Bunnyux

A website for all the people: Succeeding at Section 508 compliance

This article is the first in a four-part series that will focus on one Internet tactic, fad, or technique that can dramatically and negatively affect your website’s user experience.

Fear not, standards are nothing to shy away from – especially standards put in place to assist those with limited abilities. Nowhere is this more true that with government-run, related, and sponsored websites. I’ll try my best to explain why making your site fully accessible and Section 508 compliant is the way to go, but first, some history.

Section 508 is government law and refers to a statutory section in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 – and strengthened for electronic information in 1998 by Congress – that requires websites to meet certain accessibility guidelines. Much like the requirement of modern buildings to have ramps, handicapped parking, and an automatic door, websites have requirements as well. These requirements are put in place to help those with limited to no vision, mobility, dexterity and hearing. Standards are often seen as a means to limit creativity and anything enforced by the government is likely to do just that, but the web is a beautiful place where anything is possible. So don’t you fret just yet.

(Part 1 of 4)

Visually impaired

So there’s this not-so-new fad being pushed to small and large businesses alike and some are actually buying it. Online Avatars. In a web where anything new is embraced by the masses obsessively, the idea of a talking, moving, Avatar that sits on your web page and can answer your customers questions right there on the spot is very tempting. Unfortunately there are drawbacks – many drawbacks. Let’s look at the primary issues:

1. I know it’s hard to believe someone would want to block your content. But all commercially available Avatars I’ve had the unfortunate pleasure of experiencing have been powered by Flash, Shockwave, or Lightxxx. All of which are made by a specific company, and each software needs to be downloaded by every user. Last I checked, Flash had 96% saturation in the U.S., so using it may seem safe. But as of late, Flash has become the app of choice for annoying advertisers, spammers, and malware. This has resulted in Flash apps on web pages being blocked by the good, hard-working Spyware, Malware, and Virus protection services. So although 96% of people have Flash on their PC, it doesn’t mean Flash will run on their PC, at least not without them expressly requesting it.

2. These apps’ file sizes can be an issue as well, as many people still use dial-up connections. Even a DSL or cable line can be compromised if the user is having a busy Internet surfing day along with his neighbors. Since the average visitor will click away from your site in less than 8 seconds, why bog their connection down further with what an estimated 10% of them can’t see?

3. People browse the Internet from computers that are likely at their office. After all, the busiest time for Internet traffic is during business hours. That said, imagine sitting in your cubicle with your headphones on, listening to an online radio station while clicking around the web. Your stumble on a promising site that seems to offer exactly what you’re looking for – the tie-dyed tube top you’ve been dying for. Then suddenly a loud, “Hello, and welcome to Tie-Dyed Tube Tops dot com!” comes through your headphones. Are you eager to stay on the website? Better yet, imagine you didn’t have headphones, and the voice rang out over your speakers for all to hear. Awkward! I estimate that brings your potential visitor loss to 20%.

4. And now, for users with a visual impairment. Whether it’s limited vision, color blindness, or complete blindness, viewing a small box with a moving Avatar could prove very difficult if not impossible. Viewing the Avatar is just one part of the problem, as they must still see where to input their question or comment. Traditional tabbed browsing may not work in this case, because such applications need to be programmed specifically to accept such tabbed input. To date, most don’t.

According to the American Foundation for the Blind, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Census Bureau:

• 1.3 million Americans are legally blind.
• 5.5 million elderly individuals are blind or vision impaired.
• 93,600 students are blind or vision impaired.

Although that represents still less than 1% of the population, they are potential customers nonetheless. One might be inclined to think that a person with such a disability is often bombarded by services and features they can’t fully use. So a company that makes the effort to make their product usable likely will be worth giving a chance. A sale is often goal of a business website, so embrace accessibility or put a sign on your door that says, “No vision, no service.”