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Artykuł porusza temat wykluczenia cyfrowego osób ze ślepotą barw. Przedstawia ten aspekt w kontekście teoretycznym i praktycznym. Zwraca uwagę na problem z odczytywaniem i interpretacją informacji przez tę grupę osób. Przygotowane zostały sugestie dotyczące dobrych praktyk, które ułatwią osobom ze ślepotą barw poruszanie się po zasobach Internetu. Na ich podstawie opracowano audyt strony internetowej pkp.pl w celu wyeliminowania ewentualnych nieprawidłowości. Skupiono się także na kwestii zasobów, które zostały dostosowane do potrzeb osób z niepełnosprawnościami. Dodatkowo praca została wzbogacona o ankietę przeprowadzoną wśród osób ze schorzeniami wzroku. Pytania dotyczyły ich doświadczeń w Internecie oraz barier, które tam napotykają. Wyniki poddano analizie i zaprezentowano wnioski.

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly integral to various sectors, its potential to enhance accessibility in digital services is of growing interest. This paper explores the influence of AI systems (AIS) on accessibility compliance, specifically within the context of Norway's national e-health service provider Norsk helsenett (NHN). Through a qualitative analysis, we assess how AISs are deployed in frontend programming, user interface design, and accessibility testing at NHN. Our study reveals that while AI has the potential to improve accessibility, it also presents challenges that require robust domain knowledge and effective human oversight. We explore the benefits and limitations using ChatGPT in accessibility testing, GitHub Copilot for generating accessible code, the implications of AI driven design tools, as well as the key differences between developing websites with existing component libraries and developing a simpler website from scratch. This paper aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse on AI and accessibility, offering insights and recommendations for future research and practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessibility of museum websites is important in an inclusive society. Despite international and national legislations and guidelines on digital accessibility for online public services, websites for museums continue to have different accessibility issues, which pose challenges for diverse visitors. This study aims to identify accessibility barriers in Norwegian museum websites and provide recommendations for improvement. In addition, by using both automated testing and manual evaluation, the study will contribute to the discussion on web accessibility evaluation methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Computer Sciences Institute is the property of Lublin University of Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of this paper is to analyze the massive open online courses available on the platform "Coursera" from the perspective of their accessibility for users with disabilities. The analysis was carried out against the guidelines developed by the world wide web consortium in three ways: user testing, heuristic evaluation and automatic audit using selected online tools. Ten users, one of them being an accessibility expert, with different impairments were involved in the research procedure. Their task was to follow a course of their choice and to communicate their observations and comments on the courses with the use of a specially designed questionnaire. Despite the continuous development of Coursera platform, the introduction of new improvements and the implementation of an accessibility policy along with a subpage dedicated to this subject, the participants of the study still faced barriers to digital accessibility. Significant non-compliances with the aforementioned guidelines have been demonstrated through the analysis of the questionnaire results and through a simplified audit of the platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) have been the de facto standard for Web accessibility evaluation for more than two decades and therefore have been introduced into legislation and university curriculum in Computer Science. At The National Distance Education University (UNED) in Spain, we have been teaching the guidelines for the last 15 years but learning how to apply WCAG criteria is complex. In this paper, we present the results of the analysis of students' performance in applying accessibility heuristic evaluation of an online resource (a Massive Open Online Course - MOOC) using WCAG. The experiment was carried out over two academic years to evaluate how accurate and easy it is to understand and use WCAG criteria by trained students as well as their perceptions of usefulness to evaluate accessibility barriers using automatic tools in combination with manual evaluation. Results from the study show that errors identified are aligned with accessibility evaluation literature: 65% of success criteria in WCAG do not reach 80% of agreement among raters which confirms the complexity of WCAG conformance. In total 62 (86%) criteria are marked as not being correctly addressed by automatic tools with an overlap of those showing false positives, and 25 criteria (34%) are indicated as difficult to evaluate manually. While all areas where raters disagree are potential opportunities for WCAG improvement, this research reinforces that WCAG evaluations are complex and difficult even with current automatic tools, and that the possible solutions for the way forward are: (1) a well-defined evaluation protocol including a combination of automatic tools and manual evaluations; (2) better training and professional development opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hospital web pages serve as an interactive communication resource to meet the needs of patients, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders. The aim of this study is to present the accessibility analysis of 58 university hospital websites in Turkey. For this purpose, websites of the selected university hospitals were analyzed using two different online automated testing tools. The results showed that university hospital websites in Turkey had low compliance levels according to the WCAG 2.0 guidelines. Most of the websites did not even