The Secret Benefit Of Accessibility Part 1: Increased Usability Word Count: 1326 Summary: Popular article outlining how a website optimised for accessibility also improves its usability Keywords: usability, accessibility, web usability, web credibility, web accessibility, css, website, accessible web design Article Body: Web accessibility has so many benefits that I really do wonder why such a large number of websites have such diabolically bad accessibility

The Secret Benefit Of Accessibility Part 1: Increased Usability Word Count: 1326 Summary: Popular article outlining how a website optimised for accessibility also improves its usability Keywords: usability, accessibility, web usability, web credibility, web accessibility, css, website, accessible web design Article Body: Web accessibility has so many benefits that I really do wonder why such a large number of websites have such diabolically bad accessibility.

One of the main benefits is increased usability, which according to usability guru, Jakob Nielson, can increase the sales/conversion rate of a website by 100% and traffic by 150%. At which point you must surely be asking, "So if I make my website accessible its usability will increase and I'll make more money out of it?".

Well, not quite. An accessible website is not automatically more usable but there are many areas of overlap: 1. Descriptive link text Visually impaired web users can scan web pages by tabbing from link to link and listening to the content of the link text.

As such, the link text in an accessible website must always be descriptive of its destination

As such, the link text in an accessible website must always be descriptive of its destination. Equally, regularly sighted web users don't read web pages word-for-word, but scan them looking for the information they're after. Link text such as 'Click here' has poor accessibility and usability as both regularly sighted and visually impaired web users scanning the paragraph will take no meaning from this link text by itself.

Link text that effectively describes its destination is far easier to scan and you can understand the destination of the link without having to read its surrounding words. 2. Prompt text assigned to form input In order to make forms accessible we need to assign the prompt text to its form item.

THis is especially useful when done with checkboxes and radioboxes, as the text becomes clickable too. Checkboxes and radioboxes are small and pernickety for even the steadiest of hands so by increasing the clickable region everyone benefits. 3.

Large chunks of information divided up There are a number of techniques that can be taken to increase the usability for visually impaired users, who have to listen to the information on each page and try to remember it

Large chunks of information divided up There are a number of techniques that can be taken to increase the usability for visually impaired users, who have to listen to the information on each page and try to remember it. By structuring information into small, manageable groups, enhanced usability for these users can be achieved.

Methods to accomplish this can include using sub-headings to break up body content, grouping form items with the fieldset command and using lists. Breaking down groups of information is obviously highly useful for sighted web users too, as it greatly enhances our ability to scan the screen quickly. 4.

Site map provided Site maps can be a useful accessibility tool for visually impaired users as they provide a straightforward list of links to the main pages on the site, without any of the fluff in between. Site maps are of course useful for everyone as they provide us with a way of finding pages quickly and help us visualise the structure of the website.

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5. Simple and easy language >From an accessibility point of view, this one's important for people with reading and/or cognitive disabilities and site visitors who's first language isn't the one you're writing in. From a usability point of view, well, it helps everyone.

Reading from computer screens is tiring for the eyes and about 25% slower than reading from paper. As such, the easier the style of writing the easier it is for site visitors to absorb your words of wisdom. Wherever possible shorten your sentences.

Use, ‘apply' instead of ‘make an application' or ‘use' instead of ‘make use of'. 6. Consistent navigation Having consistent navigation across pages is also important for maximising accessibility to people with reading and/or cognitive disabilities, but again everyone benefits.

Each time you visit a new website it takes you a few seconds to adjust to the unique layout and user interface of that page

Each time you visit a new website it takes you a few seconds to adjust to the unique layout and user interface of that page. Well imagine if you had to do that every time you follow a link to a new page! By having a consistent interface across a website we can instantly locate the navigation and page content without having to look around for it.

In reality, most sites do have consistent navigation across most pages. The main culprit for falling foul of this guideline is the homepage, which some websites structure quite differently to the rest of the site. By having a consistent interface across the entire website we can instantly locate the page content without having to look around for it.

7. No unannounced pop-ups For web users utilising screen readers pop-ups can be a real accessibility nuisance. Screen readers read out the content of whichever window is on top of the others.

Pop-ups display over the top of the main website so will always be read out first

Pop-ups display over the top of the main website so will always be read out first. For visually impaired users this can be frustrating as they may not realise that what they're hearing isn't the ‘real' website. So, pop-ups are bad for accessibility.

As for usability, well I'm sure you hate pop-ups as much as I do. Many toolbars, such as the Google toolbar, now come packaged with a pop-up blocker so allow you to surf the web without the irritation of new windows popping up. 8.

