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A Test - What's it
Like to Browse the Web with Special Access Technology?
You may not have
a special access browser or a text-only browser, but you can get an idea
of what it's like to browse the Web with a significant disability by taking
the following test. This test is courtesy of Kynn Bartlett, former President
of the HTML Writers Guild.
To take this test
you need to make some adjustments to your browser and computer.
- Go to your browser
preferences and look for everything related to presentation and turn
off images, fonts, colors, JavaScript, Java. Turn off everything you
can find related to these features. For example, if your browser can
turn off frames and tables, turn them off. Turning off these settings
simulates special access technology that does not support these features
of Web pages.
- If there are special
accessibility features, turn all of them on. This may allow the browser
to give you some additional information not normally displayed.
- Now, reduce the
window height of your browser window so that it is only one to two inches
tall. This simulates the audio user who cannot see the context of the
words on the page. Even small amounts of visual context can give a sighted
user organization information that helps comprehension, but the audio
user hears words in a continuous stream without this context being immediately
apparent.
- Finally, unplug
your mouse. This simulates users who cannot use a mouse and
must use the keyboard or an equivalent such as a mouth wand, or voice
command for all operations.
Now, begin browsing
the Internet. Go to your favorite sites, try to buy something online.
Do whatever you like, but keep the special browser and computer adjustments
for the duration of the test. Try four or five sites and make notes of
any special problems you have as you browse.
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