meet the minimum requirements for compliance level A. In addition, almost all of the websites had broken links and about a third of the websites had problems with accessing from mobile devices. Moreover, some important clues that draw attention to the accessibility problems of websites are also discussed in this study. Hence, the results of this study provide feedback to developers and administrators to improve the accessibility of these websites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Authoring tools are software programs that allow users to create learning content, lessons, and courses, usually to be used in virtual learning environments. These tools are a reasonable choice for novice users, as they use pre-programmed elements and do not require specific programming skills. However, they do not always meet accessibility guidelines, nor do they ensure that the educational content generated through them is accessible. This study first evaluates the accessibility of four popular free open-source authoring tools based on the ATAG recommendations. Then it evaluates the accessibility of the educational content generated through them based on the WCAG recommendations. These evaluations allow us to identify the level of accessibility of the authoring tools and their potential to help people with disabilities to become not only consumers but also producers of accessible educational content. We conclude that, while much work remains to be done to ensure accessibility, authoring tools are a potential key to effective social inclusion. Based on the findings of this study, we establish a set of recommendations for stakeholders to help close some gaps regarding accessibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of Research in E-Learning is the property of Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Slaskiego and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Making information about language accessible to users has long been a key concern of lexicographic research. Adopting a narrower perspective, this examination of three dictionary websites (collinsdictionary.com , merriam-webster.com, and dle.rae.es) employs the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to examine their accessibility for people with visual impairments. Dictionaries can be motors for social inclusion of this oft-marginalised group since, beyond resolving language doubts, they can also help affirm socio-cultural identities. Unlike paper dictionaries where space-saving conventions make accessibility a challenge, in principle, online resources are adaptable to the needs of users with visual impairments. In practice, although none of the websites evaluated meet any officially recognised WCAG conformance level, they do contain features aimed at improving accessibility for this group. Most impediments to accessibility are the result of ancillary elements such as advertising, social media, games, and word of the day features. Although these ancillary elements may not necessarily be the principal focus of dictionary use, they nonetheless have a negative effect on the accessibility of the dictionary entry itself. This article concludes with suggestions for solving several of these accessibility issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universal design is a strategic approach for planning and designing both the products and their environment, aimed at making a given product available to the widest number of possible users. It ensures equality for all of them and the opportunity to participate in the society. This concept is also crucial in the process of designing and developing software. The research was conducted with the use of four services, three of them were implemented for the purpose of this study. Two of them took into consideration the principles of universal design, while the others did not. The aim of the study was verification of the level of usability and accessibility of services by means of three independent methods: the LUT (Lublin University of Technology) checklist, an assessment taking into account WCAG 2.0 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards using the automatic WAVE evaluation tool (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool) and a device allowing to track the movement of the eye while performing various tasks on websites. The websites were assessed by twenty experts in the field of creating web application interfaces, using the LUT checklist. The time to the first fixation (TTFF) that it took respondents to look at specific website elements was measured using the eye tracker device and iMotions software. All websites were checked by means of the WAVE tool to detect irregularities and non-compliance with universal design standards. The analysis performed clearly indicated that websites that follow the universal design guidelines were more useful, intuitive and accessible for users. It might be concluded that interfaces allow to find necessary information and perform desired actions in a shorter time when prepared in accordance with the principles of universal design.

The convenience and accessibility of e-government services largely determines the success in building/making/creating trusting online relationships with the population and reduces the inequality between different categories of citizens in terms of using online communications with public authorities. The purpose of the research is to identify the main flaws and problems in ensuring convenient and accessible use of public service portals by citizens on the basis of scientific and practical literature and to find approaches to their elimination. The article examines the foreign experience of creating comfortable conditions for electronic interaction of citizens with the government and lists the main errors in the development of interfaces and functionality of government websites and portals. In accordance with the international standards WCAG 2.1, the authors define the key criteria for the convenience and accessibility of web resources. Then they evaluate the compliance of the Gosuslugi web-portal with the formulated requirements and give recommendations on possible ways to improve Russian e-government web resources.

