Accessibility is a general term used to describe the degree to which a product (e.g., device, service, environment) is accessible by as many people as possible, and the ventures to produce accessible products and services. Accessibility is often used to focus on people with disabilities and their right of access to entities, often through use of assistive technology.
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Create More Accessible UI with Dynamic Annotation
This article discusses dynamic annotation (DA), a feature that allows developers to improve the accessibility of their user interface.
Microsoft (2000). Design>User Interface>Accessibility
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Creating a Universal Usability Agenda
How do you keep usability, accessibility, and user experience requirements on track while developing standards? It is part of the very nature of standards to focus on details--and in the process, to sometimes lose sight of the real goals. This is especially true when a standards-making process goes on for a long time, a situation is highly political, or most people are focused on technology issues.
Quesenbery, Whitney. UXmatters (2006). Articles>Usability>Accessibility>Universal Usability
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Creating Accessible Cascading Style Sheets
For years, the only way to format HTML in a visually appealing way was to use tables, even though tables were originally created to display tabular data. As the Web evolved and became more sophisticated, designers wanted to do more than just display text, they wanted to emulate printed documents. They wanted to make an artistic statement. There's nothing wrong with that. In fact, tables can be used for layout without ruining the accessibility of a Web site. Yes, it's ok to use tables for layout. Still, you can take your Web design to a higher level by eliminating tables entirely. The way to do this is through CSS (Cascading Style Sheets).
Bohman, Paul. WebAIM (2003). Design>Web Design>Accessibility>CSS
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Macromedia Flash is a vector-based, interactive animation creation program designed to enable the addition of dynamic characters, scenes, interfaces and motion graphics animations to Web sites. Macromedia Flash materials are created using the Flash authoring program, the most recent version of which is Flash MX.
WebAIM (2003). Design>Web Design>Accessibility>Flash
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When we talk about the accessibility of forms, we are usually referring about their accessibility to screen readers and the visually impaired. People with other types of disabilities generally are less affected by 'faulty' forms that are missing some of the HTML accessibility features.
WebAIM (2003). Design>Web Design>Accessibility>Forms
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A frameset is a Web page which defines a collection of at least two other separate Web pages, which are combined in the same visual space. Visual users usually experience framesets as a cohesive entity. They can scan the contents of multiple pages all at once. Those using screen readers cannot quickly scan the contents of multiple pages. All of the content is experienced in a linear fashion, one frame at a time. Frames are not inaccessible to modern screen readers, but they can be disorienting.
WebAIM (2003). Design>Web Design>Accessibility
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Some people think that graphics are bad for accessibility. The truth is that graphics can be of great benefit to the accessibility of a Web page by providing illustrations, icons, animations, or other visual cues that aid comprehension for sighted individuals. Too often we forget that when we design for people with disabilities, we are not designing only for the blind. We must consider disabilities of all types. Graphics can be especially useful to individuals with certain reading disabilities, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorders, or cognitive disabilities.
WebAIM (2003). Design>Web Design>Accessibility
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Creating Accessible JavaScript
JavaScript is available on the Web to allow programming type processes that are not allowed with static HTML. In most cases, JavaScript does not overtly affect accessibility. Most browsers and screen readers are capable of accessing JavaScript items. You should, however, teach that many people cannot or choose not to allow JavaScript within their Web browsers or assistive technologies. Important content or functionality should not rely on JavaScript alone. JavaScript should usually be used to supplement content.
WebAIM (2003). Design>Web Design>Accessibility>DHTML
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In practice, tables are perhaps most commonly used for page layout. Layout tables do not have logical headers that can be mapped to information within the table cells.
WebAIM (2005). Design>Web Design>Accessibility
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Creating Captions Using MAGpie 2.0
MAGpie allows the captioning of Web audio and video content for use in QuickTime, RealPlayer, and Windows Media Player.
WebAIM (2004). Resources>Software>Accessibility>Video
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Creating Text Equivalents for Images
This article is for developers and content editors seeking to supplement the visual elements of a user interface with text equivalents. This article describes what text equivalents are, why they are required, how to create them, and the best approach to writing and editing them.
Microsoft (2002). Articles>Accessibility>Software
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Creating Text Equivalents for Images
This article is for developers and content editors seeking to supplement the visual elements of a user interface with text equivalents. This article describes what text equivalents are, why they are required, how to create them, and the best approach to writing and editing them.
Microsoft (2002). Design>User Interface>Accessibility>Visual
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The purpose of this study is to find out how English speaking computers causes the inconvenience of the non- English speaking users, especially Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Because these oriental scripts are based on ancient Chinese ideographic characters. I want to explore the language and culture differences of the these countries which may be critical factors in determining how software tools can best accommodate different user groups at the U. of Minnesota. I hope, by conducting this research, I can gain insights into appropriateness of certain interaction technologies indifferent cultural environments.
