Computer Coaching for Seniors Ottawa Canada
In the previous blog, we talked about how a lot of websites are designed for people with vision. These websites pose a challenge for people who use screen readers to help them navigate on their computer.
However, there are ways to find websites that are more accessible than others.
One trick is to go to PDAPortal. This is a great starting point because it lists all the PDA-Friendly websites. A PDA is a handheld computer which has a very small screen and limited navigation. It is easier for these devices to view webpages that are simple in structure and therefore a PDA-Friendly webpage is ideal for someone using a screen reader because it will not have excessive links and will most likely be one column.
Another place is Accessible Google. Google just came out with this tool about a week or two ago that ranks search results based on their accessibility. Because this is a relatively new tool, its hard to say how effective the ranking will be. However, it is still worth trying.
Showing posts with label Blind Low Vision. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blind Low Vision. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Accessibility: Browser for Blind or Low Vision
Computer Coaching for Seniors Ottawa Canada
The problem with a lot of webpages is that they are designed for people who can see. A person who is sighted has no problem surfing the internet because he/she can easily click with their mouse or read the area on a page that is interesting to them.
Someone who is blind or has problems seeing may use a screen reader to tell them what is on the webpage. However, because webpages are not a simple structure there are many links and objects he/she needs to bypass or Tab before he/she can get to the part they are interested in. This can be very frustrating.
I found one interesting text browser called Webbie. It is a windows only application which works with the Internet Explorer Browser.
What's nice about this program is the navigation. You can skip links to get to the next content. You can move up or down the text page using arrow keys. You can list links from a webpage and you can crop a page so that only content is displayed.
You can download Webbie here.
The problem with a lot of webpages is that they are designed for people who can see. A person who is sighted has no problem surfing the internet because he/she can easily click with their mouse or read the area on a page that is interesting to them.
Someone who is blind or has problems seeing may use a screen reader to tell them what is on the webpage. However, because webpages are not a simple structure there are many links and objects he/she needs to bypass or Tab before he/she can get to the part they are interested in. This can be very frustrating.
I found one interesting text browser called Webbie. It is a windows only application which works with the Internet Explorer Browser.
What's nice about this program is the navigation. You can skip links to get to the next content. You can move up or down the text page using arrow keys. You can list links from a webpage and you can crop a page so that only content is displayed.
You can download Webbie here.
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