This study explores whether US post-secondary institutions (PPI) follow philosophies to foster inclusive communities, providing resources for those individuals with disabilities thrive socially, personally, and academically, while there have been no thorough studies conducted to determine web accessibility of the nation's top-ranked PPI library webpages. Additionally, this study pioneers in comparison with the accessibility of PPI's library homepages fighting COVID-19. The study evaluated the library homepages of the premium PPIs based on Money.com's 2019 list of "The Best Colleges in America" via the WAVE web accessibility evaluation tool. The outcomes determined that most of the library homepages analyzed were littered with numerous errors, and the shift to online-based research in learning had no significant impact on the number of errors WAVE detected. The disconcerting findings of this study demonstrate the overall failure to recognize the importance of web accessibility or perhaps even the indifference toward accessibility on the part of the PPI community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World Wide Web serves as an excellent platform for information dissemination. Educational institutions such as universities are utilizing the web medium to reach their target audience. In the post-Covid-19 scenario, the web medium has obtained increased significance as it has become the primary access channel to reach these institutions. In this backdrop, it becomes essential to analyze the accessibility of these sites for students with special needs. This paper presents an approach to compute the accessibility of web pages for persons with disabilities. A variable magnitude approach is proposed in this paper for the computation of accessibility barrier count as a combination of two different components. The proposed approach is experimented with top ranked higher educational institution websites of India. Based on the inferences from the results and inputs received from students with disabilities, a set of suggestions have been compiled by this paper to minimize the barriers faced by persons with disabilities in consuming these web resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has provided the most important set of guidelines for web accessibility which is popularly known as Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). The accessibility analysis of higher education websites becomes paramount important to make them inclusive considering the growing number of enrollments of persons with disabilities (PwDs) in higher education, in countries such as India. This paper presents the accessibility analysis of higher education websites with the case study of college websites (N=44) affiliated with the University of Kashmir and Cluster University Srinagar. The study has been carried out with two major accessibility evaluation tools called web accessibility test, denoted as TAW and the accessibility engine powering browser extensions called the accessibility engine, denoted as aXe. This paper lists the major accessibility barriers exposed by these sites in terms of metrics such as a number of problems, warnings and a status of success criteria violations. With respect to TAW tool, a number of problems observed were 2646, a large number of warnings to the scale of 15995 and the not reviewed items were 1356. With aXe tool, the total violations observed were 1951 and items needing review were 1733. Findings of the statistical analysis are also presented in this paper. This paper presents a roadmap of steps for making these websites inclusive and barrier-free for PwDs.

The use of online tools is a common practice for evaluating the accessibility of a website, identifying problems, and providing useful feedback on how to fix detected issues. For ease of accessibility validation, many tools have been developed and implemented successfully over the years. Yet, the results of these tools show differences in terms of coverage, correctness, and reporting-related issues. In this study, we compared online accessibility evaluation tools to understand to what extent they differ in detecting accessibility problems in websites. A total of 41 government websites of different countries were tested for violations of accessibility guidelines using six evaluation tools. We observed that each tool generated different evaluation data for the same websites. As some of the tools are complementary to each other, meaning the highest coverage and completeness can be possible with the right combination of evaluation tools. Therefore, we suggest different tools should be utilized to provide consistency and obtain reliable data from online evaluation tools, thereby improving tool effectiveness.

