Compliance of accessibility in tourism websites: a pledge towards disability

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ranjit Singh ◽  
Abid Ismail ◽  
Sibi PS ◽  
Dipendra Singh
Keyword(s):  
Web Content ◽  
Disabled People ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Us States ◽  
Section 508 ◽  
Wcag 2.0 ◽  
The Us ◽  
Accessibility Issues ◽  
Tourism Websites ◽  
The Web

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse the US states and territories’ official tourism information websites based on the Web Content Accessibility Guideline (WCAG) and Section 508 guidelines to identify the compliance of websites towards disabilities policies and their behaviour pattern.Design/methodology/approachThe official tourism websites of 57 states and territories were analysed through the TAW tool for WCAG 2.0 and AChecker for Section 508. Cluster analysis was used to produce a group of websites underlying the accessibility issues obtained from the online tool to understand the common pattern of behaviour.FindingsThe result revealed that websites have serious and significant accessibility issues underlying the prescribed guidelines that would interfere with the use of the website by disabled people. The main issues that make the website least accessible focussed on the following guideline of WCAG 2.0: compatible, navigable, text alternative, distinguishable and adaptable.Research limitations/implicationsThe empirical results provide the US states and territories’ tourism authority to better understand web accessibility in their websites and its impact on disabled people.Originality/valueAs the web plays an important role in individual lives, this study highlights the accessibility issues which need immediately focussed and technically planned actions from the respective states and territories to ensure that designed web content should communicate effectively and universally.

scholarly journals Examination of the Protection Offered by Current Accessibility Acts and Guidelines to People with Disabilities in Using Information Technology Devices

Electronics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 742
Author(s):  
Hyun K. Kim ◽  
Jaehyun Park
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
People With Disabilities ◽  
Web Content ◽  
Disabled People ◽  
Section 508 ◽  
Accessibility Guidelines ◽  
Video Accessibility ◽  
Product Sales ◽  
Content Accessibility ◽  
The Web

Today, information technology (IT) products are extensively used in everyday life; however, disabled people still experience difficulties in using them. To ensure the equal use of IT products by people with disabilities, various laws/guidelines/standards have been established. In particular, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, 21st-Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, the European Accessibility Act, and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines strongly influence IT product sales and, hence, have been included in the scope of this research. This study analyzed the main accessibility provisions/guidelines from the user experience (UX) perspective and the IT device difficulties that are addressed by the provisions/guidelines. Accordingly, the study used the IT interaction disability concept, which analyzes the comprehensive difficulties associated with the use of an IT device from the perspective of interaction, to map each task–user interface–context factor. Finally, this study suggests the aspects to be considered while establishing accessibility provisions/guidelines. Moreover, it clarifies the provisions and guidelines for IT product designers and developers by analyzing them from the UX perspective.

scholarly journals Making journals accessible front & back: examining open journal systems at CSU Northridge

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurie Borchard ◽  
Michael Biondo ◽  
Stephen Kutay ◽  
David Morck ◽  
Andrew Philip Weiss
Keyword(s):  
Web Accessibility ◽  
Assistive Technologies ◽  
Web Content ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Section 508 ◽  
Wcag 2.0 ◽  
Open Access Journals ◽  
Test Instance ◽  
Accessibility Guidelines ◽  
Open Journal Systems

Purpose – This study aims to examine Public Knowledge Project (PKP) Open Journal Systems (OJS) for its overall web accessibility and compliance with the Federal Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility and Compliance Act, also known as Section 508. Design/methodology/approach – Twenty-one individual web pages in the CSUN test instance of PKP’s OJS version 2.4.0 used in three back-end journal development user roles were examined using three web-accessibility tools (WAVE, Fangs, Functional Accessibility Evaluator). Errors in accessibility were then logged and mapped to specific Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) criteria. Findings – In all, 202 accessibility errors were reported across the 21 OJS pages selected for testing. Because of this, the OJS cannot be efficiently utilized by assistive technologies and therefore does not pass the minimal level of acceptability as described in the WCAG 2.0. However, the authors found that the types of errors reported in this study could be simply and effectively remedied. Research limitations/implications – Further studies will need to corroborate, on a larger scale, the problems of accessibility found in the specific pages. Only three user roles were examined; other roles will need to be analyzed for their own problems with accessibility. Finally, although specific errors were noted, most can be easily fixed. Practical implications – There is an important need for accessible software design. In the case of CSUN, one of the campus partners will be better served by improving the web accessibility of the authors’ online open access journals. Originality/value – Although many studies and analyses of Section 508 compliance of front-facing web resources have been conducted, very few appear to address the back-end of such tools. This is the first to examine what problems in accessibility journal users with disabilities might encounter as OJS system administrators, journal managers or journal editors.

scholarly journals Web Accessibility, Libraries, and the Law

2011 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camilla Fulton
Keyword(s):  
Web Accessibility ◽  
Web Content ◽  
Disabled People ◽  
Section 508 ◽  
Library Resources ◽  
Federal Laws ◽  
Accessibility Guidelines ◽  
Content Accessibility ◽  
Reference Section ◽  
The Web

