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DS/USA Visually Impaired Access Information

If you or anyone you know who is visually impaired and have a problem reading or navigating this site, please send an email to info@dsusa.org.   Explain the issue in detail and offer any suggestions necessary to help us help you with resolving the problem at hand. 

We will do our best to correct and accommodate ALL issues in order to provide a site everyone can navigate and enjoy!

-The DS/USA Staff

 
VI is short for Visually Impaired or Visual Impairment.  If you or a friend are VI, you/they still have access to nearly all of the World Wide Web.  Depending on your degree of impairment you have different options:
  • Partial Impairment, where VI compliant (18 point or greater fonts) text is readable.   With partial VI, all you have to do is modify the setup of your web browser.  Most web browsers allow customization of the visual setup of the pages you read.   Or, you can use a non-graphical browser such as Lynx discussed later in this page.  The latter is a good option if it is just too tedious dealing with printed text and you want to use an audio aid.  Suggestions for those using graphical browsers:
    • You may wish to disable graphics loading.  Aside from making your web surfing faster, this should allow you to see the "alternative" text for each graphic, icon or logo.  Not all graphics will have an alternate text description.  However, good webmasters provide alternate text for each graphic they use.  You should be able to click on the alternative text where the graphic has been used as a hyper link. Not all browsers allow disabling of graphics (Netscape v3.0 being one).
    • Try turning the background from gray to white to increase the contrast.  Although, for some, bright colors are a problem and they should use an appropriate color for their needs.
    • Change all of the text colors to black.
    • If your browser allows, change the font for all text to Arial (or another san serif font) and select a point size of 16 or 18 (note: Arial is a Helvetica clone and therefore, if correctly represented, point sizes are visually larger than corresponding point sizes in other fonts, a hold-over from pre-Gutenberg printing when letter blocks were hand carved).
    • If you changed the background and/or text colors, most browsers will allow you to force this color scheme for all pages, over-riding any color settings that the webmaster may have chosen.
    • Increase the point size for all text types to your preference and comfort.
    • Make sure that hypertext links are underlined (this is the default for most browsers, but may be changed).
    • Check to see if there is a way to disable blinking text (blinking may not be supported by your browser anyway, i.e. MS Internet Explorer v3.0 or less).

    Impaired to the degree that computer screens are not useful:
      • Lynx is a standard text browser. Until 1994, Lynx was just about the only access method to the web for both sighted and VI users.   Even now, Lynx or other text browsers are the only access for many users who do not have access to terminals or computers capable of graphical viewing of the Web.
      • Lynx is text/DOS based and, therefore, can be used with existing DOS based aids or audio readers.  Please note that a few audio aids are available that work with the Windows graphical interface (information about these aids may be placed here at a later date).
      • Lynx can be downloaded from CompuServe Information Service (CIS) (see the Disabilities Forum) and other on-line sources.
      • CompuServe Information Service (CIS) has on-line discussions and information in two forums, that we know of:
        • Handicapped Users' Database.
        • Disabilities Forum.   We have accessed this one quite a bit and have found it to be quite useful.  There are a number of people accessing this forum every day and lots of info to acquire.  Most importantly, you can put questions to the users and get answers in a day or two or less in nearly every case we have tried.  This is a great resource for computer accessibility questions.  It is a great place to share info and ask questions about everyday situations as well.  As you may have guessed, this forum deals with just about every accessibility issue you may have or wish to discuss!  And if it does not already deal with a situation or disability, start up a new discussion regarding your questions or concerns.   If enough people are interested, the sysops will add a new area within the Disabilities Forum just for that topic.
Helpful Information sites:
  • Adobe:  Improving access to electronic information for people with disabilities.  Adobe helps make electronic information more accessible to people with disabilities including but not limited to: blindness, low vision, hearing, or motor impairments.  http://www.adobe.com/enterprise/accessibility/main.html
  • V.I. Guide:  A guide to Internet resources about visual impairments, for parents and teachers.  http://www.viguide.com/
  • Products compatible with Microsoft® Windows® operating systems, made by independent assistive technology manufacturers, are included in the assistive technology catalog.  People who have visual difficulties and impairments may be interested in their assistive technology.
    http://www.microsoft.com/enable/guides/vision.aspx
  • Windows XP Accessibility Resources:
    Make computers easier and more comfortable to use with accessibility features and utilities built right into Microsoft® Windows XP (Professional and Home versions).  http://www.microsoft.com/enable/products/windowsxp/default.aspx
  • Windows Accessibility Tutorials in Various Windows formats:
    The following link takes you to an accessibility tutorials on adjusting accessibility options and using accessibility utilities in Windows XP. Instructions are provided for both mouse and keyboard implementation.  http://www.microsoft.com/enable/products/docs/default.aspx



This page last updated on 07/01/2006

 
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