Abstract
Researchers have discovered significant faults in the accessibility of university websites, especially for visually-impaired users. To determine the requirements for totally blind users, this study conducted a comprehensive literature review and accessibility evaluation on 15 Palestinian university websites. The determined factors were used in designing an accessible web page prototype. An online questionnaire was constructed to evaluate the accessibility of the prototype from the blind users’ perspective. From the evaluation of 16 blind participants, it was found that the prototype was highly accessible (mean score 4.19). The regression analysis test was utilised to determine the relationship between the items and the main principles of accessibility. The results show that there are statistically significant differences between these items. In conclusion, the accessibility factors have been indirectly validated.
Highlights
The World Wide Web is one of the main sources of information
The study employed literature analysis and a case study to gather these requirements, and they observed that “graphical user interfaces, non-linear navigation, forms, tables, images, lack of keyboard support, nonstandard document formats, and acronyms and abbreviations hinder web accessibility for the blind” (Baguma & Lubega, 2008, p. 392). They suggested some factors to make a web page more accessible. These included the provision of a text-only version of the website and the integration of the following considerations into the web design: provide alternative text (ALT) for visual elements; ensure the source code of the webpage provides meaningful content structure; provide skip navigation links; consider blind-user orientation during navigation; ensure that tables, frames, and forms are accessible; provide the ability to navigate the webpage by keyboard only; and code the web pages using a standard format
The survey was conducted at the Assistive Technology Centre (ATC) centre of the Islamic University of Gaza (IUG), Palestine
Summary
The World Wide Web (web) is one of the main sources of information. It is a medium of communication. Several studies have determined the potential factors that could make web pages accessible for people with visual disabilities. They suggested some factors to make a web page more accessible These included the provision of a text-only version of the website and the integration of the following considerations into the web design: provide ALT for visual elements; ensure the source code of the webpage provides meaningful content structure; provide skip navigation links; consider blind-user orientation during navigation; ensure that tables, frames, and forms are accessible; provide the ability to navigate the webpage by keyboard only; and code the web pages using a standard format. Visually-impaired people still face different obstacles when they use inaccessible websites These barriers prevent them from carrying out their various tasks on the web without third party help. The first step involves the use of automatic evaluation tools; the second involves accessibility experts in reviewing websites according to the principles or guidelines; and the third involves real users attempting to perform certain tasks
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