Web accessibility refers to the practice of making websites usable by people of all abilities and disabilities. When sites are correctly designed, developed and edited, all users can have equal access to information and functionality.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
For example, when a site is coded with semantically meaningful HTML, with textual equivalents provided for images and with links named meaningfully, this helps blind users using text-to-speech software and/or text-to-Braille hardware.
Web Accessibility Initiative
When text and images are large and/or enlargable, it is easier for users with poor sight to read and understand the content. When links are underlined (or otherwise differentiated) as well as coloured, this ensures that color blind users will be able to notice them. When clickable links and areas are large, this helps users who cannot control a mouse with precision. When pages are coded so that users can navigate by means of the keyboard alone, or a single switch access device alone, this helps users who cannot use a mouse or even a standard keyboard. When videos are closed captioned or a sign language version is available, deaf and hard of hearing users can understand the video. When flashing effects are avoided or made optional, users prone to seizures caused by these effects are not put at risk. And when content is written in plain language and illustrated with instructional diagrams and animations, users with dyslexia and learning difficulties are better able to understand the content. When sites are correctly built and maintained, all of these users can be accommodated while not impacting on the usability of the site for non-disabled users
Importance of WAI to the Web Site
Millions of people with the disabilities are surfing Internet every day, and even more
millions are using the poor browser equipment, or working under the difficult user
environments.
If the website lacks features such as the resizable fonts, images with the proper text
descriptions, and an easy navigation, then these people will not be able to access the
information.
Here are some of the reasons for making the site more accessible:
It improves the reputation and image
It improves the customer satisfaction
It increases the number of visitors
It makes the visitors stay longer at the site
It increases the number of returning visitors
It makes the site more usable also for the people with no disabilities
It makes the site more usable for the users with the images turned off
It makes the site more usable for the people with an older equipment
It makes you reach fastest growing population: older people
Do Use Adjustable Font Size
Use only the relative font sizes, and let users be able to use a browser menu
to change a default text size.
Make Use of "alt" Attribute
An alt attribute do allows to provide the text equivalent for the image and for
some other elements.
<img src="images/bana.jpg" alt="Banana" />
Sometimes the web browser will not display the images. The reason could be one of the
many, like the user has turned off a display of the images, the browser is mini browser
without an image display. A browser is voice browser used by the blind or the
poor-sighted people. If you use an "alt" attribute, most of the browsers will at least
do display or read a "alt" description.
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