{"id":2946,"date":"2012-05-01T09:41:59","date_gmt":"2012-05-01T13:41:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/meetcontent.com\/?p=2946"},"modified":"2017-04-20T00:16:38","modified_gmt":"2017-04-20T04:16:38","slug":"accessibility-considerations-for-web-content","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/meetcontent.com\/blog\/accessibility-considerations-for-web-content\/","title":{"rendered":"Accessibility Considerations for Web Content"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Accessibility
Make web accessibility a priority<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Our top concerns in planning web content should be our goals, message and audience. What are we saying, who are we saying it to, and why?<\/p>\n

But with regard to our audience, we also need to consider the \u201chow.\u201d What devices are they using the view the content? Do they have limitations in perceiving certain content, such as visual or rich media? How do we publish content in a way that makes it available to the full range of our audience? <\/p>\n

When we talk about web accessibility<\/a>, we’re referring to the pursuit of giving users equal access to website information and functionality. If we want to communicate effectively, we have to publish web content in a way that prioritizes accessibility to as many audiences as possible. However, despite legal obligations and other pressing considerations, our organizations are often not structured to accomplish this. But just because it\u2019s difficult doesn\u2019t mean it isn\u2019t the right thing to pursue\u2014or have additional benefits that we may not initially perceive.<\/p>\n

With these concerns in mind, how can we best plan for accessible web content? Meet Content reached out to four higher ed web professionals trying to make accessibility work at their institutions and asked them to share their perspectives.<\/p>\n

A Tough Road to Hoe<\/h2>\n

1. What are some of the major obstacles and challenges for publishers in creating accessible content?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chris Nixon, Director, Digital Design & Development, University Relations, University of Arkansas<\/strong>: The first step is really understanding what \u2018accessible content\u2019 means. The historical definition revolves around visually and hearing impaired, but I think we need to rethink the definition to include machines, those with rudimentary education and non-native speakers. The easy part is getting content on to a webpage. The hard part is training, or retraining, content authors to think about their content in a different way such that it makes sense to more people. <\/p>\n

Terrill Thompson, Technology Accessibility Specialist, Information Technology University of Washington<\/strong>: The greatest challenge is that accessibility doesn’t happen automatically. Anyone who publishes content on the web needs to be familiar with accessibility principles and techniques. Otherwise, even if they choose a highly accessible delivery format such as HTML, their product isn’t necessarily accessible. <\/p>\n

To meet this challenge we need to work diligently to build up an infrastructure that supports accessible publishing. We need to choose and use tools, including authoring tools, that support accessibility; we need to provide accessibility training to everyone involved in the publication workflow from authors to designers to developers; and we need to designate specific individuals or groups to acquire a relatively high level of accessibility expertise so they can provide support to the rest of the community.<\/p>\n

Making Content Accessible<\/h2>\n

2. When planning web content projects and developing a content strategy, what accessibility issues should be taken into consideration and at what phase?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nixon<\/strong>: Issues such as topic complexity, language and length are good starting places. If these areas are identified up front, then drafting and editing can be tailored to these considerations. Some content, like a research piece, needs to be somewhat complex, and typically includes videos and diagrams. Incorporating the gist of these multimedia components into the content can help readers get the full context without needing access to the multi-media components.<\/p>\n

Thompson<\/strong>: Very early in the process of developing a content strategy (from the
\nmoment an idea is born), we should already be asking: Who is the audience for this content? As soon as we ask this question, we need to consider the diverse characteristics of that audience. We might be able to make certain assumptions about their interest in the topic and their expected level of preexisting knowledge, but we can’t assume they all interact with content in the same way that we do, using the same devices and configurations. <\/p>\n