When a website is not accessible for users with disabilities, there is a cost imposed on that user. This study quantifies the time disparity experienced by blind users when they encounter web accessibility barriers. The resulting data illustrates a significant reason why web accessibility is imperative, by highlighting and measuring the cost of inaccessibility through the lens of the inequity that accessibility barriers place on the time of users with disabilities in both personal and business settings. This data is needed for policymakers who are creating new regulations or statutes, as well as for informing future technical standards for web accessibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article addresses the problem of accessibility of dynamic web content that is created when developing web pages and services. It discusses basic issues about the accessibility of digital objects and web page content. The aim of the article is to present a method for designing accessibility in the creation of dynamic web content in websites of Paisii Hilendarski Plovdiv University. The developed method is presented through the life cycle of its model, which is applied in parallel with the implementation of a software process in the renewal of the web infrastructure of the university. The method is built on standards, principles, guidelines, accessibility criteria, and techniques for creating and validating web content of the Web Accessibility Initiative. The main standards to which the method adheres are the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and the Technical Specifications for Accessible Rich Internet Applications. It has been tested in the design and implementation of part of the web content of the web infrastructure of the university created after 2020, which is accessible through the main domain https://uni-plovdiv.bg and many of its sub-domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sudden transfer of in-class education to remote teaching and learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic was stressful for all, particularly for the differently abled students. It seems that most of them were literally abandoned and missed out on their education. The learning results of those who were enabled to remotely learn significantly decreased, undermining their already low self-esteem. Even hybrid education challenged the inclusiveness in primary and secondary schools, disabling children with special needs to learn and actively participate in education. On the other hand, remote education enabled modernization of traditional education that will soon become part of the new normal. The main prerequisite to incorporating remote learning and teaching as a complementary part of education is to adapt it to all students, regardless of their abilities. Our major motivation presented in this paper was to resolve the dilemma of whether the essential groundwork for the inclusiveness of remote education exists. The research behind it examined the accessibility of learning management systems, audio and video teleconferencing applications, and massive open online courses, which are crucial to the move from onsite to online education. Four impairments: motor, vision, hearing and cognitive were carefully explored in line with WCAG 2.1 recommendations. The current state of the synergy between the components was assessed carefully and thoroughly. For each of the four impairments, the compliance with WCAG 2.1 is presented in detail and discussed. Based on the research findings, recommendations for making remote learning more accessible to students with special needs are proposed, with the goal of enabling everyone to receive a broad education without discrimination based on disability [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polish Platform of Medical Research provides open access to scientific resources, including full text publications, PhD theses and other repository documents. One of the assumptions behind the project was to adapt all files posted on the platform to the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) to reach a wide audience, including people with disabilities. To implement that assumption, we had to restructure all files, describe their headings, and meet several other requirements laid down in the WCAG. Each file had to be adjusted separately before uploading it to the platform, which was often challenging and time-consuming. The article outlines the principles for tagging PDF files to convert them in line with the WCAG.

In this article we discuss the contribution of digitalisation for equal participation in higher education. Its potential is often postulated, but accessibility is seldom examined in this context. Despite the challenges and difficulties created in the summer term of 2020, this semester has provided a great opportunity to collect data on digital teaching, as face‐to‐face teaching needed to be transformed into digital teaching. Based on two surveys conducted in the summer of 2020, current practices and students’ needs regarding accessibility are outlined. Despite the circumstances, it can be derived from the surveys that digital teaching generally provides a variety of advantages for students with disabilities, although some tools and platforms remain not fully accessible to them. Additionally, the results indicate that not only students with sensory impairments benefit from the principles of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (2018). In particular, the principles ‘operable’ and ‘understandable’ are beneficial for students with mental health difficulties. Regarding the assessment of accessibility features, the study shows that the perception of students with and without impairments is very similar.

