eGovernment Resource Centre - Victoria, Australia

Victorian
Government
Contact Centre
1300 366 356

Main Menu

Categories, RSS and More

Main Categories

Shorten URL

Please enter the URL that you'd like to shorten or click here to shorten current:


What's this? loading...

Rate this Site

Thanks for visiting. To help us help you find what you need please take our 1 minute Visitor Survey.

Members Forum

The Forum is the place for members to post their opinions and exchange ideas.

Creating sites accessible to people with cognitive disabilities - Accessibility Toolkit - Version 3 - 2009

People with cognitive, language and learning disabilities comprise the largest group of those with disabilities accessing the web. Unfortunately the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, Version 1.0 does not include many checkpoints aimed at assisting this sub-group. The second version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines also does not fully address the needs of this sub-group, as evidenced by the formal objection tabled by Lisa Seeman and co-signed by over fifty people involved in the accessibility industry.

It is important to remember that people with cognitive disabilities often have a problem in only one area of cognition, and can be of average or higher-than-average intelligence. People with cognitive disabilities are just as likely as those in the general public to be in technical careers and/or careers requiring high intelligence. People with cognitive disabilities may even work in industries which would appear to be impossible to them due to their disability. For instance Tom Cruise has dyslexia and as a dyslexic he has great difficulty reading; however his career as an actor requires him to read and interpret scripts on a daily basis.

Relationship to checkpoints:

Checkpoint 1.1 requires that all information provided in a non-text format is also provided as a text equivalent
Checkpoint 3.4 requires that relative units are used instead of absolute units
Checkpoint 3.5 requires that headers are marked up properly
Checkpoint 4.2 requires that abbreviations be expanded where they first occur
Checkpoint 7.1 requires no flickering
Checkpoint 7.2 requires minimal blinking
Checkpoint 7.3 prohibits movement that cannot be stopped by the user
Checkpoint 7.4 requires no auto-refreshing pages
Checkpoint 7.5 requires no auto-redirecting pages
Checkpoint 9.4 requires that the site contain a logical tab order
Checkpoint 10.1 requires no popups or opening new windows without informing the user
Checkpoint 10.2 require that fields are placed close to the relevant field label
Checkpoint 12.3 requires breaking content into more manageable groups
Checkpoint 13.1 requires identifying the target of each link
Checkpoint 13.3 requires the inclusion of a sitemap or table of contents
Checkpoint 13.4 requires that navigation be used in a consistent manner
Checkpoint 13.8 requires the inclusion of distinguishing information at the beginning of pages, paragraphs and lists
Checkpoint 14.1 requires that content is clear and simple
Checkpoint 14.2 requires the supplementation of text with graphics or audio
Checkpoint 14.3 requires that a consistent style is used throughout the site

Type of cognitive disabilities

There are many different types of cognitive disabilities; however they all incorporate varying degrees of problems associated with:

  • Memory - Memory impairments include difficulty obtaining, recognizing or retrieving information from short-term, long-term or remote memory.;
  • Perception - Perception impairments include difficulty digesting, attending to and discriminating between sensory information.;
  • Problem-solving - Problem-solving impairments include difficulty recognizing problems, identifying, choosing or implementing solutions and evaluation of the outcome.; and
  • Conceptualizing - Conceptualizing impairments include difficulties with sequencing, generalizing previously learned information, categorizing, cause and effect, abstract concepts, skill development and comprehension.

From "Designing for users with Cognitive Disabilities"

For example, dyslexia is a disorder where reading, spelling and writing are impaired. Often there is no effect on speaking or other brain function. Dyslexia is an example of a disorder involving:

  • Perception – difficulty interpreting a series of letters on a page as a particular word; and
  • Conceptualizing – difficulty sequencing the order of letters when attempting to write or spell a word.

For example autism is a developmental disorder involving:

  • Memory – difficulty ‘picking up’ information;
  • Perception – difficulty perceiving another’s body language;
  • Problem-solving – difficulty determining that certain behaviour is inappropriate; and
  • Conceptualizing – lack of spontaneous play.

For example epilepsy is a neurological disorder with a physical impairment and involves:

  • Memory – memory loss after an epileptic fit
  • Perception – certain sensory events trigger an epileptic fit

Making sites accessible to people with cognitive disabilities

There are some simple things you can do to ensure that your site is accessible to people with cognitive disabilities. For instance, you can ensure your site is accessible through a screen reader. Many people with cognitive disabilities have difficulty reading and therefore use a screen reader to assist them when using a site. Certain Web Content Accessibility Guidelines checkpoints are particularly useful in this case, such as:

Reducing movement is also important as people with cognitive disabilities often have difficulties focusing on important information and are distracted easily. You can greatly improve the accessibility of your site to people with cognitive disabilities by highlighting important elements, such as:

  • Navigation;
  • Necessary or urgent content;
  • Links; and
  • Headings.

