Educational web sites accessibility design model

Abstract

Web sites accessibility is a basic requirement to protect everyone's equal right of accessing the information in information society. These days it becomes mandatory that all kinds of vulnerable groups should be able to access information and acquire services from web sites. In the design process, enough attention has not been given to educational websites accessibility. After explaining the need of web engineering in websites design, the relation and the importance of web accessibility are studied and different kinds of vulnerable groups are identified. This paper introduces status of educational web accessibility and put forward the concept of educational web accessibility design. Firstly, role of web engineering in web accessibility is discussed; secondly, proposes five fundamental principals as different types of online learners and their relations with educational websites accessibility; thirdly, Function, design concept and seven principals of universal design are related with educational websites accessibility; fourthly, Design model of educational web accessibility is studied; lastly, it gives out basic design steps in designing accessible educational websites or in the end authors integrates the web accessibility into design process by using top down approach. Through these efforts of web engineering, design concept, principles and model of educational web accessibility, the levels of educational web accessibility will be improved.