Editing Web accessibility (section)

{{Short description|Accessibility of World Wide Web}}
{{Hatnote|For [[Wikipedia]]'s accessibility guidelines, see [[Wikipedia:Accessibility]].}}
{{Disability}}
'''Web accessibility''', or '''eAccessibility''',<ref name=sec1095>European Commission, [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52005DC0425 Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament and the {{!}}European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: eAccessibility] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119102527/https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52005DC0425 |date=19 November 2021 }}, [SEC(2005)1095], published 13 September 2005, accessed 19 November 2021</ref> is the [[inclusion (disability rights)|inclusive practice]] of ensuring there are no barriers that prevent interaction with, or access to, [[website]]s on the [[World Wide Web]] by people with physical [[disabilities]], situational disabilities, and socio-economic restrictions on bandwidth and speed. When sites are correctly designed, developed and edited, more users have equal [[access to information]] and functionality.

For example, when a site is coded with semantically meaningful [[HTML]], with textual equivalents provided for images and with links named meaningfully, this helps blind users using text-to-speech software and/or text-to-Braille hardware. When text and images are large and/or enlargeable, it is easier for users with poor sight to read and understand the content. When links are underlined (or otherwise differentiated) as well as colored, this ensures that [[color blind]] users will be able to notice them. When [[clickable]] links and areas are large, this helps users who cannot control a [[computer mouse|mouse]] with precision. When pages are not coded in a way that hinders navigation by means of the [[computer keyboard|keyboard]] alone, or a single [[switch access]] device alone, this helps users who cannot use a mouse or even a standard keyboard. When videos are [[closed caption]]ed, [[Video chapter|chaptered]], or a [[sign language]] version is available, deaf and hard-of-hearing users can understand the video. When flashing effects are avoided or made optional, users prone to [[seizure]]s caused by these effects are not put at risk. And when content is written in plain language and illustrated with instructional diagrams and animations, users with [[dyslexia]] and [[learning disabilities|learning difficulties]] are better able to understand the content. When sites are correctly built and maintained, all of these users can be accommodated without decreasing the [[usability]] of the site for non-disabled users.

The needs that web accessibility aims to address include:
* '''Visual:''' [[Visual impairment]]s including [[blindness]], various common types of [[low vision]] and poor eyesight, various types of [[color blindness]];
* '''Motor/mobility:''' e.g. difficulty or inability to use the hands, including tremors, muscle slowness, loss of fine muscle control, etc., due to conditions such as [[Parkinson's disease]], [[muscular dystrophy]], [[cerebral palsy]], [[stroke]];
* '''Auditory:''' [[Deafness]] or [[hearing impairment]]s, including individuals who are hard of hearing;
* '''Seizures:''' Photo epileptic [[seizure]]s caused by visual strobe or flashing effects.
* '''Cognitive and intellectual:''' [[Developmental disabilities]], [[Learning disability|learning difficulties]] ([[dyslexia]], [[dyscalculia]], etc.), and [[cognitive disabilities]] ([[Post-traumatic stress disorder|PTSD]], [[Alzheimer's disease|Alzheimer's]]) of various origins, affecting memory, attention, developmental "maturity", problem-solving and logic skills, etc.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rochford |first1=John |title=Indexes of Cognitive Web Accessibility Resources |url=https://www.clearhelper.org/resources/ |website=Clear Helper: Information About Cognitive Web Accessibility}}</ref>

Accessibility is not confined to the list above, rather it extends to anyone who is experiencing any permanent, temporary or situational disability. Situational disability refers to someone who may be experiencing a boundary based on the current experience. For example, a person may be situationally one-handed if they are carrying a baby. Web accessibility should be mindful of users experiencing a wide variety of barriers. According to a 2018 WebAIM global survey of web accessibility practitioners, close to 93% of survey respondents received no formal schooling on web accessibility.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-07-30|title=Web Accessibility: An Introduction|url=https://blog.teamtreehouse.com/web-accessibility-an-introduction|access-date=2020-11-19|website=Treehouse Blog|language=en-US|archive-date=26 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126104413/https://blog.teamtreehouse.com/web-accessibility-an-introduction|url-status=live}}</ref>