공통영어2 능률(오선영) LESSON 4

▣ Opening Up the Web to Everyone

Imagine you have fallen down and broken your right arm. There are some things that would be difficult to do with your injured arm. For example, you might not be able to carry heavy boxes or ride your bike. What about accessing the Internet? If you are right-handed, using a computer mouse or touchscreen with your left hand would be awkward and take a lot of time. However, this is a minor challenge compared to what some of us face on the Internet. For people with certain disabilities, many websites can be nearly impossible to use. This is the reason why web accessibility is important. Web accessibility is the practice of making sure that websites can be used by everyone, including people with disabilities. So what exactly makes a website accessible? Here are some common features of accessible websites.

 

 

▣ Text Descriptions of Images

Along with text, most websites include other forms of information, such as images. Sometimes such visual information is important for understanding the text. This is a problem for users with visual disabilities. When they go on a website, they often use programs called "screen readers," which read online text aloud. However, these programs cannot "read" images.

Accessible websites solve this problem by providing alternative text, also known as "alt text." Alt text is a brief description of non-textual information. For instance, if an image shows a group of students, its alt text would explain how many students are in the image and what they are doing. Screen readers can detect this alt text and read it aloud. This way, alt text ensures that people with visual disabilities can access more of the information on a website.

 

 

 

 

▣ Transcripts and Captions for Multimedia Content

In some cases, audio content cannot be accessed or understood. Some people may have hearing disabilities, while others might be in places where they can't listen to audio, such as a quiet library. Therefore, accessible websites often offer other ways to access information that is presented in audio form.

For example, they may provide transcripts or captions that can help users access this information. Transcripts are text versions of the entire audio content, while captions are text versions of the audio that appear in a video as it plays. Captions include not only the text version of the spoken words but also descriptions of the music and other sounds in the video.

 

▣ Content That Is Easy to See and Hear

Having a visual disability doesn't necessarily mean a person can't see at all. Some people, including many elderly people, simply have poor eyesight. This makes it difficult for them to read. For this reason, accessible websites have a background color that contrasts with the color of their text. This makes the text clear enough for most people to see.

As for audio content, accessible websites allow users to adjust the volume of background sound or to turn it off altogether. This gives users both with and without hearing difficulties more control over their experience while they are using the sites.

 

▣ Complete Navigation Using the Keyboard

Some users have disabilities that limit the movement of their hands. They rely on their keyboards, rather than a mouse, to navigate websites. On accessible websites, users can access everything on the site using only a keyboard. This means that links, buttons, and fields, which are spaces where information is entered, can be accessed through keyboard navigation. Users navigate the websites by making use of keys such as the space bar, the arrow keys, the enter key, and the tab key. For example, they can use the tab key to jump from one part of a web page to another. Both users with disabilities and those with temporarily injured hands can benefit from this kind of navigation.

 

▣ Indicators Other than Color That Convey Information

Color blindness is a common visual disability. People with color blindness find it difficult to tell some colors apart. This can cause problems, especially when graphs and charts only use colors to show the differences between sets of information. Accessible websites use other indicators along with the colors. For example, a line in green may also be dotted, while a line in blue is solid. This ensures that everyone can tell the two lines apart.

 

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The accessibility features of websites don't just help people with disabilities. They can make online experiences easier for everyone, regardless of abilities or situations. When websites are easy to navigate and understand, we can all benefit from a more inclusive online experience. Connect to the Big Question

 

 

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▣ Culture Note

Making the Web More Culturally Accessible

Reading and writing systems are different across cultures. People from Western cultures read and write from left to right, while those from some Middle Eastern cultures read and write from right to left. People from some Eastern cultures, like that of Japan, read and write from top to bottom . Some global websites take these differences into consideration and adjust their websites for people in different regions. In countries where text is read from right to left, the website's search button is on the left and the logo is on the right. If you visit the same websites in a different language setting, you will see a different format.