When Montrose Citizens for Responsible Growth (MCRG) approached me to build their Website, I entertained few thoughts about the complicated issue I was about to pursue. For instance, a few viewers sent in comments about changes that they would like to see on the site, and all comments were given due notice. However, I turned down a few recommendations, and I believe an explanation is in order for those who took the time to review and comment on this site and for future readers.
While the format and colors were easy to decide upon for MCRG’s presentation, and while the content issue was in the hands of MCRG, I still had to deal with a pressing issue about Website accessibility. For those of you who don’t know about Website accessibility issues, I offer the following (links to the following information at the end of this explanation):
In 1998 the U.S. Federal Government enacted the Workforce Investment Act with section 508, a provision designed to enable disabled individuals to access electronic and information technology. The requirements were initially focused on federal agency Websites; however, within the past two years many groups and individuals have generated revisions on state government Websites as well. Now, with new studies out about how blind and low-vision users access the Internet, commercial prospects come into play.
For instance, at the beginning of this year (2006) the American Federation for the Blind sued Target stores for an inaccessible Website. Target neglected (and continues to neglect) tools on their Website that would allow low-vision and blind users to navigate their online catalog. While the lack of these tools is virtually impossible for the average viewer to see, their neglect in attending to these issues is beyond words.
The British Standards Institution (BSI) published new accessibility guidelines in March for those who commission or maintain websites in the U.K. World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) established these guidelines to ensure that any site a Web designer makes or maintains is user-friendly for disabled people. The U.K. adds to the W3C measures with the document “PAS 78: Guide to good practice in commissioning accessible websites (Publicly Available Standard),� and it contains a year’s worth of collaboration among the Disability Rights Commission (DRC), Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB), British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Tesco, International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), the W3C and many others.
What does this mean for Websites in the U.S.? It appears that, since the Web is global, that measures will be taken on a global basis to help avoid discrimination among disabled individuals in many business and governmental sectors. This is a human rights issue, and one that has been neglected for far too long.
MCRG is not a commercial site. In fact, this organization is a non-profit, nonpartisan, and apolitical organization. So, why should I be concerned about accessibility to this site? Because the primary purpose of this organization is to “give voice to, to organize, and to coordinate the actions of individual citizens in Montrose County, Colorado…� The gist is that this site must be accessible to anyone who wishes to learn about MCRG and its rhetoric on county growth and development issues.
Additionally, MCRG deals with government issues surrounding county growth and land management. While many Colorado State and County government sites are far from compliant with accessibility standards, there’s no reason why the MCRG site cannot set a standard.
I am most grateful to the MCRG in their willingness to allow me to test accessibility standards on this site. I have been commissioned to write articles – and eventually a book – about accessibility and Web design, and the MCRG site figures prominently as an example of how to make a Website accessible to as many users as possible.
It is for those reasons that:
- Links to open new windows are disallowed, as new windows – or pop-ups – confuse blind readers. In fact, new windows in some browsers confuse sighted people – especially the elderly – who simply are unfamiliar with Internet usage. Unfortunately, a “bookmark this site� link is not usable across all browser interfaces (like Internet Explorer, FoxFire, or Opera), so a person will either need to use their “back� button to return to this site or access their “history� links to return to the site if they click on a link to another site. Anyone can add this site to a “favorites� list, however.
- If you hover over any link or picture on this site with your mouse, you’ll notice a line of text pops up. This tool isn’t about cuteness. It was added for people who utilize screen readers or for individuals who turn off images. This additional text allows them to understand the links and pictures without viewing the actual image.
- Some color changes, such as link, text, and some background colors on this site, are inevitable. The changes will be subtle; so don’t worry about disorientation over drastic alterations. Some color choices I made for this site are confusing for some individuals who are color-blind, and some simple additions will remedy those problems.
- Some structural changes will also take effect over the next few weeks, but for those of you who have perfect vision, you won’t notice these changes.
If anyone has questions about the above issues, like how to make this Website a “favorite,� please feel free to contact me. Likewise, if you experience difficulty when you try to view any page on this site for any reason, or if you have ideas about how to make this site more accessible to more users, I want to hear from you as well. You can contact me (Linda Goin) at info@goinhome.com. I will try to notate all changes and reasons for the changes as they happen for those who are interested.
I’m grateful to the MCRG for their assistance in this endeavor.
Links:
Workforce Investment Act, Section 508: The actual document from the Department of Justice Website.
Web Accessibility Standards Home Page: The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) works with organizations around the world to develop strategies, guidelines, and resources to help make the Web accessible to people with disabilities. Their site sets the standards more so than the federal government for Web developers and designers.
Target Lawsuit: This suit is the latest from the American Federation for the Blind. Although federal courts ruled in 2004 that Web publishers are not required to comply with the American Disabilities Act (ADA), the Web design community has taken it upon themselves to encourage compliance to the ADA.
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines: And, in response to the ADA, the W3C continues to establish guidelines for the development of any media that would help fulfill the standards set by The Workforce Investment Act, Section 508.
