Laura Cook

Abstract

People with disabilities continue to be at a disadvantage in terms of opportunities on the Web. Federal laws and state policies help govern website design for federal and state agencies, but their impact thus far is unclear. This thesis addresses the issue of web accessibility and examines the compliance of state websites. A sample of state websites was evaluated for accessibility with two different methods: (1 ) using two automated accessibility validation checkers (Bobby and Entre), and (2) using a process of gradually degrading the web pages down to a text-only page. A survey was developed and administered to web designers to discover their knowledge, attitudes, and actions taken regarding making pages accessible. The results of these studies are presented in this thesis and compared against three hypotheses.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Web sites--Design; Accessible Web sites for people with disabilities; Web site development; Computers and people with disabilities

Publication Date

2006

Document Type

Thesis

Department, Program, or Center

Information Sciences and Technologies (GCCIS)

Advisor

Catherine Beaton

Advisor/Committee Member

Elousie Oyzon

Advisor/Committee Member

Kirk Anne

Comments

Physical copy available from the Wallace Library at TK5105.888 .C66 2006

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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