Open Your Eyes to Web Accessibility

 

Being in a wheelchair, I’m not able to shop in every retail store. Sometimes stores have a few steps outside the door, or have levels only accessible by stairs or escalator. Others have aisles too narrow for my chair, or shelves too high to reach. But I can access any e-store without a problem. It’s not that easy for shoppers who are visually impaired, illiterate and those who can see but do not have full hand function. I came across a really eye-opening article in the February 2009 edition of Internet Retailer, (accessible online or as a reprint at Essential Accessibility) titled "Seeing the Light." The article describes the available technologies to bring online retail sites up to par for users with disabilities of all kinds. Users who are visually impaired can use screen readers like JAWS, Window-Eyes, BrowseAloud and IBM’s Easy Web Browsing. People with limited hand function can use "radar mouse" that looks like a Doppler radar. When the sweeping line touches something a person who is paralyzed wants to view, he or she uses a finger or head-activated device to "click." It can also help customers check out by activating an on-screen keyboard

Open Your Eyes to Web Accessibility
(author unknown)
Tue, 28 Jul 2009 18:20:21 GMT