Improving readability is also important. Certain techniques aimed at assisting people with cognitive disabilities include:

  • Shortening sentences;
  • Reducing column width;
  • Using headings;
  • Reducing colour contrast; and
  • Presenting only one idea per sentence.

The following list of guidelines will assist you in making your site accessible to people with cognitive disabilities. Many guidelines, such as reducing column width, will be difficult or infeasible to implement. The more guidelines you comply with the more accessible your site will be to people with cognitive disabilities, however following only a few of the following guidelines is better than following none at all.

A. Comply with the cognitive-related checkpoints in WCAG1.0

Many of the cognitive-related checkpoints in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are in Level AA and Level AAA. Therefore if your site is only compliant to Level A you could still be creating a site inaccessible to people with cognitive disabilities.

The important cognitive-related checkpoints are:

B. Ensure that your site is simple-to-use

People with cognitive disabilities often have difficulty locating information or can be easily distracted. Providing a simple and clean design can assist this group.

To make your site simple-to-use, follow these techniques:

  • Create a clean design with minimal distractions
  • Provide instructions for unfamiliar interfaces
  • Provide informative error messages (including detailed 404 errors)
  • Do not use flyover (otherwise known as "flyout" or "drop-down") or hover menus
  • Do not have more than seven navigation options
  • Avoid background audio or images
  • Include breadcrumbs
  • Ensure the site can be printed legibly
  • Use a font of 12px or higher
  • Do not make columns of text larger than 70 characters
  • Use a sufficient, but low, contrast between text and background (eg. a pastel background and black text)
  • Use a Sans Serif font, such as Arial or Verdana
  • Limit different fonts within the site
  • Ensure all the links work
  • Ensure links are always underlined
  • Provide large clickable areas for links
  • Provide features so the user can easily change text and background colour, text font and size

C. Ensure text is clear and simple

People with cognitive disabilities often have difficulty understanding or reading information. Providing clear and simple content can assist this group.

To make your text clear and simple, follow these techniques:

  • Provide summary information about the site on the homepage, including the purpose of the site and what can be achieved in the site
  • Highlight key information at the beginning of the page or in text boxes
  • Reduce text where possible
  • Limit complex ideas
  • Include only one idea per sentence
  • Ensure content is literal; avoid abstract or figurative concepts
  • Avoid tangential information
  • Use the correct grammar and spelling
  • Do not use abbreviations
  • Identify the target of each link
  • Include a FAQs page
  • Include a Contact Us page
  • Include a Glossary

D. Focus on information and assist in readability

People with cognitive disabilities often have difficulty focusing on, or noticing, information. Alternatively they could have trouble reading information if it is formatted in a particular way. Providing additional formatting features can assist this group.

To focus on information and assist in readability, follow these techniques:

  • Ensure headings are used
  • Do not use italics
  • Do not use ALLCAPS
  • Increase the line height on paragraphs
  • Include a hover effect on links so that the link highlights when the user hovers over it
  • Include a hover effect on table cells so that a particular cell is highlighted when a user hovers over it
  • Hide content until the user requests it
  • Include audio feedback for any activation (eg. a "ping" sound when a link is clicked)
  • Provide multi-sensory error feedback, for instance a dialog box and an audio error message
  • Supplement text navigation with graphic icons

E. Ensure forms are easy-to use

People with cognitive disabilities often have difficulty completing forms. Providing information about the use of a form can assist this group.

To make your forms easier-to-use, follow these techniques:

  • Reduce the complexity of forms
  • Limit the number of procedural steps
  • Auto-fill form input where possible
  • Provide information at the beginning of forms to reduce the likelihood of errors
  • Include cues and prompts
  • Limit the options or choices within forms
  • Provide a list of links to choose from instead of requiring the user to type in options
  • Allow users to enter a short code to represent a longer sequence (eg. VIC instead of Victoria)
  • Provide field labels for all fields
  • Ensure field labels are positioned physically close to the relevant field
  • Ensure dual controls (eg. Submit and Reset) are not close together
  • Do not use time limits
  • Ask users to confirm choices before submitting them

F. Provide equivalents to audio and video

People with cognitive disabilities can often be assisted by audio and video however other groups of people with cognitive disabilities cannot use or interpret this information. Providing equivalents to audio and video can assist this group.

To make your audio and video accessible, follow these techniques:

Further Information

Information on cognitive disabilities

Information on developing sites accessible to people with cognitive disabilities

Information on cognitive disabilities and the W3C

Source: Accessibility Toolkit Version 3, September 2009. Section 5 - Creating sites accessible to people with cognitive disabilities.

Bookmark and Share

Added: 1 June 2010 Page views: 3,000 Rating: 0 Votes: 0
Review and rate this Article

Last updated: 1 June 2010