When I started researching the idea of Web accessibility I was thinking mostly of people with hearing and vision impairments. But, I have found that mobility impairments also need to be taken into consideration. For at-home use, some people will have equipment like joysticks or headpointers. However, public kiosks will not have these accessories.
Mike Paciello has published some guidelines for easy readability and to make public Web usage accessible to those with mobility impairments.
For people with mobility disabilities, accessibility issues can take on a wide range of challenges. Some people have use of their hands, others do not. Some have the ability to use mouth sticks and headpointers, others rely on infrared devices. Still others appear to have no barriers presented when their interaction with the Web is via a personal computer. However, faced with a public kiosk these same users may be presented with inaccessible physcial control options.
As a result, Web pages and Web access do not present any major barriers to the physically challenged. Still, presentation of content should be given some credence. Because of various physical difficulties, head and eye movement are not always easily accomplished. Keep the following guidelines in mind:
- Maintain a simple design that is easy to view.
- Be sure to provide on-screen navigational controls that are easily identified. People who require the use of an assistive device like a headpointer (a stick-like device that is attached to a headband and secured to a user’s head so he/she is able to type keys on a keyboard. Newer devices allow users to interact with onscreen keyboards.) need to be able to easily access those controls.
- Browser developers should provide keyboard mappings to all browser operations.
If you are designing a web application that runs on a public kiosk (for example in libraries, museums, or government agencies), the kiosk itself should be accessible to a person using a wheelchair. Kiosk height, control knobs or buttons and input mechanisms should be easily accessible.
Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim electronic copies of this article for non-commercial purposes provided this permission notice is preserved on all copies. All other rights reserved.
