Accessibility

Relates to ensuring Web content is usable and viewable by all, including those with disabilities. Accessibility also refers to the availability of Web content to all, regardless of their geographical world location or language. Related topics include: Human Computer Interaction, and the ‘Digital Divide’.

Description provided by EA Draffan

"Accessibility is the word used to describe whether a product (for example, a website, mobile site, digital TV interface or application) can be used by people of all abilities and disabilities. For instance, a website is accessible if all people, including disabled and elderly people, can use it." http://www.bbc.co.uk/accessibility/best_practice/what_is.shtml

Why is this area interesting and relevant to Web Science?

There are 13.3 million disabled people in the UK.
7 per cent of children are disabled
18 per cent of working age adults are disabled
44 per cent of pension age adults are disabled
https://www.scope.org.uk/media/disability-facts-figures#teuKCMbRKoDk5jPR.99
Imagine that around the world about 25% of the population is unable to access web services due to poor design, complex interactions and no consideration for the use of assistive technologies or ease of use.

Subject related keywords:

digital accessibility, ease of use, disability, elderly, usability, assistive technologies

Useful Links/Publications:

https://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/usable
Building Accessible Websites https://joeclark.org/book/
Assistive Technologies (Fourth Edition) Principles and Practice
Albert M. Cook and Janice Miller Polgar
ISBN: 978-0-323-09631-7

 Additional Related Publications:

• [WebSci2009] Hardman, Lynda, Van Ossenbruggen, Jacco, Troncy, Raphael, Amin, Alia , Hildebrand, Michiel - Interactive Information Access on the Web of Data
• [WebSci2016] Katrin Weller, Katharina E. Kinder-Kurlanda - A manifesto for data sharing in social media research
• [WebSci2017] Govind, Marc Spaniol - ELEVATE: A Framework for Entity-level Event Diffusion Prediction into Foreign Language Communities
• [WebSci2015] Ramine Tinati, Markus Luczak-Roesch, Elena Simperl, Nigel Shadbolt, Wendy Hall - '/Command' and Conquer: Analysing Discussion in a Citizen Science Game
• [WebSci2013] Markel Vigo, Simon Harper - Considering People with Disabilities as ¨ Uberusers for Eliciting Generalisable Coping Strategies on the Web
• [WebSci2013] Nana Baah Gyan, Victor de Boer, Anna Bon, Chris van Aart, Hans Akkermans, Stephane Boyera, Max Froumentin, Aman Grewal, Mary Allen - Voice-based Web access in rural Africa
• [WebSci2010] Baumgartner, Robert, Fayzrakhmanov, Ruslan, Gattringer, Rafael, Göbel, Max, Holzinger, Wolfgang, Klein, David, Kruepl, Bernhard - Web 2.0 Vision for the Blind.
• [WebSci2011] Hans Akkermans, Nana Baah Gyan, Anna Bon, Wendelien Tuyp, Aman Grewal Stéphane Boyera, Mary Allen - Is (Web) Science Ready for Empowerment?