At 9:59 AM -0600 3/14/01, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>Anyone know how to, or have good information about developing websites for
>visually impaired users?
>
Another user has suggested Flash... good choice because of its
ability to allow the user to dynamically change text sizes, etc.
Flash is especially good because it can present antialiased text in
any font in any size.
Also, you could use Flash to display enlarged cues... such as the mouse pointer
There probably is quite a body of knowledge on this... though I don't
know where.
I would also consider an interface that allowed adjustable-speed
automatic scrolling... possibly with voice commands to:
larger/smaller (text)
brighter/dimmer (display contrast)
start/stop (auto-scrolling)
faster/slower (auto-scrolling)
back/forward (screen/paragraph/sentence/word)
spell/pronounce/define word
talk/quiet
stop on link/follow link
The read would read the paragraph out loud.
Where possible, design the content so it is concise, plain language,
and written in small paragraphs... this helps navigation, avoids
distraction of going elsewhere to look up meaning od words, etc.
Years ago, we sold an Apple ][ to a an organization (the name escapes
me) that was developing software for the visually impaired.
The auto-scrolling of the screen was a very important usability
feature, because so little text can be displayed when using large
characters. With the desired speed set, the user can easily read the
content without fiddling with the mouse or keyboard. Voice commands
would enhance this feature.
HTH
Dick
P.S. A Sherlock search for visually impaired web sites gave the
following (watch for URL wrapping):
http://access.adobe.com/
http://www.hud.gov/acsadobe.html
http://www.opera.com/
http://www.utoronto.ca/atrc/rd/library/papers/accessWWW.html
http://access.adobe.com/tools.html
http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2000/0821/web-adobe-08-25-00.asp
http://access.adobe.com/information.html
http://access.adobe.com/simple_form.html
http://apple.directhit.com/fcgi-bin/RedirURL.fcg?url=http://www.vibug.
org/&qry=visually+impaired+web+sites&rnk=1&src=DH_Apple_SRCH&u=0283193
096&src=APPLE_SRCH
http://apple.directhit.com/fcgi-bin/RedirURL.fcg?url=http://www.afb.or
g/&qry=visually+impaired+web+sites&rnk=2&src=DH_Apple_SRCH&u=004235888
9&src=APPLE_SRCH
http://apple.directhit.com/fcgi-bin/RedirURL.fcg?url=http://www.cast.o
rg/bobby/&qry=visually+impaired+web+sites&rnk=3&src=DH_Apple_SRCH&u=00
01480986&src=APPLE_SRCH
http://apple.directhit.com/fcgi-bin/RedirURL.fcg?url=http://www.vashti
..net/blind/&qry=visually+impaired+web+sites&rnk=4&src=DH_Apple_SRCH&u=
0055190378&src=APPLE_SRCH
http://access.adobe.com/francais_2.html
http://access.adobe.com/francais_1.html
http://www.encyclopedia.com/articles/50589.html
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