Web authors can use aDesigner to ensure that the webpages they create are accessible to individuals who are blind or visually impaired.
Web accessibility refers to making the World Wide Web accessible and available to everyone, including people with disabilities and senior citizens. Ensuring Web accessibility improves the quality of life for disabled people by removing barriers that prevent them from taking part in important life activities. Recent changes in the social environment, such as the implementation of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act §1194.22 in 2001, also call for Web authors to make their pages accessible.
Voice browsers, such as IBM Home Page Reader, read aloud the text on webpages and are used by visually impaired people. However, these programs are less effective with certain kinds of content, including highly graphical material. Web content developers can use aDesigner to test the accessibility and usability of their webpages for low vision and blind individuals. The tool looks at such features as the degree of color contrast on the page, the ability of users to change the font sizes, the appropriateness of alternate text for images, and the availability of links to promote navigability within the page. The tool also checks the pages's compliance with accessibility guidelines. The result of this analysis is a report that lists the problems that would limit accessibility and usability by visually impaired users. In addition, each page is given an overall score. With this information, Web content developers get immediate feedback and can make the necessary modifications to address these obstacles before the content is published.