Purpose: Some universal accessibility practitioners have voiced that they experience a mismatch in the research focus and the need for knowledge within specialized problem domains. This study thus set out to identify the balance of research into the main areas of accessibility, the impact of this research, and how the research profile varies over time and across geographical regions. Method: All UAIS papers indexed in Scopus were analysed using bibliometric methods. The WCAG taxonomy of accessibility was used for the analysis, namely perceivable, operable, and understandable. Results: The results confirm the expectation that research into visual impairment has received more attention than papers addressing operable and understandable. Although papers focussing on understandable made up the smallest group, papers in this group attracted more citations. Funded research attracted fewer citations than research without funding. The breakdown of research efforts appears consistent over time and across different geographical regions. Researchers in Europe and North America have been active throughout the last two decades, while Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Middle East became active in during the last five years. There is also seemingly a growing trend of out-of-scope papers. Conclusions: Based on the findings, several recommendations are proposed to the UAIS editorial board. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New methods of identifying and fixing accessibility issues on websites are presented in this article. The websites taken into consideration by the research are created with content management systems (like WordPress or Joomla!). Our main goal was to develop different methods to improve accessibility that may be used by various user groups (website creators, operators, content editors). Some of our methods are easy to use, some need more proficiency. The three methods we have developed (CSS/SCSS class override, MVC-based extension override, HTML output override) are described in detail. The use of an already existing method (Data entry checking) is also introduced, as well as some development options of this method. Each method is introduced in general, furthermore an example of their usage is also presented. Using the proposed methods, websites can fulfil the recommendations of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) in order to make the content of the websites more accessible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nowadays, patients have access to all types of health information on the internet, influencing their decision-making process. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region consists of 22 countries with an estimated population of around 600 million. Breast cancer is the highest diagnosed cancer in this region. Websites are commonly the go-to cancer information sources. A large population of the MENA region is only fluent in the Arabic language, thus access to Arabic websites is in more demand. However, little is known about breast cancer websites that cater to an Arabic-speaking audience. This study aims at evaluating Arabic breast cancer websites and offering recommendations to improve engagement and access to health information.Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional analysis approach. Google trends was used to reveal the top searched topics across the MENA region, which in turn were used as search terms to identify the websites. To be included, a website had to be active, available in Arabic, and contain breast cancer information. The evaluation was based on a combination of automated and expert-based evaluation methods through five dimensions: Availability, Accessibility, Readability, Quality, and Popularity.Results: Overall most of the websites performed poorly in the five dimensions and require careful reassessment concerning design, content, and readability levels; Only one website performed well in all dimensions, except for readability. Generally, the readability scores indicated that the websites were above the recommended level of reading. None of the websites passed the automated accessibility tests. The expert evaluation using the "Health on the Net" checklist showed good results for most websites.Conclusions: Breast cancer rates are rising in the MENA region, therefore having comprehensive, accurate, trustworthy, and easy-to-understand health information in their native language is a must. The results from this study show a need for improving the accessibility to breast cancer information websites available to Arabic speakers. The search was limited to three search engines yielding 10 websites and only one tool was used per dimension. Future work is needed to overcome these limitations. Collaboration between multiple stakeholders is necessary to develop websites that contain easy-to-read and understand high-quality information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated a long-term trend in libraries toward the generation of online learning objects. These materials in the library space are unique compared to those generated in other fields, as libraries frequently make them available for access on their website, or through library-owned social media channels, in formats meant to be available to all. This article looks at major types of library online learning objects and surfaces the most impactful areas of work for librarians and other education professionals interested in improving accessibility and accessibility compliance. The article and discussion are meant to provide an overview of critical WCAG 2.1 standards in relation to learning object types to make the practical implementation of accessibility less overwhelming. To supplement these recommendations, the authors have provided exhaustive lists of WCAG 2.1 criteria applicable to each learning object in the Appendixes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid spread of smart mobile technology is transforming the way how governments provide information and services to their citizens. We all are rely more on our devices, namely smartphones, laptops, or desktop to get information and a wide range of services from government websites. Such heavy usage of government websites results in an increased need for efficient and effective delivery of government services. Therefore, mobile government websites’ usability and accessibility are essential dimensions that determine the quality and accessibility of mobile e-government. The main objective of this research is to analyze the accessibility and usability aspects of selected public sector websites in Saudi Arabia. This study investigates how well the Saudi mobile e-government websites comply with usability standards and accessibility guidelines recommended in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Websites assessments were conducted using manual evaluation and complemented by different automated analysis tools. This study applies a number of evaluation techniques to assess Saudi government websites accessed from desktop or mobile devices, such as an automated website testing technique, mobile-friendliness testing, and content observation technique. Various tools have been used for site evaluation, such as GTmetrix (PageSpeed Score, YSlow Score), WAVE, Google mobile-friendly test, and Dareboost for mobile websites. The study uncovers shortcomings regarding non-compliance to international web standards recommendations. The findings revealed usability and accessibility problems that affect the performance of government websites. In order to improve these websites within these aspects, several recommendations were suggested for improving the usability and accessibility of websites in Saudi Arabia that will make sure different groups of citizens are satisfied with the website features and services provided by them.

