Mid-Atlantic Regional Technology in Education Consortium   1301 Cecil B. Moore Ave. Ritter Annex 9th Floor Temple University - CRHDE Philadelphia, PA 19122 800-892-5550 215-204-5130 (fax) General Inquires: Laurence Peters Judith Stull   Technical Assistance: Barry Mansfield   Professional Development: Joan Pasternak Temple University Center for Research in Human Development and Education Web Accessibility: It’s Your Responsibility                                                                                       152 by Ryan Pitcher Temple University The WWW (World Wide Web) has made the exchange of information and ideas possible at unprecedented rates. Not since the advent of the Guttenberg press has there been such a leap forward in our ability share information efficiently and effectively. Although the printing press did much to provide information access to larger audiences, printed material remained far from accessible for a majority of people. Issues of limited accessibility are a reality of the WWW as well. There is a significant portion of the population that has a limited ability to participate in all means of communication currently used to relay information on the WWW. It is estimated that one fifth (20%) of the population currently has some type of disability. McNeil (2001) states, “About 49 million Americans have a disability” (p. 1). This number will grow substantially in the coming years as the baby boomer population ages. This Techno-Brief reviews how the most common types of disabilities affect web accessibility. It suggests assistive technology devices and specialized software to aid accessibility for those with these disabilities, and it reminds web providers that it is their responsibility to increase the accessibility of their content.     Types of Disabilities There are four major types of disability that may affect Web accessibility: Visual: blindness, low vision, color-blindness Hearing: Deafness Motor: inability to use a mouse, slow response time, limited fine motor control Cognitive: learning disabilities, distractibility, inability to remember or focus on large amounts of information Age-related limitations may consist of any combination of the aforementioned disabilities. The accessibility limitations of the Web are not inherent to the Web itself, but a result of the contributors and users not taking advantage of the WWW’s full potential. Currently there are technologies and strategies available to effectively communicate information on the WWW to users regardless of the user’s physical and/or cognitive limitations. Page 1 2 3 4   Next Copyright 2001 © MARTEC