Internet research: Web accessibility

In the course of taking an online class in advanced Internet searching, I am researching Web site accessibility.

According to Katie Cunningham, author of the Accessibility Handbook (O’Reilly Media), web accessibility can cover four groups: people with visual, physical, hearing and cognitive impairments. As a woman on the autism spectrum, I am a personal stakeholder in web accessibility.

The subject is additionally timely, given a focus on “Technology in the Library” in American Libraries’ “Librarian’s Library” column (May 2013). Among books recommended by columnist Karen Muller: Disability and the Internet: Confronting a Digital Divide by policy specialist Paul T. Jaeger (Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2011):

“Jaeger provides solidly researched background on the laws that should guide provision of Internet services but also points out where accommodations fail to meet people’s needs -- whether at work, school, or the library. After enumerating the barriers, he describes the evaluations that are needed and the policy reforms we should be seeking and advocating.”

The first phase of my assignment was to locate two sources for background information:

• Henry, Shawn Lawton and Liam McGee, eds. “Accessibility.” Web Design and Applications. W3C, 2013. Web. 24 June 2013

• Hricko, Mary. Design And Implementation Of Web-Enabled Teaching Tools. Hershey, PA: Information Science Pub, 2002. EBSCOHost eBook Collection. Cuesta College Library. Web. 24 June 2013.

Hricko’s book seems valuable for its focus upon web-enabled teaching and issues of accessibility in distance education. The W3C document was accessed via Google search, “accessibility in website design.”