The increasing provision of Web-based information resources has
moved from a simple text interface to dynamic and interactive designs.
While this move has provided people with a more creative
and flexible experience, there are dangers that some people will
be excluded because they cannot use standard methods of access.
Research has shown that people with disabilities are most at risk of
being excluded from access, and in particular people who are blind
or visually impaired and who use assistive technologies such as screen
readers. In a library environment, ensuring access for all is important
because the method of delivery is predominantly Web-based and the
development of e-book provision will provide increased opportunities
to access library services remotely. This article reviews some key
issues relating to Web accessibility, identifying methods of access,
principles of accessibility and usability, and how Web accessibility
can be assessed. Studies show that despite a growing awareness of
Web accessibility issues, people are still experiencing barriers to access.
Research initiatives identified in this article, and the development
of the W3C WAI WCAG version 2.0, show that the research
momentum is being maintained, and together with specific library-oriented
research this can only be positive for the development of
the profession’s practice in this area.
Publisher
Johns Hopkins University Press and the Graduate School of Library and Information Science. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
ISSN
0024-2594
Type of Resource
text
Language
en
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/3752
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