Blind accessibility sites not just for visually-impaired

May 6, 2009

Today Jim Huber addressed the "Loudoun Network Alliance" (LNA) about Huberspace and Web accessibility for blind users.

Huber demonstrated how popular screen reader, JAWS, reads Web sites. He showed how properly structuring and coding a Web site helps blind users access and find what they are seeking from the site.

Jim Huber, Huberspace, explains the additional value of designing sites for blind accessibility

Jim Huber, Huberspace, explains the additional value of designing sites for blind accessibility.

He compared a well-structured site with a Flash-based Web site and regular, HTML-based Web site. The Flash site was virtually inaccessible, and the regular Web site was readable for blind users.

Huber concluded, "Web sites that are designed well for blind users will also be well designed for search engines, as well as sighted users."

He finished by advising attendees to take advantage of new Google Profiles.

Jim Huber demonstrates Google's new "Google Profiles" feature.

The LNA is a Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce networking group, which meets the first and third Wednesday of every month at 11:30am, at the Middleburg Bank in Leesburg, VA.

Attendees were Matt Romans, Superslow Zone; Denis Fahie, Long and Foster; Jack Sipes*, Inspect-It 1st; Donna Esposito Fincher, Vaughan, Fincher & Sotelo; Penny Becker, Better Impressions; Kathleen Mallampalli, Arbonne International; John Schrotel*, DJs2Go, Tom Butler, Acumen Accounting; and Lana Heaslip, Middleburg Bank.

Photos by Bev Barker*, Insights Marketing News.

*Guests.