The Other Web Accessibility 2.0
There is plenty of discussion happening on the upcoming version 2.0 of the WCAG. Fortunately, there has also been some good discussion regarding impact of the Web 2.0-volution on accessibility. The rush to ajaxify user interactions and the opening of the floodgates of user contributed floodgates has not necessarily been a good thing for accessibility.
Bruce Lawson noted his concerns back in 2005:
I also worry about accessibility. It strikes me that people are so busy adding extra Ajax loveliness that the separatestripped-down “html-only” versions they offer are unthinkingly accepted as a legitimate sop to people with disabilities. We reject separate “text-only sites” in Web 1.0 ; why should we accept them in “Web 2.0″?
Roger Johansson echoes those sentiments (with some good commentary from his readers):
There is some truth to Bruce’s observations, and it would be a sad step backwards if the perceived coolness of “Web 2.0” brings back the old days of non-graceful degradation.
Ian Lloyd comments with a post titled, AJAX, Accessibility & Screen Readers:
There’s something of an oxymoron going on there in the heading. Can you spot it? The words ‘accessibility’ and ‘AJAX’. They really are not the best of bed fellows, as many people have discovered.
Joe Clark provided notes from a presentation titled Build Half a Product: Is Ajax accessible? At all?, including the results of some usability tests on popular Web 2.0 application Basecamp.
There’s more where all of that came from:
- AJAX and Screenreaders: When Can it Work? by James Edwards,
- AJAX Accessibility Overview from Becky Gibson,
- AJAX and Accessibility from Peter Krantz,
- Is AJAX Accessibility a major issue? by Chris Cornutt (also note some of the other posts in their accessibility category),
- Web 2.0: A step backwards for accessibility? by Cath Everett, and
- Developers Working to Overcome AJAX Accessibility Issues by Darryl K. Taft.
Everyone seems to agree that there is a problem. Fortunately there are also some great resources to set you in the right direction if you are working to create an accessible Web 2.0 application:
- Accessibility of AJAX Applications from WebAIM,
- Web 2.0 & Accessibility for Disabled Users by Kath Moonan,
- Accessible Web 2.0 Applications with WAI‑ARIA by Martin Kliehm, and
- a great list of other resources from Max Kiesler (via findability).
In this outdated comment on Bruce Lawson’s above post, someone from Wild Apricot states:
Unfortunately, we could not afford to make the system backend support all the accessibility standards because it would mean two or three times more coding (not 10% or 25% – and I am NOT exaggerating). Creating interactive AND usable interfaces is very hard – and I do not know if many developers can manage to do it on their own. Development frameworks and browsers have to help too.
What is your experience in developing accessible Web 2.0 sites or applications? What AJAX/Javascript frameworks do you use that encourage accessible best practices? What are some good examples of accessible Web 2.0 experiences?
