Accessibility for the Blind

[dtm32236]

I hear that Target is getting sued because they're web site isn't accessible for blind users.

Should this be a concern?

All pages on my site validate HTML and CSS, and i've checked it against several accessability validators (most pass 100%, others said my page had few warnings).

[Robert Wellock]

This is old news but now but the Target case is now open for class action and every blind person in the U.S. who has tried to access Target.com can become a plaintiff. All-in-all this is extremely good news. :cool:

It should be a concern in the fact that Target have acted ignorantly and must have thought they were untouchable – or just plain lazy.

You cannot rely upon automated accessibility testing but if you have valid markup you should theoretically have something resembling (x)html to start with.

[WebJoel]

I would like to have seen how 'bad' the markup would have had to have been, to warrant this expression. It must have been quite remiss. -Even *some* validational markup would give some content to most user-agents for the handicapped. While we should strive to make our presentational markup provide readable content for all user-agents, all user-agents do try to pull-in something readable. In the absence of doing so, -therein must be the remiss part.. like an entire page done 100% FLASH, or 100% javascript, or 100% images (no text), etc... All of these present at least some problems for handicapped accessibility and it is arrogant to assume that 'well, everybody has this and if they don't, -tough on them'... :eek:

[knowj]

Making a website accessible to the blind/visually impaired is possibly one of the easiest of disability's to cater for when building a website.

the use of current standards, correct markup and cascading style sheets allows client side software to customize the website for the users needs and screen readers to separate design from content.

Markup your content correctly, add alt tags to images and your well on your way to having an accessible site.

Where you need to take more time in catering for all users in mainly in usability especially with end users that could potentially be unable to use the standard computer interface devices such as the keyboard and mouse. There is a big debate on whether access keys hinder or help accessibility (they use keys that may already have functions assigned to them) but tab index's help navigate the main features of a page, descriptions on graphical content, use of contrasting colour schemes and action taken to ensure colours that are well know to cause problems are not used (red on green etc...)

Basically flash is currently "not" accessible it is more of a designers tool and doesn't have a place (in my view) for building cooperate websites but there are places where it can be used and industrys where i think it is justified as long as an alternative is offered.

Your best tool is common sense. I am currently writing a dissertation on "accessibility in small to medium enterprises" it will be interesting to see what my research brings up on this topic as from my experience it is something that is vastly neglected. Although some of this may be more down to ignorance than arrogance.

We developers/designers will always be at battle with different resolutions, screens, browsers, environments, lighting, disabilities. As long as you try to cover all your bases and react quickly to any issues that occur you should remain safe.