eAccessibility

Adapting Web Accessibility Guidelines to an Application Development Process

Ossi Nykänen & Ilkka Kaikuvuo
Tampere University of Technology, Institute of Mathematics, Hypermedia laboratory

Keywords: Web Accessibility, Accessibility Guidelines, WAI, Development Process, Evaluating Accessibility

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Introdcution

Due to the popularity of Web applications, an important special case of e-Accessibility is established by Web accessibility. In brief, developing accessible Web applications is based on the guidelines of the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), identifying and promoting certain design aspects of accessible applications. However, while the guidelines certainly help improving accessibility, developers face the challenge of meaningfully adapting the guidelines in their work. This raises two issues. First, the process of evaluating and developing accessibility must be realised within the constraints and resources of a concrete development process, typically emphasising the life span of a single designated project within a specific context. However, it is not obvious how exactly should the adaptation take operationally place, or what kind of design and resource implications it in fact yields. Second, accepting the fact the guidelines are indeed adapted, in what sense are two claims of conformance comparable? This question becomes pivotal when regulations or subcontracts are to be considered. In this article, we introduce the basics of Web accessibility, outline a simple process framework for developing and evaluating accessible web applications, and discuss their role in technical project planning and management. Further, we consider the methodological dimension of evaluating accessibility, and illustrate the discussion with a case study of developing an accessible Web application for an assistant broker service. Through this article, we aim clarifying the role of the accessibility guidelines from the engineering perspective and report a simple but a useful framework as a basis of future development processes.