Website Accessibility

Hello,

I hope I have chosen the correct place to post this question, if not feel free to move it to the appropriate section.

I am a software developer and have recently been trying to research the subject of website accessibility for people with disabilities. In doing so I have found a great deal of opinion and some guidelines. None of it from the perspective of someone with a disability however. They all suggest ways in which internet based applications should be presented to enable all users - regardless of ability - to access, navigate and enjoy the site. Which of course is a good thing. Although the guidelines are good they are also a little confusing and it is unclear whether the suggestions they make are for general accessibility or specifically to address more particular concerns, e.g. how to allow someone with a sight impairment to enjoy a website dominated by images.

To help me understand what my challenges will be when developing web based applications I hoped users of this forum could tell me about their challenges when using the internet. Specifically if you or someone you know has experienced difficulties with website use that relates to a disability.

I would be really keen to hear any stories you have on this subject and I hope that I can use this information in my work to make better websites.

To be clear, I do not wish to use this information for any kind of survey or to name-and-shame any website operators. I will treat any information you supply with respect and confidentiality. Also, stories about internet connection speed or slow computers are beyond the scope of my question as these aspects of internet usage are beyond the control of website developers.

Thanks for your time in reading this and I look forward to hearing from you all soon.

I hate drop-down menus, really hard to click on.

Oh really? What makes them hard to click on? Can you explain what happens?
Thanks.
Antony

I use mouse keys, (the num key pad) When you are selecting an item from the drop-down, if you go off the menu the drop-down menu goes away. This means you have to go back to the top again to activate the drop-down menu again

I think I understand. Does it travel down the menu by exactly one item if you press down once or do you hold it down for as long as you want it to go down? Does it work for any drop-down menu on any website? Also, Do you think this a problem for you because of the mouse keys functionality, or would you feel the same about drop-downs if you used a mouse?

Thanks for this incite.

You have to keep pressing the mouse down key on the keypad. but if you go too far and off the drop-down menu, the menu will fold back up. You can test the mouse keys by switching them on in your control panel.

Im assumming it would be the same with someone who has shaking hands using a mouse!