Article published Thursday, June 22, 2006 Way Library fine tunes its site on Web By ELIZABETH A. SHACK BLADE STAFF WRITER
Way Library's Web site is getting an upgrade to make it more functional, particularly for those with visual or motor impairments.
The changes are being made by Jadwiga Carlson of Perrysburg's Accessible Web Studio, who said most organizations and businesses aren't aware of accessibility issues.
"The biggest challenge for me right now is trying to spread the word and bring this to light," she said.
On some sites, like Way Library's, links to separate pages can only be selected by hovering a mouse over a menu. People who must use a keyboard instead of a mouse can't use the menu, Ms. Carlson said.
The library's new Web site will also work better in programs that read the content aloud.
"Right now it's not as friendly to that kind of software," said Jody Stroh, systems administrator for the library.
The images on the site don't have tags that tell the programs what they are.
Ms. Carlson said that without those tags, the screen reader can't tell the user what the pictures are.
"All you hear is, "Image, image, image, image,' " she said.
The update, expected to be completed soon, is funded by a $3,915 state Library Science and Technology Act grant the library got in March from the state library board, said Mary Meyer, the library's office manager and Web master.
She said the idea followed from the $10,000 matching grant the library got last year that paid for a variety of equipment for patrons with disabilities.
"It was the next logical step to take to make the library more accessible to people with disabilities," Ms. Stroh said.
She said the library realized their own site isn't very accessible when they were using it as an example of how to use a screen reader.
Not being able to use the Web site means not having the same access to the online catalog, book requests, or other information about the library and community as other patrons.
"We'll be able to reach more people this way," Ms. Stroh said.
Other issues that Ms. Carlson considers when designing accessible Web sites are not having flashing or rapidly moving text, which can be dangerous to people with epilepsy, and making sure the color combinations on the site are viewable in black and white or by users who are colorblind.
Ms. Carlson, an instructor at Bowling Green State University who worked in software development for more than a decade, started the company a few years ago because she saw a need for it in the area.
"No companies offered that service," she said.
She said that accessible Web sites can be a bonus to organizations seeking federal funds and to businesses that might otherwise lose customers.
In February, a blind man sued Target in California because the company's Web site was not usable. Permanent Link
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