CSS used for layout CSS-based sites are generally have a greater ratio of content to HTML code so are more accessible to screen readers and search engines. Websites using CSS for layout can also be made accessible to in-car browsers, WebTV and PDAs. Don't underestimate the importance of this - in 2008 alone there'll be an estimated 58 million PDAs sold worldwide (source: <a href="<a href=" http://www.turkiyespot.com/etforecasts.com/pr/pr0603.htm).</a>"> http://www.turkiyespot.com/etforecasts.com/pr/pr0603.htm).

</a> </a> "Target = yeni> <a href =" http://www

</a> </a> "Target = yeni> <a href =" http://www.turkiyespot.com/etforecasts.com/pr/pr0603.htm).</a>"> http://www.turkiyespot.com/etforecasts.com/pr/pr0603.htm). </a> </a> </a> Geliştirilmiş erişilebilirliğin yanı sıra, CSS tabanlı web sitelerinin büyük bir kullanılabilirlik faydası vardır: artan indirme hızı.Geniş bant düşündüğünüz kadar yaygın değil.Örneğin İngiltere'de, dört web kullanıcısından sadece biri geniş bantla bağlandı (kaynak: <a href = "<a href =" " http://www.turkiyespot.com/statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/intc0504.pdf)</a>"> http://www.turkiyespot.com/statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/intc0504.pdf) </a> </a> "Target = yeni> <a href =" http://www.turkiyespot.com/statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/intc0504.pdf)</a>"> http://www.turkiyespot.com/statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/intc0504.pdf) </a> </a> </a> Web sayfalarınızın indirme hızını iyileştirmek rakiplerinize göre büyük bir kullanılabilirlik avantajı sağlayabilir.

9. Ses için mevcut transkriptler Çok baskı almayan özel erişilebilirlik ihtiyaçları olan bir grup web kullanıcısı, sesli içerik için yazılı eşdeğerlere ihtiyaç duyan işitme engelli kullanıcılardır.Transkript sağlamak aslında tüm kullanıcılar için oldukça faydalıdır.Site ziyaretçilerinizin çoğu muhtemelen 3MB ses dosyanızın indirilmesini ve oynamaya başlamasını beklemekten rahatsız olamaz.Ses içeriğinde bulunanların hızlı bir taslağını tercih edebilirler.

Bir transkript sağlayarak, alt başlıklar tarafından parçalanmış ve vurgulanan temel terimlerle, engelli olmayan site ziyaretçileri onu gözden geçirebilir ve içerik hakkında genel bir fikir edinebilir.Daha sonra 3MB ses dosyasının indirilmesini beklemek isteyip istemedikleri konusunda daha bilinçli bir karar verebilirler.

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10. Ekran titreme ve hareket kaçınıldı Bazı epileptik web kullanıcıları, 2 ila 55 Hz arasında ekran titreşimini önlemeye dikkat etmelidir.Okuma ve/veya bilişsel engelli Web kullanıcıları ve ekran büyüteçleri kullananlar, kaydırma metnine ayak uydurmak için mücadele edecektir (kaydırma metniniz varsa, durdurmak için bir mekanizma sağladığınızdan emin olun).

Erişilebilirlik için kötü bir fikir olmanın yanı sıra, ne titreme ne de kaydırma metni de kullanılabilirlik için iyidir.Bir şey okumaya çalışırken birincisi dikkat dağıtıcı olabilir ve gözünüzün köşesinde yanıp söndüğünü görürsünüz;İçeriğin yavaş görünmesini beklemek zorunda olduğunuz için ikincisi de iyi değil.Kaydırma metnini gördüğünüzde genellikle yaptıklarınızı durdurmak için uğraşırsınız, böylece yavaş yavaş gerçekleştikçe okuyabilirsiniz mi?Yoksa görmezden mi geliyor?

Metni kaydırmanın veya değiştirmenin diğer dezavantajı, tıklamak istediğiniz bir şeyi görebilmenizdir, ancak bunu bilmeden önce gitti.Ve şimdi tekrar görünmesi için 30 saniye beklemelisiniz! Çözüm Web kullanılabilirliği ve web erişilebilirliği arasındaki tüm bu örtüşmelerle, web sitenize temel erişilebilirliği uygulamamak için mazeret yoktur.Etik argümanın dışında, web sitenizi erişilebilir hale getirmek için birçok neden vardır, ana olanlardan biri kullanılabilirliğinin geliştirilmesidir.Kimse bununla tartışamaz.

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