Note
to Readers: This
article is a continuation of an article that began in Meridian's
Winter 2003 issue. If you are not already familiar with
this project, you may want to review the previous installments
before you begin reading this update.
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Integrating accessible web
design into the educational web design process is necessary as is ensuring
the overall design is usable. Introduction and implementation of these
concepts at the middle school level can help build tolerance of those
that young
people consider “different”
from themselves and an understanding that everyone’s abilities vary.
Though I agree with much of Alan Foley’s message, I see the need
for more detail and clarification of web designers’ necessary knowledge
and expectations.
Clarification of the distinctions
between usability and accessibility need to first be addressed. Broadly,
a web page is accessible when users of all abilities can equitably access
the same information with no frustration. To make it simplistic, if
all people can get to all the information on a web page, then it is
accessible. Though the quick loading web page is most likely accessible
because accessible web pages usually demand less computer resources
(i.e. fewer images included and little to no animation), it is conducting
a usability test of the web page that can ensure the loading time as
well as can affect how easy it is to read, navigate, and the usefulness
of the content. One can say that accessible is "doing"–interacting
with the technology while usability is perceptual, cognitive and includes
accessibility. A web page that is usable will be accessible, but an
accessible web page is not necessarily usable. In order to help present
the concept of accessibility, it may be easier for people to be open
to the concept of Universal Design where there may be less of the stigma
that accessibility means those with ‘handicaps’. Though
the seven principles of Universal Design originally pertained to the
physical environment, an analogy to technology can be made. The seven
principles include useful design that is intuitive and simple, accommodates
a wide range of abilities, perceptible information, and minimizes the
possibility of user error (1997, The
Center for Universal Design, NC State). Universal Design culminates
these concepts of accessibility and usability.
When teaching about accessibility
with respect to the coding requirements, it helps to present the history
of HTML coding and web site building. The fact is that the ancestor
code to HTML worked only on text browsers (such as Lynx); no images,
no animation, etc. It was accessible. Those needing assistive devices
could have the information translated with little to no difficulty because
it was already in the simple format of TEXT. As technology quickly changed,
the demand for more features increased. These demands led to the inclusion
of images, animation, sounds, and the ability to layout a web page to
look like printed materials. Today, we have more functionality than
ever when creating web pages due to the further advances of HTML to
DHTML, Cascading Style Sheets, Java, etc.
This leaves the web designer
with a heavy burden to understand the capabilities of the technological
tools and to be able to choose and utilize, or not choose, the best
tools for any web site development project. The web designer needs to
know which technologies may inhibit accessibility. This is especially
difficult when technology is easy to access and is changing so quickly.
A reality is that the majority of clients want their sites to be as
visually appealing as possible.
Therefore, the challenge
to the web designer is to not add the obstacles rather than to remove
the obstacles. HTML coding is actually very accessible. But today’s
HTML web editors, (wysiwyg editors – ‘what you see is what
you get’) like Dreamweaver, make it too easy to add those obstacles
back in. If HTML code is used as each tag is defined to be used, then
you are on the road to an accessible web page.
Use of wysiwyg HTML editors
has made it easy for people of varying technical abilities to create
web pages. The ramification is a ‘web designer’ with little
to no HTML coding knowledge or experience as well as little knowledge
about the design process of web sites.
Although web designers may
understand they are building a site for a specific audience, they may
not comprehend the true vastness of their audience. We cannot always
know all our audiences so therefore we must design for all abilities.
Web designers usually do not consider themselves having any disabilities
so they may be unable to build a site for all abilities. Therefore,
the necessary skill to learn is “best practice;” to do the
best they can and not to claim ignorance.
During a recent limited interview
study conducted by Gottlieb and Magliocca (2003) to find out web designers’
perspectives on their skills, we learned that they often know less about
accessible design than they claimed. Although most had a surface familiarity
of what it means to create an accessible web page, they all had reasons
why they didn’t feel they need more knowledge. It varied from
“I don’t need to use it unless told to,” “I
don’t see a particular audience/disability using this site,”
to “I never think about it.”
...it’s much more
likely people will create web pages without a broader context –
without understanding anything about interactivity, about screen layout,
about information design. What has happened is that the interface
has surfaced a very small fraction of the learning support—the
education –at the expense of broader thinking and learning.”
(2001 Johnson-Eilola ) From our analysis, we determined that the web
designers we interviewed fit this observation made by Johnson-Eilola.
The audience we interviewed felt like they already “know enough”
about web usability [and accessibility]; however, there is some lack
of knowledge in [these] concepts... (Gottlieb & Magliocca, 2003)
There is no easy quick fix,
but we can take actions to ensure the future is different by including
Universal (accessible) Design into the middle schools. Creating accessible
web sites for all abilities can become commonplace if we instill soft
skills such as tolerance and the awareness of different environment
effects as well as provide a model to follow. Models can provide a kind
of template and guidance to the production process.
The ADDIE (Analysis -->
Design --> Development --> Implementation --> Evaluation) model
is one that may provide that guidance. Exomedia provides a visual representation
available at http://www.exomedia.ca/elearning/addie_model.cfm
During analysis, the designer
develops a clear understanding of the "gaps" between the
desired outcomes or behaviors, and the audience’s existing knowledge
and skills. The design phase documents specific learning objectives,
assessment instruments, exercises, and content. The actual creation
of learning materials is completed in the development phase. During
implementation, these materials are delivered or distributed to the
student group. After delivery, the effectiveness of the training materials
is evaluated. (Kruse, 2002)
About the Author
Jackie Gottlieb is
a Masters student in Training and Development at North Carolina State
University while working as Web Content Developer for the Virtual Advising
Center. Her research interest is in technology-focused adult training
materials specific to the skills necessary to educate utilizing technology
including teacher technology fluency. Jackie's interest in developing
educational materials also entails the assurance of its accessibility,
usability, and quality information design.
Email gottlieb@gw.fis.ncsu.edu
References
Gottlieb, J. & Magliocca,
C. (2003). Information Design Plan: Stimulated recall interview
scenario. Unpublished manuscript, North Carolina State University.
Kruse, K. (2002). Introduction
to Instructional Design and the ADDIE Model. Retrieved January
23, 2004, E-Learning Guru: http://www.e-learningguru.com/articles/art2_1.htm
The Center for Universal
Design. (1997). What is Universal Design?. Retrieved Feb. 2004,
from The Center for Universal Design: http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/univ_design/princ_overview.htm