There are millions of people worldwide using e-Learning platforms. However, people with disabilities still have problems using these platforms due to a lack of accessibility. In the present study, a model for the generation of the profiles of users with disabilities is proposed. This model enables e-Learning platforms to have information on users’ accessibility needs as input for automated adaptation of its interfaces. This would enable equal access for all learners with and without disabilities. In this context, different studies related to the profiling of users on e-Learning platforms were identified and analyzed. The model presented considers the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) that can be implemented in the interfaces of the e-Learning platforms and the metadata that represent the accessibility needs of users based on Schema.org. The researchers used Unified Modelling Language diagrams to design the model and define a description of the interaction between users, user interfaces, WCAG, Schema.org., and the eXtensible Markup Language (XML) profile generated. The testing of the prototype was carried out using WAVE and ARC Toolkit. The validation with the support of forty-four users was conducted using the System Usability Scale (SUS). The most outstanding results of this study are the identification of WCAG success criteria that are automatically implementable, the inclusion of two special categories for combined accessibility needs related to the elderly and linguistics, and the automatic generation of the profile as an XML file containing the metadata needed to enable the adaptation of e-Learning platform interfaces.

The lack of accessibility on websites can result in people with disabilities not accessing information online. Therefore, this research aims to create a process model for continuous web accessibility testing by adapting and customizing three methodologies: Deming cycle (Plan, Do, Check, Act), Website Accessibility Conformance Evaluation Methodology (WCAG-EM), and Total Quality Management. The process model is composed of four phases. The first phase (Plan) allows defining the accessibility problem, its importance, and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) against which it will be evaluated. In addition, determine the current situation of the websites, the potential causes of accessibility problems, classify the success criteria by principles, guidelines, and levels of conformity, to elaborate the solution plan and the action plan. The second phase (Do) allows the execution of the action plan to correct the accessibility problems. In this phase, we should perform continuous testing with automatic evaluation tools, end-users, and experts to corroborate that the changes have had an effect. The third phase (Check) allows measuring compliance and non-compliance with the defined Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). This phase also explains the reasons for non-compliance. The fourth and last phase (Act) documents the solutions learned for inclusion in future developments. This research results in the process model for continuous web accessibility and its testing through a case study to corroborate its functionality and applicability. In conclusion, the proposed model allows continuous evaluation, monitoring, and feedback on compliance with accessibility rules, policies, and standards on websites with automatic evaluation tools, end-users, and experts. We plan to adapt the process model to different workgroups in future work, such as developing accessible mobile applications and producing accessible electronic documents.

The Internet of Things approaches applied in the context of home automation have been an important promise to improve the lives of users with visual impairments. However, there are few research studies that result in well-established techniques and guidelines for making these applications accessible for use with screen reading software or other adjustments required by visually impaired users. This article presents an analysis of design features to help design more affordable mobile home automation applications for visually impaired users. The analysis was carried out through tests by seven visually impaired users on a prototype developed in previous studies. Despite the limitations in the proof-of-concept prototype used in this study, users found the application promising and highlighted the need for improvements in the field, highlighting the opportunities to provide home automation applications to enhance independent living scenarios. The article also shows the challenges to be faced in these applications, considering the current limitations with support for mobile interaction through screen readers for applications that are very intensive in terms of dynamic elements and the need for immediate and accurate feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has provided the most important set of guidelines for web accessibility which is popularly known as Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). The accessibility analysis of higher education websites becomes paramount important to make them inclusive considering the growing number of enrollments of persons with disabilities (PwDs) in higher education, in countries such as India. This paper presents the accessibility analysis of higher education websites with the case study of college websites (N = 44) affiliated with the University of Kashmir and Cluster University Srinagar. The study has been carried out with two major accessibility evaluation tools called web accessibility test, denoted as TAW and the accessibility engine powering browser extensions called the accessibility engine, denoted as aXe. This paper lists the major accessibility barriers exposed by these sites in terms of metrics such as a number of problems, warnings and a status of success criteria violations. With respect to TAW tool, a number of problems observed were 2646, a large number of warnings to the scale of 15995 and the not reviewed items were 1356. With aXe tool, the total violations observed were 1951 and items needing review were 1733. Findings of the statistical analysis are also presented in this paper. This paper presents a roadmap of steps for making these websites inclusive and barrier-free for PwDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Paper highlights the Web-based Information Services for the Visually Challenged Persons at the Universities in West Bengal and it also explain how the Universities have improved the accessibility of their web site, aiming for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Website of an institution plays a key role in information dissemination. Nowadays we are shifting from traditional to digital environment and