Internet Marketing - Matt Bailey [147]
To Chris, and many others, it is a factor of usability, which is why Google and Ask get high marks for their simple interfaces. Yahoo! and MSN searches are not rated highly because of the portal-style interfaces loaded with information and links, which is “too noisy.” Search engines that use the Turing test to filter bots (CAPTCHA) are also a huge obstacle to enjoying many of the custom features.
Overall, Chris says that search engines have improved as a whole, mainly by integrating more accessibility and standards-based programming into their results pages. But no matter what anyone says, he still finds Flash to be an “accessibility nightmare.” He seeks information that “is best expressed as text or audio.”
Cognitive
Screen readers are not just used in the assistive vision realm. Many people with dyslexia, which falls into the cognitive disorder category, use screen readers to assist in reading and interpreting the content. These users rely on the design, colors, and overall presentation of the site as cues, but the reality is that most of these users have excellent vision but still use a screen reader to reinforce their reading order of words.
This is important to note, because many programmers would simply dump anyone using a screen reader into a text-only version of an application or website. However, knowing that not all users of screen readers can be lumped into the vision category interrupts this line of thinking.
Physical
Perhaps the most amazing category of assistive technology devices is in the physical category. I am always amazed to see the amount of creativity in this area, from large-key keyboards and speech-to-text programs, both of which are also used by low-vision users, to laser pointer keyboards, headset pointers, and an amazing array of similar devices. There is so much crossover in the types of access that to lump accessibility into a small percentage of specific users is to ignore the bigger picture.
A Case Study in Cerebral Palsy
Glenda has an inspirational story and wrote a book about overcoming cerebral palsy and building a life for herself. Glenda uses a combination of assistive technologies to interact online.
Her main input device is a keyboard on a nonslip mat. This is critical as she slides her hand along the top of the keyboard and uses her left thumb to hit each key. Any movement or involuntary jerk would move the keyboard if not for the nonslip mat. This also affects her use of a standard mouse. In its place she uses a joystick to control the cursor movements. Along with this, she uses word prediction software that predicts the words that she is typing, which saves on keystrokes.
Glenda does not have any vision impairments, but she relies on interfaces that are clear, are simple, and have a consistent design. The consistent design makes it easier for her to find information, while cluttered pages and flashing animation distract her from easily navigating the page. She prefers the Google Toolbar because of the simple interface and availability for searches.
Even though she is a 10-year Internet user, she relies on simple interfaces to use websites, read pages, and interact. She does not need the low-vision or blind accessibility features but rather features that enable her to input information easily and do not distract her by moving or flashing elements.
Global
To put it simply, anyone who complains that the text they encounter on the Web is too small can benefit from assistive technology. Anyone who has arthritis or other physical limitation to typing or using a mouse can benefit from assistive technology.
Many accessible tools are built into Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser, as well as Windows operating systems. The Firefox browser has multiple extensions that create additional layers of accessibility as unique