Elements of Effective Web Design: Accessibility

Elements of Effective Webpage Design
Home > Overview of Basics > Accessibility

	Introduction
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	Overview of Basics
	Make a Theme
	Navigation Aids
	No Dead-Ends
	Bandwidth
	Simple & Consistent
	Integrity & Stability
	Feedback Mechanisms
>	Accessibility
	Browser Awareness
	Laws of Usability
	Typography
	Graphics
	Site Reviews
	Conclusion
	Resources

Accessibility

There are special needs users who access websites that a designer must take into consideration. This means designers must take care when using text, graphics, video, and audio. Without special care, the intended information and materials may be a complete waste to certain users.

Here are a few starting tips for dealing with various media:

Text
Make text headlines prominent. Use text that is to the point. Use fonts that are easy to read.
Graphics
Within image tags, there is an attribute called 'alt.' Using the 'alt' attribute helps visually impaired users gain a text alternative to graphics.
Audio & Video
Accompany audio and video with a transcript. This will help people who suffer from hearing impairments.

The World Wide Web Consortium (2005) has much more information on accessibility.

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Lynch P. & Horton S. (2001) Web Style Guide: Basic Design Principles for Creating Web Sites. 2nd Edition. Yale University.

World Wide Web Consortium (2005) Web Accessibility Initiative. Online Resource Accessed on Jan. 19th, 2005 at: http://www.w3.org/WAI/.

© 2005 Mark Karadimos | Updated March 20th, 2005