| During a recent educational seminar conducted by | | | | who is blind. What the screen reader is actually |
| a friend and business leader, the dialogue turned | | | | "seeing" however, is not necessarily the text that |
| to the importance of web site accessibility. | | | | appears on the computer monitor. The screen |
| Incredulous, a seminar attendee inquired, "Why in | | | | reader is in most cases making use of the |
| the world would a blind person need a computer?" | | | | underlying HTML or other programming language |
| In the equally incredulous and reproachful | | | | that is not visible to the end user. |
| commentary that followed, it occurred to me that | | | | While screen readers can read nearly every kind |
| there are probably a great many otherwise very | | | | of web site text you are likely to encounter, |
| bright and capable individuals who wonder the | | | | what a screen reader cannot do is identify or |
| same thing. If you have never been exposed to | | | | "read," a photograph or graphic. That is, unless the |
| someone who is blind and who makes efficient | | | | web designer embeds alt tag descriptive text |
| use of assistive technology to accomplish tasks, | | | | behind the graphic, where it is not visible to a |
| then how would you have the slightest idea what | | | | sighted web user. |
| is possible? A few short minutes with a search | | | | If you want your web site visitors to quickly |
| engine can reveal a universe you might not have | | | | locate the "buy it now" button, or the price of |
| known existed. Sometimes, the truth is that we | | | | your merchandise, or a special feature, or your |
| must admit that we don't even know what we | | | | company phone number, it is a good idea to |
| don't know. | | | | make that information available to a screen |
| If you are a business owner, you might agree | | | | reader through liberal use of alt tag text. Tool tips |
| that the most rudimentary business model would | | | | can also be voiced aloud by a screen reader |
| be to sell as much as you can to as many as you | | | | program, so widespread use of pop up hints or |
| can. With that in mind, it would make little sense | | | | tool tips can be very helpful. If your site visitor is |
| to prohibit the entire population of Michigan, | | | | blind or has difficulty manipulating a mouse, the |
| Minnesota, Montana and Missouri from patronizing | | | | keyboard is used to navigate instead. Therefore, |
| your business. Yet, that is analogous to what | | | | all functions on your web site should be accessible |
| would happen if you overlook the benefits of | | | | by way of keyboard commands. Most screen |
| making your web site accessible to people who | | | | reader software utilizes the tab key in place of |
| have vision loss. | | | | the mouse. This key is used to jump from link to |
| According to the statistical snapshots taken by | | | | link, speaking aloud the name of the link as well as |
| the National Center For Health Statistics, in the | | | | it's purpose. As a blind computer user, I need to |
| 2006 National Health Interview Survey (cdc.gov | | | | know if the link is a button, data entry field or |
| nchs), approximately 21.2 million people in the U. S. | | | | edit box, or if it is a link that will take me to more |
| have significant vision loss. In this case, the | | | | information. |
| definition of vision loss is a broad one, but it | | | | If you are an online business owner, you probably |
| includes individuals who have reported that they | | | | want to make the buying process for your |
| have trouble seeing even with glasses or | | | | customers simple and convenient. Even a modest |
| contacts, as well as individuals who reported that | | | | level of accessibility can be achieved easily, by |
| they cannot see anything at all. The survey did | | | | using "alt tags" throughout your web site. These |
| not, however, include anyone under the age of | | | | suggestions are a bare minimum you might |
| 18, nor did it include individuals living in | | | | consider as a starting place, however, there is a |
| institutionalized housing, such as nursing homes or | | | | standard of compliance as set forth by the W3C. |
| assisted living facilities. Of the 21 plus million, a | | | | To view a comprehensive set of guidelines for |
| significant portion are regular computer users. | | | | web accessibility, go to the W3C web site. For an |
| About 8 million have a post-secondary education, | | | | explanation in plain English, go to Wikipedia. If you |
| and 14 million or so have a household income of | | | | would prefer a lively debate on web accessibility |
| over $20,000 per year. Approximately 9 million | | | | as it pertains to usability and current programming |
| are baby boomers. | | | | platforms, you can find that, too. |
| Computer users who are blind or who have low | | | | America's largest demographic group, the 'baby |
| vision make use of assistive technology that | | | | boomers" are our society's economic powerhouse. |
| enables their computer to talk to them. This is | | | | They are America's greatest generation, as well |
| achieved either by using the accessibility features | | | | as the greatest consumers of goods, services |
| already built into the operating system, or by | | | | and information. That about covers what you sell |
| using a software program called a screen reader, | | | | online, doesn't it? As this aging demographic nears |
| or a combination. A screen reader is a program | | | | retirement, they will be accompanied by a full |
| that translates on-screen text into speech. This | | | | compliment of age and disease related |
| speech can approximate a natural human voice, | | | | complications, among these, vision loss. |
| or it can sound more synthesized or 'robotic." | | | | Think about ways in which to increase accessibility |
| Whether a text-to-speech voice sounds more or | | | | to your web properties. In a shifting economic |
| less lifelike is a matter of personal preference, but | | | | climate, can any business really afford to be |
| the newest synthesized voices are fully digitized | | | | exclusive? If your goal is to sell as much as you |
| and sound very natural. | | | | can to as many as you can, consider making the |
| The simplest way to describe how a screen | | | | buying process as easy and as accessible, as |
| reader works is to say that the software | | | | possible. To understand the value of web site |
| "speaks" aloud everything that is happening on the | | | | accessibility is to acknowledge the value of all |
| screen that a sighted person could see. This | | | | people, from all walks of life. Accommodating the |
| includes, but is not limited to, pull-down menus, | | | | needs of computer users with disabilities might |
| dialog boxes, error messages, icons on the | | | | enhance both your worldview and your bottom |
| desktop, window title bars, radial buttons, email | | | | line. |
| messages and documents. Just about anything | | | | Copyright 2009 by Laura Legendary. All rights |
| that can be seen is spoken aloud to a PC user | | | | reserved. |