NSCA Promotes Web Site Accessibility

The NSCA is committed to making our information available to those with disabilities. Because of this, we have completed an overhaul of our web site to comply with the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0.

Accessibility Checkpoints

In restructuring our web site, we focused on the following accessibility checkpoints:

Use the alt attribute to provide text equivalents for images. Use alt=“” for images that do not convey important information or are used solely for design purposes.
Provide transcripts of audio content.
Provide keyboard-accessible content for scripts. If the content is not accessible, provide an alternative.
Provide alternate content for applets and plug-ins which are not keyboard accessible.
Explicitly associate form labels with form items using the label tag.
Provide method for skipping over navigation links to get to main content of page.
Avoid the use of frames.
Web pages are readable without requiring style sheets.
Use the th element to mark up table heading cells for data tables.
Ensure that all information that is conveyed with color is also conveyed in the absence of color.
Avoid causing content to blink or flicker.
Ensure that all text contrasts sufficiently with its background. Black (or other dark-colored) text on a white background is preferred.
Avoid specifying exact sizes for tables and cells; use proportional widths whenever possible.
Use structural markup elements such as headings to convey structure, and not for formatting purposes.

Some checkpoints that we plan to implement in the future:

Provide plain text versions of all pdf documents.
Provide plain text versions of all forms, that users can complete using their word processors.
Add descriptive title tags to all hyperlinks.

Reasons to Produce Accessible Content

It is the right thing to do.
An estimated 48.9 million people, or 19.4 percent of the non-institutionalized civilians in the United States, have a disability, according to the President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. And statistically, most people will experience a limitation that will temporarily or permanently affect how they function. These millions of people with disabilities are potential customers with millions in disposable income. In addition, many of the techniques and solutions that address the needs of people with disabilities also address the needs of an aging population. Therefore, making content accessible is good business practice.
Accessible content is good for everyone. According to Kelly Pierce, the co-founder of “Digit-Eyes,” the Chicago blind computer users network, and who serves on the Techwatch committee for the National Council on Disability, “when World Wide Web sites are accessible to people with disabilities, they are highly usable and accessible to everyone else as well.” Accessible sites ensure a more consistent interface, backwards browser compatibility, and faster download times for users with slower modems.

Compliance with Regulations

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires that federal procurement of electronic and information technology must be accessible to federal employees who have disabilities and to members of the public with disabilities who need to use that technology. States that receive federal funds under the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 are also required to comply with Section 508.

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 requires that all public facilities be accessible, as well as goods and services provided by both the government and private companies. According to the United States Justice Department, the ADA also applies to the cyberspace “world.” In an opinion letter dated September 9, 1996, The U.S. Department of Justice stated that: “Covered entities under the ADA are required to provide effective communication, regardless of whether they generally communicate through print media, audio media, or computerized media such as the Internet. Covered entities that use the Internet for communications regarding their programs, goods, or services must be prepared to offer those communications through accessible means as well.”

Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 requires that manufacturers of telecommunications equipment and software ensure that such equipment be directly accessible to people with disabilities.

Many foreign countries have regulations concerning Web accessibility. For instance, Australia and Canada have legislation that makes it a civil right for individuals with disabilities to be able to access certain kinds of information, and Portugal and Thailand have recently introduced legislation that directly requires Web Accessibility. Because the Web is a worldwide arena, it is prudent to adhere to international accessibility standards.

What Kind of Disabilities Affect Web Use?

Visual

People who are blind, have low vision, or have color blindness often use assistive screen reader technology. These individuals need text equivalents for images used on Web pages and need to tab through form elements instead of using a mouse.

People who have low vision or color blindness benefit from strongly contrasting text and background colors, as well as enlargeable font specifications. Most text on the NSCA Web site, and all large blocks of text, are displayed as black text on a white background to ensure adequate visual contrast. Using the heading element to mark up headings allows assistive technology to correctly identify headings.

Hearing

People who are hearing impaired or deaf require visual representations of auditory information. On the NSCA web site, audio files are used only for live interviews, and written transcripts are provided.

Mobility

People with mobility disabilities can have difficulty with fine motor control, which can impair their ability to operate a mouse. NSCA’s web site allows tabbing through all forms, and shuns the use of image maps that require precise mouse control.

Cognitive and Learning

People with these types of disabilities, such as dyslexia and short-term memory deficit, require consistent design and navigation, as well as simplified language. NSCA’s web site uses templates to provide consistent design and navigation across the site, and all content is written using the simplest and most direct language possible.

Seizures

Flashing or blinking images can trigger epileptic seizures in people who suffer from them. NSCA does not use any flashing or blinking features on its web site.

How Popular is the NSCA Site, Anyway?

We are always striving to make our web site more user-friendly and useful. Here is a chart of our site ranking through alexa.com (updated daily).