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Abstract:
Accommodating People with Disabilities in Web-based Training Programs

Access to the wealth of information on the World Wide Web for people with disabilities may be hindered — or entirely prevented — if their needs are not considered. To ensure that web-based training programs are accessible to people with disabilities, curriculum planners and instructors need to be familiar with the range of technologies and techniques that enable people with disabilities to use web resources. Similarly, people who create web pages should have a basic understanding of the principles of universal web-page design — an approach to designing and coding sites that considers the needs of all users.

This chapter introduces educators and trainers to practical ways to accommodate people with disabilities in web-based training programs. The chapter defines disability and outlines the various kinds of functional limitations and their effects on an individual's ability to use a computer; describes a variety of adaptive technologies and techniques that people with disabilities use to access computers and the web; recommends common sense strategies for educators and trainers to make their web-based programs more accessible to students with disabilities; and summarizes the principles of universal web-page design.

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