Accessibility 101
Web Accessibility Defined
Web content is considered accessible when all visitors – regardless of physical or developmental abilities or impairments — are able to access the presented information. The Brandeis website serves a diverse audience and our web visitors use a variety of technologies to navigate our online content.
Screen Readers
A screen reader is software that reads onscreen text aloud. Try out a screen reader simulator. If you have a Mac, you can turn your built-in screen reader VoiceOver on or off by pressing command+F5.
The Benefits of Accessible Web Content
Well-designed, accessible websites and web content benefit everyone:
Equality
Making your website content accessible means that all web users can access content on the Brandeis website equally.
Opportunity
Many accessibility fixes make a site inherently more searchable and user-friendly.
Facility
Most changes required to make a website accessible are not difficult or time consuming, but make a huge impact to disabled users. The visual design of the site often does not change or changes minimally.
Legality
Web accessibility is about justice. Federal laws require that institutions of higher learning provide accessible web interfaces, content and web applications. Educational institutions have unfortunately faced litigations for non-compliance with legal requirements for accessibility. By ensuring your own pages and content are as accessible as possible, you are supporting the university’s responsibility to comply with federal regulations.
