Web Accessibility: Practical Advice for the Library and Information Professional

Citation

Weddell, S. (2009), "Web Accessibility: Practical Advice for the Library and Information Professional", Library Management, Vol. 30 No. 3, pp. 207-209. https://doi.org/10.1108/01435120910937384

Since the beginning of the new millennium, access to information via electronic means has grown exponentially and with this has come the realisation that there is an urgent need to address the issue of equality of access. When I put my name forward to review this book I did so not really considering what the topic of web accessibility might cover – it just seemed an interesting title. When the book arrived and I started to read it I really had not given one minute of thought to the difficulties the blind or physically disabled might encounter in accessing web‐based information and resources – that I have an obligation as an information professional to at least raise awareness amongst my colleagues of the issue – this is not something I am very proud of.

Before starting this review I decided to educate myself and do a quick Google search on the topic. Results pointed me to the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), to a Wikipedia entry on web accessibility, and to lists of books written on the subject. Subsequent reading has opened my eyes and left me wondering why the issue has not come up in my professional reading, or on the library lists and blogs I access. Is this because other information professionals are just as ignorant of the issue as I am and as a consequence little has been written about it from a library perspective? I hope that this book will fill the gap; as cover notes indicate, it endeavours to provide practical information specifically for information professionals.

The overall theme is the importance of taking a practical approach to web accessibility and editor Jenny Craven reminds us of this frequently in Chapter One where she provides an excellent introduction to the topic, discussing what is meant by the term “accessibility” in relation to the library and information sector, covering both physical and technological aspects and then briefly explaining what each chapter covers.

Chapter Two provides an interesting and useful look at the tools that can be used to access web‐based digital materials. The use of operating system adjustments such as cursor blink rates, keyboard and mouse, sound and display settings, magnification, screen reading and speech recognition are discussed with a useful summary of key issues. Third‐party solutions are also outlined, including:

• •

  keyboard options;

• •

  mouse devices, trackballs, joysticks and other pointers;

• •

  screen reader and text‐to‐speech applications; and

• •

  Braille output and speech recognition,

once again with a useful summary of key issues.

Simon Ball covers how web accessibility affects different people in Chapter Three, describing the concept of “Design for All”, sometimes referred to as “Universal Design”, and highlighting important considerations for web page design, in particular establishing users' mobility and dexterity, visual, auditory, cognitive and technological needs. The effect that good and poor practice can have on the user's experience is illustrated by looking at layout, navigation, font, colour and background, images, links and multimedia and alternate versions. The chapter concludes with an excellent list of questions that can be used to establish the user type for the website and the needs that may have to be taken into consideration.

The importance of web accessibility is addressed in Chapter Four, and for me this is the key to understanding the issues involved and why libraries and information services have a duty to contribute to ensuring equal access to electronic information resources. David Sloan gives an excellent overview of the motivations and arguments for web accessibility by first discussing social, economic, technical, legal, and policy factors. It should be noted that while the latter does refer mainly to UK legislation, a small section devoted to legislation elsewhere is included. Barriers to adoption are discussed and the benefits of accessibility are summarised.

Chapter Five, by Julie Howell, provides accessibility advice and guidance and covers the development of the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) guidelines and the Publicly Available Specification 78 (PAS 78). The UK Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and web design is also briefly discussed. Accessibility evaluation and assessment, considered an essential step in accessible web design, are covered in Chapter Six, which also includes a look at different evaluation techniques and advice on conducting an accessibility audit.

Peter Brophy, the director of a number of research projects, and widely published in the field of accessibility, contributes his expertise to what I consider the most useful chapter of this book – an outline of a sevenfold strategy for libraries and information services:

1. 1.

   listen to your user community;

2. 2.

   become familiar with advice and guidelines, especially those prepared by information professionals;

3. 3.

   develop an accessibility policy;

4. 4.

   audit your existing web presence;

5. 5.

   action improved web design;

6. 6.

   provide appropriate assistive technologies; and

7. 7.

   continually monitor and review.

The importance of recognising that accessibility is not just a matter of good website design is also stressed, and Brophy ends the chapter advising us to keep an eye on current and future technological developments, especially Web 2.0.

The final three chapters deal with the importance of providing appropriate training and awareness, Jenny Craven provides some best practice examples and Brian Kelly looks to the future by critically examining the WAI approach and looking examples of the holistic approach to accessibility.

In summary, each chapter of the book is well set out and easy to read with summaries and references. I did, however, find the order of the chapters puzzling; for instance the chapter relating to the importance of web accessibility more logically should have followed the introduction. I also found it difficult to follow a thread such as designing for all, which is the theme of Chapter Three, and having to go to Chapter Eight to continue the theme with designing for all in the LIS curriculum.

Although this book has a strong focus on the situation in the UK, overall it provides an excellent guide to web accessibility for anyone interested in the topic and would be a useful resource for all libraries regardless of type as it brings together the collective expertise of an informed group of contributors who not only have an information background but also are experts in the area of web accessibility and usability. More importantly it raises an awareness of an issue that few of us consider in our everyday life unless we ourselves are directly affected.