McDowell, Earl E. and Pi-hai Sun. STC Proceedings (1994). Design>User Interface>Accessibility>International
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The purpose of this study is to find out how English speaking computers causes the inconvenience of non-English speaking users, especially Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Because these oriental scripts are based on ancient Chinese ideographic characters. I want to explore the language and culture differences of the these countries which may be critical factors in determining how software tools can best accommodate different user groups at the U. of Minnesota. I hope, by conducting this research, I can gain insights into appropriateness of certain interaction technologies indifferent cultural environments.
McDowell, Earl E. and Pi-hai Sun. STC Proceedings (1994). Design>User Interface>Accessibility>International
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It is hard to make a hat that fits all heads. If one were made, most people would find it uncomfortable. This fact could be the realistic of the web sites design. Web developers face the same issue creating web pages for more general usage. For those deaf and hearing-impaired people, some special technologies should be applied to ease their web browsing and searching. This report will focus on such disabled characteristics.
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Deafened to Their Demands: An Ethnographic Study of Accommodation 
After a semester of working with the population of Deaf students on a larger southwestern, suburban University campus, it became clear that the institution would not be able to provide reasonable accommodations requested by deaf students. As I witnessed students, rightfully fighting for reasonable accommodations (as outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act), I saw individuals both inside and outside the institutional structures attempt change only to find themselves rebuffed. The institution itself was not able to accommodate the reasonable and lawful demands of the deaf population of students at the university, but interestingly the efforts of reformers inside the institution were similarly unable to enact significant change. The institution was unable to hear the pleas of its students but was equally unable to accommodate the demands of members of the administration seeking to provide services to these students.
Salvo, Michael J. Kairos (2002). Academic>Accessibility>Education
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Deafness and the User Experience
Because of limited awareness around Deafness and accessibility in the web community, it seems plausible to many of us that good captioning will fix it all. It won’t. Before we can enhance the user experience for all deaf people, we must understand that the needs of deaf, hard of hearing, and big-D Deaf users are often very different.
Herrod, Lisa. List Apart, A (2008). Articles>User Experience>Accessibility>Audio
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Dealing With Special Mobility Needs: A Lesson in Patience and Coping 
A great deal has been done over the years to make the lives of people with special needs easier. However, a great deal more needs to be done. This is an article about the special mobility needs of a career technical communicator. Through personal anecdotes and observations, the author establishes the point that the only way to really treat people with special needs fairly is to actually sit with them and understand what they are going through.
Vais, Fabien. STC Proceedings (2000). Presentations>Accessibility
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Drawing from user observation methodologies, design thinking and synthesis we observed and filmed old people in their homes in UK, US, Denmark, India, Taiwan, Italy, Israel, South Africa and Columbia.
People and Product (2008). Design>User Centered Design>Accessibility>Elderly
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Design for People with Disabilities in Japan
Design for people with disabilities sometimes works fine. However, without involving everyone, i.e., unless it will benefit everyone in the society, such design will remain as a kind of orphan technology and will eventually fail to be applied widely. The direction of design therefore should be universal/inclusive.
Kose, Satoshi. uiGarden (2008). Design>Accessibility>Regional>Japan
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Design of Haptic and Tactile Interfaces for Blind Users
Since computer use became more widespread in the 1980's and 1990's, considerable effort has been put into ensuring that the blind have equal access to state of the art techology. However, the dominance of graphical user interfaces and direct manipulation has reduced the effectiveness of old speech-based systems. This article discusses aspects of tactile and haptic interfaces, reviews current research on the topic, and provides design principles for practitioners culled from recent research.
Christian, Kevin. Universal Usability (2000). Design>User Interface>Accessibility>Visual
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Designing a Touch Screen Kiosk for Older Adults: A Case Study
An independent-living senior center recently approached us with a request to 'build a system that could track the fitness activity of their approximately 160 older residents.' The center houses a Fitness Club that offers seven different fitness classes, personal training, physical therapy, a pool, a spa, and access to a multitude of exercise equipment (i.e., stationary bikes, treadmills, and weights). At the time of the request, residents were signing their names and activities on a sheet of paper as they entered the Fitness Club. Occasionally, the sign-in sheets were summarized into monthly reports to show resident attendance by class and the type of equipment they were using.
Chaparro, Barbara S. and Laszlo Stumpfhauser. Usability News (2001). Articles>Web Design>Accessibility>Elderly
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For many Internet users, the full range of Web content is not accessible. This paper gives a quick overview of the subject of Web accessibility and calls for information designers to join the effort of making the web accessible to all users.
Gao, Wei. EServer (2001). Design>Accessibility>Web Design
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Designing Documentation for Visually-Impaired Users
Preparing 'large-print' texts requires more than changing type size; it involves writing and structuring materials to meet the needs of an audience with varied physical challenges. For large print documents, format considerations include: using appropriate type, line length, and other design elements; setting all material flush left; and using lay-flat bindings. For braille documents, text may also need to eliminate or explain unusual symbols. Content considerations for both may include: replacement of graphics with descriptive text: brief orientation to the physical location and dimensions of objects; and reminders of help services. Cassette tapes offer one alternative to print or braille texts, plus serve other audiences.
Barthel, Brea. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Documentation>Accessibility
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Here are some useful tools for people designing accessible websites for the Federal government.
