Frequently Asked questions
- What is the "Accessibility of Information Technology" policy?
- What is the importance of the Accessibility of Information Technology policy?
- How many people are affected by issues of access to information and information technology?
- What are examples of some common barriers on Web pages?
- How will the Accessibility of Information Technology policy requirements affect usability and appearance of Web sites for non-disabled users?
- Why should text-only pages not be considered as a primary means of making a site accessible?
- Does it cost more to make a site accessible?
- Are there tools to aid in assessing the accessibility of a site?
- What is the most important thing to understand in terms of making a site accessible?
What is the "Accessibility of Information Technology" policy?
The policy was developed by the University of Minnesota Accessibility of Information Technology policy group and other interested parties at the university. The intent of the Accessibility of Information Technology policy is to promote equal access to university electronic information resources, technologies and services for students, employees, guests and visitors — including those with disabilities.
Information technology, as it pertains to the scope of this policy, includes the following areas:
- Web-based information and services — including those associated with courses of instruction, departmental programs, University-sponsored activities, employment, administration and university services.
- Hardware and software to be developed, purchased or acquired by the University of Minnesota.
- Environments specific to information technology — including classroom and general use computer facilities, on-line instruction, distance learning, places of employment, libraries and resource centers.
- Exemptions — Extreme difficulty or expense (Undue Burden); Hardware and software tools specific to a research or development process in which no member of the research or development team requires accessibility accommodations; Hardware or software for which no equivalent accessible option is available (Non-availability).
What is the importance of the Accessibility of Information Technology policy?
The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. The Accessibility of Information Technology policy encompasses the reduction of barriers to information access and full inclusion in the university community for students, employees, guests and visitors — including those with disabilities. The existence of such barriers result in...
- A lack of access to information needed for educational programs
- A lack of access to employment-related information
- A lack of access to information on university sponsored activities or programs.
How many people are affected by issues of access to information and information technology?
The percentage of people with disabilities is between 10% and 20% in many populations. Not all disabilities affect access to information technologies. As we age, the probability of developing a disability increases...
- Eye-sight may diminish
- Hearing may diminish
- Arthritis, injury or other causes may limit mobility.
The number of people using the Web and other information technologies is steadily Increasing. Access to these types of information mediums may be more critical for people with disabilities, who cannot easily access traditional information sources (e.g., print media by the visually impaired; auditory media by the hearing impaired; the mobility impaired who cannot hold print materials, pens/pencils or interact with other communications media).
What are examples of some common barriers on Web pages?
Common Web site accessibility issues include some of the following:
- Images without alternative text, including image maps
- Misleading use of structural elements on pages
- Uncaptioned audio or undescribed video
- Lack of alternative information for users who cannot access frames or scripts
- Tables that are difficult to decipher when linearized
- Poor color contrast
- Display fonts that cannot be resized
- Small Web page controls.
How will the Accessibility of Information Technology policy requirements affect usability and appearance of Web sites for non-disabled users?
Accessible Web sites can be just as creatively designed as inaccessible sites. The Accessibility of Information Technology policy requires that Web based information and services be accessible, not dull or boring. The goal is to ensure that all University of Minnesota Web sites work well for all users — including those with disabilities.
In general, the design of an accessible Web site may not be very different from the original, less accessible version. Web sites merely need to be designed for flexibility.
- Flexible so that users can operate/navigate them in different ways
- Flexible so they transform gracefully into intelligible and useful pages when particular technologies are not supported or cannot be accessed by particular users.
Improving Web site accessibility for people with disabilities will actually improve usability of Web sites for all users. Improving the accessibility of Web pages should not be viewed as a barrier to creativity, but rather a challenge to be more creative.
Why should text-only pages not be considered as a primary means of making a site accessible?
Text-only pages should not be necessary to ensure accessibility of Web pages — except in very rare cases. Text-only pages are frequently counterproductive to accessibility, as they tend to be kept less up-to-date than primary pages or leave out information that is on primary pages. The goal is for University of Minnesota Web sites to be inclusive — avoiding the out-dated notion of "separate but equal."
Does it cost more to make a site accessible?
Designing a new site to be accessible should not add significantly to development cost. Some aspects of accessibility, such as use of style sheets, can actually reduce the costs of maintaining or updating sites.
For existing sites, the ease or difficulty of making sites accessible depends on a variety of factors:
- Size of the site
- Complexity of the site
- Authoring tool used to create the site.
Periodic upgrades or reviews of a site can be good opportunities to review the accessibility of the site. Given the broader audience to which a site is available and the greater usability for other users, improving the accessibility of a site can be very cost-effective.
Are there tools to aid in assessing the accessibility of a site?
There are an increasing number of assessment tools that can help in designing or evaluating accessibility of sites. Such accessibility checkers can often help with an initial identification of barriers on a site. Because no tool can perform a complete automated test of accessibility, and because false positives and false negatives are possible on some sites, claims of a particular conformance level must rely on manual checking as well. In using any evaluation tool or logo, it is important to examine what document version the tool or logo is synchronized with, and any additional information about how it is intended to be used.
What is the most important thing to understand in terms of making a site accessible?
The most important thing to understand in terms of making a site accessible is that people use the Web in very different ways. A site should therefore present information in a way that people can access it, regardless of what kind of equipment they are using or the method they use to navigate a site. Web designers cannot assume that everyone uses the same kinds of devices the same way.
