Authors: Cooper, M., Sloan, D., Kelly, B. and Lewthwaite, S.

Conference: W4A 2012: 9th International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility, 16-18 April 2012, Lyon

Citation:

Cooper, M., Sloan, D., Kelly, B. and Lewthwaite, S., 2012. A Challenge to Web Accessibility Metrics and Guidelines: Putting People and Processes First. In: W4A 2012: 9th International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility, 16-18 April 2012, Lyon.

Author Details

The co-authors of this paper are:

• Martyn Cooper, Open University, UK. ORCID: 0000-0002-7076-1070
• David Sloan, University of Dundee, UK. ORCID: 0000-0002-8302-7879
• Brian Kelly, UKOLN, University of Bath, UK. ORCID: 0000-0001-5875-8744
• Sarah Lewthwaite, King’s College London, UK. ORCID: 0000-0003-4480-3705

You can view Brian Kelly’s Google+ page. His email address is currently b.kelly@ukoln.ac.uk

Abstract:

This paper argues that web accessibility is not an intrinsic characteristic of a digital resource but is determined by complex political, social and other contextual factors, as well as technical aspects which are the focus of WAI standardisation activities. It can therefore be inappropriate to develop legislation or focus on metrics only associated with properties of the resource.

The authors describe the value of standards such as BS 8878 which focus on best practices for the process of developing web products and include a user focus.

The paper concludes with a case study that illustrates how learning analytics could provide data to support the improvement of the inclusivity of learning resources, providing a broader perspective beyond the digital resource.

Access:

 [Link] – [PDF format] – [MS Word format] – [HTML format]

Key URLs:

• Repositories:
  • University of Bath Repository:  [Link]
  • Open University Repository:  [Link]
• Researchgate: [Link]
• ACM: [Link]
• UKOLN Web site: [Link]
• Metrics:
  • University of Bath Repository: [Link]
  • ACM: [Link]
• Conference web site: [Link]
• Blog posts:
  • Paper Accepted for #W4A2012 Conference, Brian Kelly, UK Web Focus blog, 7 March 2012
  • Are You a Marxist in Your Approaches to Research?, Brian Kelly, UK Web Focus blog, 13 April 2012
  • Web 4 All conference 2012: A Challenge to Web Accessibility Metrics and Guidelines, Sarah Lewthwaite, Slewth Press, 16 April 2012
  • More on Learning Analytics and Disabled Students, Martyn Cooper, Martyn Cooper’s weblog, 15 May 2012
• YouTube: About our W4A 2012 paper, 4 April 2012
• Slideshare: [Link], David Sloan

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