Accessibility and Blogs

Background Information

Blogs, the common term used for Web logs, are online journals or newsletters that allow users with little or no technical background to update and maintain their Web content. Blogs are published in HTML and usually created using simple content management systems that automatically insert information into a template tailored for the blogger’s Web site. As of September 2003 it is estimated that new blogs are created at a rate of 1 every 12 seconds (Bartlett, 2004).

Accessibility Information

Since blogs allow Web consumers to also become Web content providers, the popularity of blogs has grown. However, this option for Web publishing increases the chances of inaccessible Web content because amateur content providers are unlikely to know about accessibility. Basic steps such as alternative text for illustrations and graphics are being overlooked. For example, photoblogs and audioblogs are not commonly supplied with text alternatives. In addition, the most common forms of blogs generally contain very text-heavy pages, which can diminish the understandability of content by people with cognitive disabilities (Bartlett, 2004).

With these accessibility barriers in mind, the American Foundation for the Blind (2005) found that registering and creating blog user accounts has proven to be one of the biggest issues regarding accessibility. Many blogger Web sites require users to complete registration by “entering the characters seen in the picture” (American Foundation for the Blind, 2005). This task, by its very nature is impossible for blind and low-vision users and may require them to contact a company customer representative or find another host for their Web site.

In spite of these accessibility concerns regarding content providers’ accessibility knowledge and the registration processes, blogs have the potential to be very beneficial for users with disabilities. Implementation of Web accessibility standards could in many instances be easier because blogs are created using templates. Templates allow blogs to use consistent accessibility features, such as headings, without requiring content providers to implement them. Also, the universality of blogs allows for unknown voices and opinions to be published and heard on the Web, including the voices of people with disabilities (Bartlett, 2004).

Our Observations

During our project, the student team evaluated blogs used for classroom discussion. Because they were primarily small paragraphs of text and the content management system marked up appropriate headings, we did not identify any specific accessibility concerns. If students were posting images or any kind of multimedia in the content, a process for making them accessible would need to be implemented in the classes. We should note that we did not evaluate the initial registration process for the blogs.

Summary

Like many technological advances, blogs have the potential to be very beneficial to those with disabilities. Assuming an accessible registration process, blogs can offer an accessible template format that allow users with and without disabilities to easily create accessible content.

References

Affleck, A. J. (2001). Weblog Accessibility. Ragged Castle. Retrieved February 8, 2006, from http://www.raggedcastle.com/andyjw/blogaccess.htm

American Foundation for the Blind. (2005). How to Make Your Blog Accessible to Blind Readers. How to Make Your Blog Accessible. Retrieved February 8, 2006, from http://www.afb.org/ Section.asp?SectionID=57&TopicID=167&DocumentID=2757

American Foundation for the Blind. (2005). Is Blogging Accessible to People with Vision Loss? Retrieved February 8, 2006, from http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=7&DocumentID=2753

American Foundation for the Blind. (2005). Reading and Subscribing to Blogs Through RSS. How Accessible is This World to People With Vision Loss? Retrieved February 8, 2006, from http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID= 57&TopicID=167&DocumentID=2916

Bartlett, K. (2004). Accessibility of the Blogging Revolution. CSUN Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference. Retrieved February 8, 2006, from http://www.csun.edu/cod/conf/2004/proceedings/150.htm

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