With an abundance of library resources being served on the web, researchers are finding that disabled people oftentimes do not have the same level of access to materials as their nondisabled peers. This paper discusses web accessibility in the context of United States’ federal laws most referenced in web accessibility lawsuits. Additionally, it reveals which states have statutes that mirror federal web accessibility guidelines and to what extent. Interestingly, fewer than half of the states have adopted statutes addressing web accessibility, and fewer than half of these reference Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act or Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 1.0. Regardless of sparse legislation surrounding web accessibility, librarians should consult the appropriate web accessibility resources to ensure that their specialized content reaches all.

The BenToWeb Test Case Suites for the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0

2008 ◽  
pp. 402-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christophe Strobbe ◽  
Johannes Koch ◽  
Evangelos Vlachogiannis ◽  
Reinhard Ruemer ◽  
Carlos A. Velasco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Test Case ◽  
Web Content ◽  
Wcag 2.0 ◽  
Accessibility Guidelines ◽  
Content Accessibility ◽  
The Web

scholarly journals Evaluating the web accessibility of IIT libraries: a study of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 121-145
Author(s):  
Subhajit Panda ◽  
Rupak Chakravarty
Keyword(s):  
Disabled Persons ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
Web Content ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Severity Scores ◽  
The Status ◽  
Accessibility Issues ◽  
Accessibility Guidelines ◽  
Library Websites ◽  
Content Accessibility

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate and identify the status of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) conformance levels (A, AA, AAA) and accessibility status in terms of Severity (Error, Warning and Review) and Responsibility (Editor, Webmaster and Developer) of Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Library websites based on Siteimprove Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform.Design/methodology/approachThe library websites of IITs were tested using Siteimprove web-tool to gather details pertaining to W3C's WCAG 2.1 standards. The data thus obtained were then visualized using spreadsheet software for greater insight. A partial correlation test was also done to assess the relationship between the three conformance levels.FindingsThe study could identify significant accessibility-related limitations of the IIT library websites concerning the three WCAG 2.1 conformance levels A (max IIT Bombay), AA (max IIT Dhanbad (ISM)) and AAA (max IIT Gandhinagar and IIT Varanasi (BHU)), Severity and Responsibility. A positive linear relationship exists amongst these conformance levels. The mean value of conformance levels were found to be 18.3 (A), 2.2 (AA) and 3.1 (AAA); Severity scores were found to be 14.4 (Error), 3.9 (Warning) and 5.2 (Review); and Responsibility scores were found to be 6 (Editor), 9.3 (Webmaster) and 8.3 (Developer), respectively.Practical implicationsThe study highlights the comparative picture of accessibility issues and conformance levels of the IITs' library website homepage with the help of results derived/based on Siteimprove Accessibility Checker. The findings of the study reveal that though the library website of IITs' in India possess a well-designed and easily navigable website homepage as far as their accessibility for VIPs is concerned, there are several issues that are still to be resolved.Social implicationsWorld Intellectual Property Organization's (WIPO) Marrakesh VIP Treaty (MVT) and the W3C's WCAG cater to the requirements and rights of the persons with vision-related disability of accessing information and knowledge building a steeper and deeper knowledge divide. Identifying and rectifying the shortcomings in the library websites will bridge the accessibility-divide and make the society more inclusive.Originality/valueNo previous study could be identified evaluating the accessibility issues of the library website of Indian IITs focussed on vision-disabled persons using Siteimprove. The methodology and approach of this paper have value in terms of reusability and reproducibility facilitating future studies.

Specification of the Context of Use for the Development of Web-Based Applications

2011 ◽  
pp. 146-162
Author(s):  
Marta Fernández de Arriba ◽  
Eugenia Díaz ◽  
Jesús Rodríguez Pérez
Keyword(s):  
Web Applications ◽  
Assistive Technologies ◽  
Web Content ◽  
Disabled People ◽  
Technological Environment ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Development Team ◽  
Context Of Use ◽  
The Web

This chapter presents the structure of an index which serves as support so allowing the development team to create the specification of the context of use document for the development of Web applications, bearing in mind characteristics of usability and accessibility, each point of the index being explained in detail. A correct preparation of this document ensures the quality of the developed Web applications. The international rules and standards related to the identification of the context of use have been taken into account. Also, the functionality limitations (sensorial, physical, or cognitive) which affect access to the Web are described, as well as the technological environment used by disabled people (assistive technologies or alternative browsers) to facilitate their access to the Web content. Therefore, following the developed specification of the context of use, usable and accessible Web applications with their corresponding benefits can be created.

