Conceptualization Approach for Accessibility-Aware Framework

Abstract

For many people, the use of the technology offers opportunities to engage in activities that would otherwise be impossible. However, this potential can only be realised if the technology is designed so that it can support people in achieving their goals. Information access for people with special needs is creating numerous opportunities and challenges within the Information expressway community. A majority of web based information and services are inaccessible to people with certain disabilities, largely due to a lack of awareness of accessibility issues on the part of composers and developers in web engineering. There are many factors that contribute to achieving designs for accessibility, but one important issue is the availability of knowledge about how to design solutions that will take into account users and their diverse characteristics. This research discusses the need for a framework approach to determine the level of accessibility required by people with special needs to access web resources, the results of such an approach should be as meaningful as possible for web applications developers and composers. It is also argued that the current accessibility evaluation approaches are unsatisfactory in the scope and results presentation. This research will outline the groundwork for constructing accessibility aware framework approach where people with distinct needs can access all web applications based on their level of disability. The approach provides guidelines for web developers and composers in the development of accessible web solutions. Blindness and Deafness disability profiles are used as an example to demonstrate the execution of the framework approach and presented implementation architecture.