XHTML by Example

The Scope of Accessibility

The Web is sometimes described as the most enabling technology to become available for disabled users, while at the same time often possessing more barriers to access than most other media.

Before discussing ways to make the Web more accessible, we must first understand how it can be inaccessible, something that's not always easy for an able-bodied person to imagine. Disabilities that can impact the Web can be placed in four major groups:

• Visual Disabilities— Users might be fully or partially blind, have impaired color vision, or simply need the use of corrective lenses. Graphics that aren't labeled or described, a lack of keyboard-based navigation support, or even small print and low-contrast colors can result in ...