the access of digital information is more sensible and attractive. This paper could help the authorities to improve web site accessibility, as it covers negotiating with suppliers to upgrade their website. The results show that the most common checkpoint violations involve the provision of text alternatives for non-text content, contrast errors and the need to increase the computability of web pages with future technologies and tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of research. The paper provides an overview of international and state standards in the field of web resources accessibility for persons with disabilities in order to create guidance for using existing standards in the development of industry regulations, including the area of e-learning technologies.Results of recent studies indicate low accessibility of Russian-language mass open online courses for people with disabilities. Studying the content and implementing mechanisms of existing web accessibility standards can be useful for finding effective solutions that will help to provide an access to educational online services for students with special needs.Material and methods. The list of accessibility policies available on the official website of the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) was used as a basis for the review. Original versions of international and state standards pertaining to the web-accessibility policies have been studied. The study found relevant updates and additional documents, which were also included into the review. The materials of the Rosstandart (Federal Agency on Technical Regulating and Metrology) and Tekhekspert resources were used for the analysis of the Russian Federation standards.Results. The provisions of the international standard in the field of web accessibility – the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) – have been studied. It was found that almost all the foreign national standards are identical to one of the latest versions of the WCAG or are an adapted version of WCAG. It justified the need to follow the WCAG guidelines for developing new policies and accessibility standards. A comparative analysis of the national state standard GOST R 52872-2019 and WCAG 2.1 revealed the identity of the requirements. At the same time, GOST R 52872-2019 extends its requirements on any information presented in the electronic digital form that is utilizing web technologies or similar technologies. The web accessibility requirements governing the accessibility of educational resources for individuals with disabilities were not found in the existing Russian Federation standards in the field of e-learning.Conclusion. It is necessary to rely on the current international accessibility standard WCAG 2.1 in the development of industry standards in the field of information and communication technologies. The national state standard GOST R 52872-2019 can be recommended as a basis for modification industry standards of the Russian Federation, in particular, in the field of e-learning in terms of web accessibility.

Today, there are many e-commerce websites, but not all of them are accessible. Accessibility is a crucial element that can make a difference and determine the success or failure of a digital business. The study was applied to 50 e-commerce sites in the top rankings according to the classification proposed by ecommerceDB. In evaluating the web accessibility of e-commerce sites, we applied an automatic review method based on a modification of Website Accessibility Conformance Evaluation Methodology (WCAG-EM) 1.0. To evaluate accessibility, we used Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool (WAVE) with the extension for Google Chrome, which helps verify password-protected, locally stored, or highly dynamic pages. The study found that the correlation between the ranking of e-commerce websites and accessibility barriers is 0.329, indicating that the correlation is low positive according to Spearman’s Rho. According to the WAVE analysis, the research results reveal that the top 10 most accessible websites are Sainsbury’s Supermarkets, Walmart, Target Corporation, Macy’s, IKEA, H&M Hennes, Chewy, Kroger, QVC, and Nike. The most significant number of accessibility barriers relate to contrast errors that must be corrected for e-commerce websites to reach an acceptable level of accessibility. The most neglected accessibility principle is perceivable, representing 83.1%, followed by operable with 13.7%, in third place is robust with 1.7% and finally understandable with 1.5%. Future work suggests constructing a software tool that includes artificial intelligence algorithms that help the software identify accessibility barriers.

BACKGROUND: In the tourism industry, people with disabilities (PwD) are frequently excluded from certain activities. The Internet is one of the most used information sources for planning tourism trips. However, the level of accessibility of information disseminated by the tourism industry through websites is still very low. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the existence of diversity in Web accessibility in the tourism industry. METHODS: A systematic literature review method was used for the identification, selection, and evaluation of the published research on Web accessibility in the tourism industry. A set of 40 papers obtained from relevant scientific databases, and complemented with a snowballing effect, was synthesized and analyzed. RESULTS: Low levels of diversity of Web accessibility were found in the different tourism activities analyzed. The majority of studies published in this field are relatively recent and both manual and automated methods were employed. Web accessibility failures were mainly related to lack of connectivity with assistive technologies, complex layout, and navigation difficulties. CONCLUSION: The results obtained in this systematic literature review provide important contributions to increase knowledge of Web accessibility in the tourism industry. Moreover, practical and theoretical contributions can help Web developers creating more accessible tourism websites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El/la profesional del diseño gráfico es cada vez más flexible y se adapta a un contexto en constante transformación, con un gran compromiso con la sociedad, y sensibilidad con la inclusión y la accesibilidad. El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar la importancia del diseño gráfico en la creación de un sitio web accesible conforme a las WCAG del W3C. Los resultados muestran la importancia del perfil del diseñador/a gráfico. En total, el 51,28% de los criterios de conformidad de las WCAG tienen en el perfil del diseñador/a gráfico a uno de sus responsables principales.

