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By Sandra Vassallo,
e-bility Inclusive IT.
One of the most exciting things about the Internet is its ability to cater to individual needs.
The power of the web is in its universality - access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect" (Tim Berners-Lee W3C Director & inventor of the WWW).
According to SPELD NSW, specific learning difficulties (SLD) affects around 7% of the population, with dyslexia being the most common. People with dyslexia may have difficulty processing written information or numbers, relying on alternative modalities to assist them in understanding content on web sites.
This article looks at ways of enhancing web accessibility and usability for people with reading difficulties from an individual's perspective.
Developers also have a responsibility to design web sites that conform to internationally recognised accessibility standards, such as the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. The developer's task is to make sure the site is written in "Plain Simple English" amongst other things - Another article for another time!
The following suggestions will work best on web sites that are designed with accessibility in mind.
Common problems experienced by individuals with dyslexia when using the Internet include:
These types of designs make it harder to navigate a web site, understand information and complete tasks such as online forms. As a result people with reading difficulties often benefit from being able to customise the way they use a web site. While some things you can't change (eg the content) there are lots of formatting effects that you can adjust to suit your preferences, eg:
The following suggestions can make the Internet easier to use. These include:
Windows
If you are using the Microsoft Windows operating system then you can change the default colours and font size using the Display Properties options for Appearance.
You can also go into "Settings" and adjust the screen resolution. A lower resolution will make the font size bigger. However selecting a higher resolution and then choosing a larger font size may be better, as the text is clearer.
To open the "Display Properties" dialog box: go to "Start", select "Control Panel" from the menu list, then open the "Display" folder (alternatively you can right click on the desktop screen and select properties from the drop down menu).
The Windows Control Panel also has settings for "Accessibility Options". This gives you choices for keyboard preferences (eg Sticky Keys, Filter Keys and Toggle Keys) as well as cursor options (eg flicker rate adjustments).
Other operating systems
If you are using a Linux or Mac operating system you can also customise the display properties in a similar way (check the "help" files for instructions).
Most browsers offer a range of accessibility options that allow you to adjust the font size, style, background colours etc.
In Internet Explorer this can be found under "Tools" - "Internet Options". Remember if you select your own colour and font preferences then you also need to go into "Accessibility" and tick the following three boxes:
This will override the default web site formatting making your preferences the most important!
Similar features can also be found in Netscape, Mozilla and Opera browsers.
There are lots of other browser features and shortcuts that can be useful for people with reading difficulties. These include:
The auto complete feature is available in most of the newer browser versions and some older versions. You need to find this option in your preference settings and turn it on (usually by ticking a box). There is also a form where you can fill in your personal details, such as name, address, phone number etc. Auto complete then references this information and when you type the first few letters it will automatically enter the rest. It is especially useful for entering email addresses into a web form (eg newsletter mailing list), as a spelling error means your request cannot be processed.
Normally when you view a web page the window is framed by the browser toolbar, menu items etc. For someone using a large font size this leaves only a small space available for the web site information. To give yourself a bigger screen view, try pressing the F11 key on the top row of the keyboard. To go back to the normal view press F11 again.
Most browsers have a quick option for increasing and decreasing the font size, relative to your normal viewing preference. In Internet Explorer this is found under "View" - "Text Size". In browsers such as Opera, Mozilla, Netscape you can choose from a range of percentages or type in your own. The Zoom feature will magnify text but does not magnify images (except in the Opera browser).
When you are looking for something on a web page you can go to "Edit" then "Find" and type in the word you are looking for.
You can add web sites that you visit frequently to your list of favourites, making them easier to find next time you are looking for them.
It is also possible to customise the toolbar in most browsers (and programs). When you open your browser for the first time it will have a selection of icons that the developer thinks you will find useful. However, in reality most of us only use a few of the icons. It may be helpful to try and get rid of icons you don't need, as this makes the page less cluttered and frees up precious screen real estate. In Internet Explorer this option can be found under "View" - "Toolbar" - "Customise"
Access Gateway is an online "browser within a browser" providing more control over how web sites are displayed (regardless of which browser you are using). The gateway's main purpose is to make the Web easier to access for people with a print disability (such as users with low vision or dyslexia). It also translates Web pages into other languages and displays them as an image, so they can be displayed when the encodings are not supported by the user's browser.
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) tell a web page how it should look (ie the appearance and formatting of the page) by determining characteristics such as spacing, alignment, positioning, colour, font size, link effects etc. A web site can have more than one style sheet and they are implemented in a "cascading" order, with the user's style sheet taking the highest priority. This feature of CSS allows a user to override the author's styles, enabling individuals to view documents with their own preferred fonts, background colors etc, by specifying them in a user style sheet.
There are lots of cool things you can do with CSS, such as:
Note: The availability and support for CSS varies between browsers, so more advanced features, such as auditory styles or generated content may not work well yet. Some web sites are also coded to prevent users from implementing their own preferences. However, provided you have a standards compliant browser (eg Internet Explorer 5 or higher, Netscape 6 or higher) you should be able to successfully use your own style sheet, and it will make access easier for most sites.
Would you like to create your own User Style Sheet or choose one from a list of Ready-Made User Style Sheets?
Assistive Technology (also called "Enabling Technology") is a tool or piece of equipment that helps you do a specific task or group of tasks. Types of assistive technology for the web include:
There are a variety of programs available that will read web site content out loud, pronouncing words, phrases and sentences. They bring the Internet to life for people with reading, cognitive and learning difficulties, by providing an auditory description of a site's content.
The software will work in different ways depending on the program you choose, eg some programs will read the HTML inside your browser while others allow text to be copied and pasted onto a clip board where it can be reformatted to suit your preferences and/or the document can be saved as an MP3 audio file and played at a time that is convenient.
Some programs only work on selected web sites (if the web developer has subscribed to the service), while other software programs work on all sites.
There is a wide range of text reader software to choose from, including a variety of free or low cost (shareware) options.
Features may include one or more of the following:
One of the best an easiest search tools to use is Google. It has a simple user interface and useful features such as:
Yahooligans is a web search engine designed for kids. The web sites included are geared towards Web surfers aged 7 to 12 and include news and school project resources, as well as fun activities, such as games and jokes. You can even "Ask Earl" a question which is answered online. Earl is described as "a roving web wanderer who answers questions from curious folks like you!".
Another helpful search tool is Web Ferret. Web Ferret lets you search the web quickly and thoroughly by instantly submitting your search query to multiple search engines, and displaying all of the results in a single concise window. Results can be sorted by page Name, Address, Source or Abstract. You can also choose the search engines to query, the number of results to return, and you can enable features like duplicate removal or keyword suggestions, to help you find better results.
Computers are a great tool for people with dyslexia and can help make reading and writing tasks easier. To get the most out of this resource it is worth learning to type quickly.
There are many excellent teaching programs available, as well as special keyboards. The most important thing in making a decision about which software or hardware to purchase is to look at the range of options available and try them out if possible. Suppliers will usually have a demonstration item and downloaded software can often be trialled for 30 days before purchase. My niece who has dyslexia enjoyed Type Quick.
Please let us know if you have other tips or tricks that make surfing the Net easier and we will publish your ideas so others can try them too. Our email is articles@e-bility.com
Jonathan Chetwynd [2 June 2003]
The Peepo Help Page suggests additional ways of configuring your computer, such as alternative keyboard or accessibility settings and useful keyboard shortcuts for people using Windows, eg:
Google links
End of Google links
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