Magazine - 15/05/06

 

For all sufferers of a handicap, the internet is a tremendous vector for integration in society. Yet website pages must comply with the accessibility concept. This is the case with the ViaMichelin business application.

 

 

Accessibility means the handicapped can access the content of web pages.  With respect to other information media, the electronic document has the advantage of being manipulable and adapts to users' handicaps. The handicapped use various tools to read a Web page, such as voice recognition or character enlargement. For a page to be accessible, it must be readable by these various tools, even without using a mouse for those who input on the keyboard with their foot.

 

Compared with Ireland, Great Britain, Germany and Scandinavian countries, France appears to be lagging behind as regards accessibility. Yet the country has voted an Act (no. 2005-102 of 11 February 2005 on the equality of rights and opportunities and social participation of the handicapped) containing an article making it mandatory to bring government sites into line with international accessibility standards. The implementing decree is slow in taking effect and the actual situation is still unfavourable to the handicapped. According to studies carried out by Web communication agencies, 95% of Internet sites and intranet portals of French territorial units do not comply with accessibility criteria. The ViaMichelin business application therefore appears as a pioneering achievement in France.

 

	ViaMichelin recognised by the Royal National Institute of the Blind   Designed in close cooperation with the Royal National Institute of the Blind, the ViaMichelin business application now meets all accessibility criteria and was therefore awarded an approval label by the RNIB. This is a pioneering example in France.

 

 

 

There are a certain number of technical and editorial rules to be followed for a page to be accessible. The page must be very well structured with headers, footers and easily identifiable paragraphs. The page must comprise a maximum of raw text in basic HTML code and titles in bold and large characters. The flagging must state the text language so that the recognition tool can adapt.

To optimise accessibility, there is no question of making use of elaborate techniques such as flash and javascript which are too much for the tools used by the handicapped. Each object present on the page (an image for instance) must comprise a description via a balloon help popup which will be taken into account by voice recognition. A webmaster addressing the handicapped cannot merely write 'click here' but must supply a description of the link by giving in particular the description of the arrival page. A map cannot simply supply a toolbar to zoom: there must be an accompanying and explanatory key. As for the map in itself, it must comprise a maximum number of 'sensitive points' readable by recognition tools.  

 

	Further information   openweb.eu.org/accessibilite/ www.braillenet.org/accessibilite/ www.rnib.co.uk/