Abstract Submitted for Computers and Writing Online 2005
Web accessibility and usability is a far-reaching and significant arena of research, which is slowly beginning to receive more attention, not only in academia, but also in the professional writing world and field of web development. At this time, the preponderance of literature that addresses web accessibility and usability related issues takes the form of a dialogue among web developers, predominantly through threaded discussions and online articles. It is these authors that are slowly entering into the conversation and addressing the accessibility standards issued forth by the W3C (WAI) and Section 508 of the Educational Rehabilitations Act Amendments. When addressing accessibility, authors interested in adhering to the standards typically employ traditional rhetorical appeals, with an emphasis on appeals to logos (law and business) and pathos (the plight of the disabled user). A mass of anecdotes, quotes, and other references to the struggles that disabled users face when attempting to use the web, either for professional, personal, or academic purposes consistently emerges. It is these appeals that precipitated the interest and focus of this research. Unfortunately, there is a serious dearth of existing literature addressing web accessibility in the academy. My research focuses on this gap and specifically addresses the accessibility issues that students face when attempting to be successful at a large, public, postsecondary institution. Although the existing literature paints a picture of extreme hardship for disabled users, the emphasis given to the struggles of the disabled student is lacking. Rarely is the student given the formal right to be heard in order to articulate the severity of the problem. This lack of voice is the catalyst to numerous questions about web use at the university level: How do the expectations of professors and instructors encumber the achievement of students? How do the expectations of the university as a degree-granting institution hinder student success? What types of technologies are available to students with disabilities at any particular institution? How do these technologies play a role in aiding students in being successful? Are they sufficient? Do postsecondary institutions provide the “equal opportunity” for students with disabilities that the law requires? The research will apply a qualitative approach to attempt to answer these questions. Through a series of interviews, a focus group, and finally a longitudinal case study of subjects with a variety of disabilities, the full article will argue for an institutionally heightened awareness of web accessibility issues. It will also illuminate issues idiosyncratic to particular disabilities of which web designers and instructors alike need be aware. Ultimately, the goal of the paper is to illuminate the accessibility issues of university students and advocate for an institutional embrace and implementation of the aforementioned accessibility and usability standards.