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Last week, my clairvoyance proved correct. The National Federation of the Blind of Massachusetts and nine blind individuals filed suit against AOL in U.S. District Court in Boston. The NFB's suit alleges that AOL is violating title III of the ADA (P.L. 101-336) by designing its service so that it is incompatible with screen-access software for blind people. With 19 million subscribers, AOL is the world's largest Internet service provider. The suit asks the court to order AOL to make its service accessible to screen-access software. The suit contends AOL designed its proprietary software to be incompatible with screen-access programs and has failed to remove communication barriers, thus denying blind people independent service. Rich D'Amato, an AOL spokesman, says the company is "in the development process of making AOL accessible to blind people, and the software will be ready next year." He added: "Making AOL accessible to blind people is a high priority for the corporation, and making AOL accessible is doing the right thing." UNLABELED GRAPHICS: BAD. Blind people use screen-access software to monitor the computer screen and convert text into synthesized speech or into Braille on a device known as a refreshable Braille display. For screen access to be successful, the commercial software must provide text labels for all graphics, must be able to define the content with a cursor, must permit keyboard access to all functions, and must rely on standard Windows controls, such as dialog boxes, list boxes, edit boxes. These are the pull-down menus of user options at the top and bottom of your computer screen. Here's the problem: AOL uses proprietary software employing unlabeled graphics. These are commands that can be activated only by using a mouse to click on AOL's on-screen controls, and custom controls painted on the computer screen. Screen-access programs don't read unlabeled graphics. Nor do they provide an effective way to manipulate a mouse pointer, or read or activate nonstandard custom controls painted on the screen. The NFB has a checklist of technical requirements for the programs that blind users rely on to work. Here's what the organization recommends to ensure that your Web site is accessible for blind persons: 1. Avoid multicolumn presentations or tables. Most access technology for blind people reads across the screen, one entire line at a time, turning multiple columns into abstract poetry. 2. When encoding hypertext links on your Web page -- those highlighted words or phrases that take you to another Web page when you click on them -- include enough words in the link so it can stand alone. If a blind computer user encounters a link that reads "click here," "this," or "click this," it's difficult for the software to comprehend. A word or phrase that describes the purpose of the link is more helpful. Instead of saying "You can find out about our exciting offer -- simply click here," say something like "Check out our EXCITING OFFER!" 3. Adjacent hypertext links should also be separated. If two adjacent links are too close or separated only by a carriage return, some screen access programs will incorrectly treat these as a single link and thereby provide the blind user with bad information. Blank characters, images, or bullets are fine; just don't place spaces next to a carriage return. 4. Include an alternative, short text description for all images that appear on your Web page. This is essential if a blind person is to learn the meaning of a graphical object that can't be seen with a screen-access system. Blind users often turn off the graphics on their Web browsers. Unless an alternative text description is provided, there's be no way for the graphical object to be detected. 5. For simple images, avoid a long text description, e.g., alt="Bulleted item," which clutters the screen and generates excessive verbiage when a speech-based screen reading system is used. It is better to use bulleted lists (the <UL> code in HTML) or simple elements to indicate bullets like the asterisk or small letter "o." These are good alternative text choices in the <img src... > code, but remember to always include one space after the character you choose (e.g., ALT="* " or ALT= "o "). 6. Avoid using images as hypertext links, to send users to other Web pages. If a blind person is using a text-only browser or if graphics are turned off, the link won't be detected. If you must use an image as a hypertext link, include a separate text file to give a description and/or transcript of the image. 7. If image maps (ISMAP) are present on your Web pages, for example, a map of Virginia that you can click on to get information about different parts of the state, always provide an alternative means for selecting the places contained within the maps, placing them in text directly above or below the image map. Be sure to include instructions for the blind user. Image maps can't be used with text-only browsers. 8. If documents must be provided in a specialized format -- for example, graphically based file formats such as a chart -- provide the equivalent text file in HTML or plain text format. Some Web sites are introducing special data structures, or providing special functions not available with typical Web browsing software. Often, the only way to view these custom data is with special viewers. As a rule, standard-access tools for the blind don't work with special viewers. 9. Provide an optional e-mail address for users to submit required information as an alternative to using forms. Most forms aren't a problem for blind people using browsers such as Lynx for Unix and Internet Explorer for Windows. For some users, however, filling out forms that have been sent to them via e-mail is easier to do than filling out a form through a Web browser. 10. Provide an alternative text description for Java APPLETs, the programs that drive many of the animated graphics you currently see on Web sites. Java APPLETs are difficult for blind people to use, particularly when graphics has been turned off. For example, if you use a Java APPLET to display an animated object, there's no way for the blind person to know that you have done so. 11. If your page is designed using HTML frames, creating windows of information inside the Web page, then consider including an alternative layout within a NOFRAMES element. The text-based browsers favored by many blind users lack the ability to process HTML frames. Even if you have access to a browser that can handle frames, navigating through frames with screen access technology is time-consuming. The technology exists to redesign the AOL Internet service so blind people can have access. Microsoft, AT&T, and Mindspring all currently use access technology for blind users. The NFB says there are more than 600,000 blind people and more 8 million visually impaired people in the U.S. These are large numbers. Worldwide, the numbers of blind and visually impaired people reach into the hundreds of millions. AOL has said that its company programmers are working on new software that will allow visually impaired computer users to access AOL next year. But I still wonder: Why is it taking so long for AOL to make its Internet service accessible to visually impaired computer users? As the leading ISP in the world, why didn't AOL take the initiative on its own to provide access to its service for blind people from the start? Why did it have to come to a lawsuit? The NFB says it doesn't have any other ISPs in its sights for a lawsuit. But which is sounder business policy -- to spend money defending the company against lawsuits, or to design your company's Web site so that the disabled can access it. Nine times out of 10, the second option will cost far less money. The numbers and market are there to make the Net accessible to all people, including those with disabilities. It's about time common sense and good business practices prevail in the accessibility market. Here are some relevant Web sites that can help you in designing an accessible Web site: http://www.trace.wisc.edu/docs/html_guidelines/htmlgide.htm; http://www.w3.org/wai/references; and http://www.cast.org/bobby Share your opinion of Bowe's new book on BW Online's Assistive Tech Forum. Or, if you have a question about assistive technology, write to John at JMMAW@aol.com EDITED BY DOUGLAS HARBRECHT |
