Web Accessibility: Interconnected Components
Much of the focus of web accessibility has been on the responsibilities of the web developer or web content developer. But accessible web content gets consumed through a series of interconnected technologies. And for comprehensive accessibility, all these interconnected component technologies must work in tandem and must all support accessibility.
In my previous post about the accessibility related legal framework it was highlighted that the onus of understanding and implementing relevant accessibility standards and guidelines is on the web development agency. But the web content developer has to work in a complex, interconnect world of technologies.
The different web development technology components that have impact on overall accessibility include
· Content items like text, images, sounds and markup that defines structure and presentation
· Web browsers and media players
· Assistive technologies like screen readers, alternative keyboards, switches, scanning software
· Authoring tools used to create web sites
· Accessibility evaluation/testing tools and validation tools used to validate CSS and HTML
If an accessibility feature is not implemented in one component there is little motivation for the other components to implement it as the overall experience will not ensure accessibility. For example, developers are unlikely to implement an accessible feature that authoring tools do not support and that most browsers and assistive technologies do not implement consistently.
In my future postings, we will look at accessibility capabilities of Microsoft technologies like ASP.NET, WPF, Silverlight and Internet Explorer. As we do that, it is very important to keep in mind the interconnected nature of delivering accessible user experience.