Code in action: Closing the black box of WCAG 2.0, A Latourian reading of Web accessibility

First Monday ◽  
2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Kreps ◽  
Mhorag Goff
Keyword(s):  
Web Accessibility ◽  
Web Content ◽  
Wcag 2.0 ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Heterogeneous Nature ◽  
Version 2.0 ◽  
Accessibility Guidelines ◽  
Content Accessibility ◽  
Web Developers ◽  
The Web

The focus of much academic work on Web accessibility has been concerned with the lack of implementation of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. There seems, as yet, however, to have been little critical reflection on the Guidelines themselves — save perhaps some awareness of the heterogeneous nature of the Web, and the difficulties facing Web developers trying to ensure their work displays true to their intentions across a wide range of different browsers and devices, making use of continually evolving and contested code. Yet, as this paper highlights, the long drawn out process by which version 2.0 of the WCAG came into being hides many skeletons, including aspects of the process of developing standards that bear closer scrutiny, and reveal much when viewed through Latourian eyes. The findings of this paper suggest that the WCAG2.0 are almost irrelevant today — to the detriment of those for whom they were made — and that the process of creating them was at fault.

Accessibility as an integral factor in e-government web site evaluation

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 208-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faouzi Kamoun ◽  
Mohamed Basel Almourad
Keyword(s):  
Web Sites ◽  
Web Site ◽  
Web Content ◽  
Content Type ◽  
General Evaluation ◽  
Wcag 2.0 ◽  
Bivariate Correlation ◽  
Government Web Sites ◽  
Accessibility Guidelines ◽  
Site Ranking

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which accessibility is taken into account in the assessment and ranking of e-government web sites through the lens of a specific study related to Dubai e-government. Design/methodology/approach – The paper considers a case study related to Dubai e-government and it evaluates the accessibility of each of the 21 Dubai e-government web sites, based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 and using an automated accessibility testing tool. A bivariate correlation analysis is performed to assess the correlation between web site ranking and accessibility score. Findings – The research reveals that contrary to common intuition and some earlier studies, there is a weak correlation between e-government web site ranking score and web site accessibility. Research limitations/implications – The paper uses an accessibility metric that is a proxy indicator of web accessibility and is not a real assessment of accessibility as experienced by a person with disability. Practical implications – When re-examined through the lens of Rawls's moral theory, this research suggests that accessibility should be given a higher priority in the general evaluation and ranking of e-government web sites. Social implications – The paper promotes universal accessibility to e-government information and services. Originality/value – The paper uses ethical arguments to highlight the need to comprehensively consider accessibility as a major criterion in the assessment and ranking of e-government web sites.

scholarly journals Assessing the accuracy of vendor-supplied accessibility documentation

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura DeLancey
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Section 508 ◽  
Library Resources ◽  
Common Problems ◽  
Accessibility Issues ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – In an effort to ensure vendor compliance with Section 508, some libraries have begun requesting Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPATs) or other documentation of accessibility compliance. The purpose of this paper is to assess the accuracy of vendor-supplied compliance documentation, and to identify common accessibility issues highlighted by the VPATs. A detailed discussion of vendor responses to each Section 508 checkpoint is provided in the Appendix. Design/methodology/approach – Researchers compared 17 VPATs with the results of an automated accessibility scan to identify inconsistencies and common problems. Findings – Vendors reported being fully compliant with 64 percent of the applicable VPAT items, and partially compliant with a further 24 percent. However, in 16 of 17 cases, there were discrepancies between the information on the VPAT and the results of the scan. Of the total 189 VPAT checkpoints the author scanned, 19.6 percent had errors (meaning the information on the VPAT was inaccurate 19.6 percent of the time). Research limitations/implications – Several VPAT checkpoints could not be automatically verified by the scan. Instead they require manual/visual verification, which the author did not do. Because the author only scanned three pages of each resource, the author was not able to check all content. Practical implications – Vendor-supplied accessibility documentation should not be taken at face value, but requires verification and follow up to ensure its accuracy. This study also identified some of the most common accessibility issues, which will help both librarians and vendors improve their products and services. Originality/value – Other studies have analyzed the accessibility of library resources and specifically vendor databases, but none have assessed the accuracy of vendor-supplied Section 508 compliance documentation.

Rising state budget gaps could rein in the US rebound

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Federal Reserve ◽  
Behavioural Change ◽  
Bond Market ◽  
Municipal Bonds ◽  
Municipal Bond ◽  
State Budget ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Us States ◽  
Fiscal Constraints ◽  
The Us

Significance Fiscal constraints limit the ability of US states to practise counter-cyclical fiscal policy, and some states and municipalities had budgetary troubles even before the pandemic. Pension deficits are a particular problem. The USD500bn Federal Reserve (Fed) programme to buy states' municipal bonds has been barely used. Impacts The Biden administration will be tested in trying to get the Senate, which is likely to remain Republican, to provide money to states. If a city files for bankruptcy, contagion could spread statewide and, more broadly, the US municipal bond market could be disrupted. Even if a vaccine is widely distributed in 2021, recovery will remain fragile as a result of permanent scarring and behavioural change.

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