WCAG 2.0 Standards: A Challenge for Software – A Needed Standard for the Visually Impaired
Originally posted May 28, 2008
AJAX, dynamic HTML, other client browser side technologies and Web 2.0 data integration have greatly enhanced the end users’ experience on the Web. With these technologies, persons with visual impairment have been given a challenge in being able to access the Web. Alternative information can be used to describe Flash animations and graphics, but screen readers alone cannot overcome synchronous presentation of parallel multimedia information.
Persons with visual impairments encounter a unique challenge when attempting to interact with current generation multimedia content developed online. Multimedia content including video, audio and animations are often presented to the user in a synchronous manner with other visual and text elements. Video displayed on a page at the same time with text transcripts, still images and presentation slides work to generate a rich, pleasing experience for sighted users. The introduction of a time element creates a burden for the visually impaired person who must consume the material in a serial (audio and tactile) fashion.
If the visually impaired person is to have a rich and equivalent experience, the system needs to present the material in a non-linear and asynchronous manner. This presents a technical challenge to software developers presenting multimedia in parallel streams of information. The visually impaired user must be queued to consume alternative information. The software must provide a way for the user to pause streams of information, consume alternative information and resume the stream. DigitalChalk is looking at ways to meet these challenges with its course authoring and delivery system.