Accessible online courses enable learning and promote equity. This paper reviews seven national and statewide online course design instruments and identifies 14 recurrent accessibility themes that occur in two to six instruments. This paper then discusses how these recurrent themes address the accessibility guidelines from the Office of Civil Rights, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and the framework of Universal Design for Learning. This paper outlines research-supported design practices that promote accessibility and, in turn, increase learning, engagement, and equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This exploratory study investigated the web accessibility of 54 official COVID-19 vaccine registration websites in the US and their concordance with the WCAG 2.0 and 2.1 guidelines. We employed AChecker, WAVE, and SortSite web accessibility evaluation tools to conduct automated analyses of these websites. The results showed suboptimal compliance with WCAG 2.0 and 2.1 guidelines, as determined using the AChecker, WAVE, and SortSite tools. These shortcomings in compliance may pose difficulties to users with disabilities as they access information on the websites. Based on our findings, we offered recommendations for states and other authorities to improve the accessibility of their websites to ensure that users with disabilities can independently schedule vaccination appointments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digitalization and technological innovations provide many benefits for citizens worldwide, increasing the quality of life in several ways, including by enhancing access to information. However, people with disabilities can face challenges when retrieving online information as they often use assistive technologies that might not be fully supported by web pages. Municipalities' websites are an important source of information for all citizens, regardless of their individual characteristics. To be able to support all citizens' needs, several standards provide support for web developers. One of the standards is "Standard EN 301 549–Accessibility requirements suitable for public procurement of ICT products and services" in Europe. This study addresses the accessibility of public government services, more specifically municipalities' websites, where there are still accessibility challenges. With a systematic literature review, we found no studies that would analyze the government web pages' compliance with Standard EN 301 549. Therefore, this research had two main research goals: (1) to verify whether the websites of Slovenian municipalities were compliant with the Standard EN 301 549 in the years 2017 and 2018, and (2) to compare the results before and after the adoption of Standard EN 301 549 in Slovenia. The answers to the research questions were obtained with an accessibility evaluation of 189 Slovenian municipalities' websites. The results, based on a descriptive analysis, indicate that, in 2017, none of the evaluated websites were fully compliant with the web content requirements of Standard EN 301 549, while at the end of 2018, 62 websites (33%) were fully compliant with the aforementioned standard. Furthermore, the results from an extended statistical analysis indicate improvement in websites standard compliance in 2018, even significant improvement for some web requirements after the adoption of the standard. A secondary contribution of this research is twofold: (1) a detailed presentation of the accessibility evaluation procedure and (2) its application on a specific domain (government domain) and in a specific geographical area (Slovenia). The same procedure could be applied to other domains and other countries around Europe (or even around the world in case Standard EN 301 549 is replaced with a relevant accessibility standard that applies to the chosen area of research). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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We present a novel and versatile online resource named Clothes4all which is a website, web application, and tool likewise, and which can be used to study various aspects of web accessibility. The article elaborates on the tool's development, its features and possibilities, as well as use and potential methodology. Clothes4all mimics a web shop for clothes and consists as such of a set of coherent web pages that can be freely used, studied, and extended as desired, in particular aiming at user trials. The site's main feature is that single or multiple accessibility barriers can be injected into or removed from its web pages in a controlled manner. The primary application area of Clothes4all is the testing and validation of accessibility checkers and validators themselves, and hereby the site is expected to eventually contribute to more accessible web pages. A secondary application area is education, as Clothes4all is a great resource to learn about web technologies, web accessibility, assistive technology, user diversity, impairments, and other aspects of online accessibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]