer device, besides hardware incompatibility [59]....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It was showed that none of the universities surpassed these aspects entirely for either of the two web pages analysed, although the university with the best accessibility on both web pages was theUniversity of Granada, followed by the University of Alicante.
Abstract: The purpose of the study has been to learn of possible limitations in the level of accessibility of 74 Spanish universities’ web sites. The tool, TAW, was used to detect the existing barriers in each web, based on the WCAG 2.0 regulation. After an automatic and manual review of the principles, guidelines and criteria of priority levels A and AA, a percentage analysis showed that none of the universities surpassed these aspects entirely for either of the two web pages analysed, although the university with the best accessibility on both web pages was the University of Granada, followed by the University of Alicante. The study concludes by recommending revisions and adjustments to resolve these problems and to facilitate web accessibility.

21 citations

References
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01 Jan 1975
TL;DR: Three readability formulas were recalculated to be more suitable for Navy use and resulted in a scaled reading grade level based on Navy personnel reading Navy training material and comprehending it.

2,413 citations

ReportDOI
01 Feb 1975
TL;DR: In this paper, three readability formulas were recalculated to be more suitable for Navy use: Automated Readability Index (ARI), Fog Count, and Flesch Reading Ease Formula.
Abstract: : Three readability formulas were recalculated to be more suitable for Navy use. The three formulas are the Automated Readability Index (ARI), Fog Count, and Flesch Reading Ease Formula. They were derived from test results of 531 Navy enlisted personnel enrolled in four technical training schools. Personnel were tested for their reading comprehension level according to the comprehension section of the Gates-McGinitie reading test. At the same time, they were tested for their comprehension of 18 passages taken from Rate Training Manuals. Scores on the reading test and training material passages allowed the calculation of the grade level of the passages. This scaled reading grade level is based on Navy personnel reading Navy training material and comprehending it.

2,216 citations

Book ChapterDOI
17 Dec 2009
TL;DR: The pioneering role of Berners-Lee in the development of the Web, the accomplishments and vision of the W3C, and theDevelopment of the Semantic Web are described.
Abstract: The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is the organization that leads the development of standards for the Web. Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the founder and current director of the W3C, envisions a linked network of information resources that guides Web standards development and points the way towards the creation of a Semantic Web. This entry describes the pioneering role of Berners-Lee in the development of the Web, the accomplishments and vision of the W3C, and the development of the Semantic Web

368 citations

Proceedings ArticleDOI
10 May 2005
TL;DR: A holistic application of the WCAG is proposed by the authors, whereby the context of the Web resource in question and other factors surrounding its use are used to shape an approach to accessible design.
Abstract: Since 1999 the W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) have provided a solid basis for implementation of accessible Web design. However it is argued that in the context of evaluation and policymaking, inappropriate reference to the WCAG may lead to serious practical difficulties in implementation and monitoring of an effective accessibility policy. There is a pressing need for a framework that guides appropriate application of the WCAG in a holistic way, taking into account the diversity -- or homogeneity -- of factors such as context of use, audience and audience capability, and access environment. In particular, the current promotion of W3C technologies at the expense of widely used and accessible proprietary technologies may be problematic, as is the apparent reliance of the WCAG on compliant browsing technology.In this paper, a holistic application of the WCAG is proposed by the authors, whereby the context of the Web resource in question and other factors surrounding its use are used to shape an approach to accessible design. Its potential application in a real world environment is discussed.

117 citations