BleepingComputer.com: Browsers For The Visually Impaired

I've got a question for all the visually impaired users out there: What's your preferred browser/browser helper that allows you to enjoy the net and what are your biggest pet peeves about web design?

I know there are screen readers and such available, and that every web design primer worth its salt warns against using designs that aren't screen reader friendly, but they don't really say how to do that.

I'm designing a small site for a group of people and among them are several visually impaired persons. I want to be able to design a site that both looks nice, works well, and is accessible to visually impaired people.

Any thought, suggestions, or pointers are more than welcome! (thumbs up)

That sort of depends on what you mean by visually impaired. That can mean anything from slight color-blindness to complete blindness. You might want to start with Section 508 Compliance Standards

Well, I guess i should go whole hog. By visually impaired I meant people who are legally or totally blind. But I didn't even consider the color blind! It makes sense, though. With the wrong text/background color combo, even a person with 20/20 vision has trouble!

Quote

Most people don't. Here is a web-site hat will mimic what a color blind person sees depending on the type of color-blindness they have (there are a few types). http://colorfilter.wickline.org/

There are tons of other ways people can be 'impaired'. By impaired, I don't mean anything is necessarily wrong with them, they just 'see' differently. Some people have problems with really bright colors. Some people can't differentiate between hues in the same family (ie light red, blood red, dark red, red, barn red, etc). Some people have problems with certain color combinations (red and black on a web page bugs the hell out of my eyes).

Thanks, groovicus, that link is groovy!

groovicus, on Oct 16 2007, 06:57 AM, said:

I think that's a nearly universal affliction!

A visual impairment differs from person to person. Like many things in life you can't tar everybody with the same brush, in that case the best you can do is to try maximise the content and accessability for everybody. I'm visually impaired and work with students that are also VI including blind students.

The best rule to work by is to make things simple as possible. A clear, consicise, structured website is much better than a jazzy looking one. Avoid things like flash animation, if you are using pictures remember to tag them and add a sensible description. When adding links dont use buttons, use text links instead.

For more info please look here at the Royal National Insitude for the Blind located in the United Kingdom.


If you'd like more advice don't hesitate to contact me off the board or PM me.

Quote

Which would completely defeat the purpose of a having a public place to share information, wouldn't it?

groovicus, on Oct 24 2007, 06:01 PM, said:

Fair point, however other boards I've been using have requested such conversations to be held offline or via the PM facility. If anybody would like more advice I'd gladly pass on my comments.

Thanks folks!

Now all I need to do is actually get to work on that site...

Quote

Yeah, that makes those boards just like thousands of other boards that have little useful information. I hate it when I am researching a question and I come across pages that went private. It just seems kind of pointless to have the forum in the first place.

I agree with the Groovicus post above.

Precludes some of us from learning and helping others.