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Usability and Accessibility

Sometimes the hardest thing for Web developers to realize is that the site they are developing is not primarily for them. The second hardest thing to realize is that a Web site's impact goes beyond the Web. A visitor's perception of a Web site affects that person's view of the product or service represented by the site. So, your Web site affects the university, campus and your program or unit's credibility, image and perceived value.

Your site should be developed for its audience; IU Kokomo's audience. Your site should focus on constituent needs, expectations, and user patterns. That's why it is important to conduct basic usability testing while you're developing your site. There are many good resources available to assist with this process. One of the most user-friendly sources is Steve Krug's book: Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability. At less than 200 pages, full of illustrations, it's an easy read and will get you up to speed quickly. You can read a chapter and preview the book at www.sensible.com. This book is available at several IU libraries.

Additionally, accessibility is an important component of usability. It's so important that it gets its own section below. Remember that your site's usability will make the difference between satisfied and dissatisfied visitors. And its implications go beyond the Web. So it's worth your attention.

Usability: basic principles | Accessibility: basic principles

Some basic usability principles

Most important: Keep your audience at the top of your mind during the entire site development process. Other principles:

  • Make it obvious. Design your site and your navigation so it's immediately clear where things are and how to use the site.
  • Make it accurate. Information should be correct and fresh. The site should be free of typographical, style, and other errors.
  • Make it fast. Your pages--especially your home page--should load very quickly in all browsers (e.q. IE, Netscape®, Mozilla®, Firefox®, IE for Mac®).
  • Make it valuable. Give your users what they came for--and then some.
  • Make it searchable. Provide a search function, and optimize your site for presentation on search engines.
  • Design it professionally. Presentation matters.
  • Keep it up to date. Refresh your content; give the visitor a reason to return. It is recommended that you review your site every 3-4 months.
  • Keep your promises. Respond quickly to e-mail and comments. Keep links updated (NO "under construction" pages!).
  • Make yourself (or someone else) accessible by e-mail and/or phone.

Some basic accessibility principles

It is important to make your site as accessible as possible for visitors who have some form of disability--such conditions as blindness, colorblindness, or conditions affecting motor coordination. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C®) has developed guidelines for developing Web sites that accommodate these disabilities. Review the Web Accessibility Initiative.

Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act is also based on these general standards. Section 508 was "enacted to eliminate barriers in information technology, to make available new opportunities for people with disabilities, and to encourage development of technologies that will help achieve these goals." Section 508 Web-based standards are summarized here.

Rules of thumb to help you make your site accessible and compliant with IU Kokomo Web standards (similar suggestions are found under the W3C® Web Accessibility Initiative, etc.):

  • If you are using images or graphics of any kind on your site, use alt tags to describe these elements.
  • If your site has audio or video components, provide captions and transcripts of audio, and written descriptions of video.
  • For links in text, describe the link rather than using "click here."
  • Use a consistent structure in organizing your pages.
  • If you are using graphs or charts, provide a summary.
  • If you are using scripts, applets or plug-ins, provide alternative content for all features that may not be accessible in every browser.
  • Do not use frames.
  • If you wish to use Macromedia® Flash®, do not use Flash as the primary/exclusive navigation tool on your site. Use it only as an auxiliary component of your site. Also, create a mirror site that does NOT require Flash.
  • Use the accessibility verification tools available online at such sites as http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG, through Bobby® (see below), or LiFT®.

A note about Bobby®: Many site developers choose to verify their sites' accessibility using "Bobby." This site allows you to run a scan of your site, which will generate suggestions for how your site's accessibility could be improved. Bobby is not a model for site design, but it does adhere to some good principles for developing accessible sites (especially its "Priority 1 Accessibility" guidelines). Please be aware that Bobby is not the absolute authority on accessibility. Some of the Priority 2 and 3 standards Bobby espouses were developed some time ago and do not always accommodate current trends of Web use. Bobby compliance is NOT required of IU Kokomo sites, but the "Bobby scan" is one way to let you know if you may have missed any important accessibility factors in developing your site.