{"id":15190,"date":"2023-08-29T08:52:11","date_gmt":"2023-08-29T06:52:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/?p=15190"},"modified":"2024-10-04T13:53:33","modified_gmt":"2024-10-04T11:53:33","slug":"web-accessibility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/2023\/08\/29\/web-accessibility\/","title":{"rendered":"Web accessibility is an absolute must-have"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>What is life like for people with a visual impairment? How do they access information, especially via digital channels? And how do they navigate websites? In a recent project, we analysed how accessible the ZHAW\u2019s webpages are for visually impaired people, incorporating a usability approach in the process. Recognising that stand-alone accessibility measures are insufficient, we combined accessibility with usability to achieve an inclusive design for information products, including websites.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:14px\">By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zhaw.ch\/de\/ueber-uns\/person\/fuhm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Birgit Fuhrmann<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zhaw.ch\/de\/ueber-uns\/person\/shmt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Martin Schuler<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zhaw.ch\/de\/ueber-uns\/person\/dago\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dario D\u2019Agostino<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How do visually impaired people navigate the Internet and gather information? First of all, there are guidelines for the grading of visual impairment based on the remaining visual acuity of the individual in question [1]. In our project, we worked with visually impaired people with remaining visual acuity of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>more than 30%, classified as a visual function restriction,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>30% to 5%, classified as a visual impairment,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>5% to 2%, classified as a high visual impairment,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>and less than 2%, constituting blindness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Depending on the grade of their visual impairment, people use different hardware and software to access the Internet. In terms of hardware, laptops and smartphones are used to access desired webpages. Affected individuals also have supplementary software installed on their devices to help them search and navigate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Visually impaired people who struggle with contrast employ apps with specialised functions for zooming and colour inversion. Conversely, many blind people use so-called screen readers that render text and image content as speech or braille output to assist users with navigation. Others use programs that combine zooming and screen reading functionalities. These examples demonstrate the wide variety of tools being used. Most tools share additional search features that tap into HTML information such as headings, navigation items and links, aiding users in locating necessary information. For this reason, the format and layout of the webpages have to be well structured, clear and consistent. Otherwise, navigating with zoom or a screen reader is virtually impossible, as the necessary anchors are missing.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"youtubeWrapper\" id=iframe1871115043><img src='http:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2024\/10\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test6-b.jpg' class='image1' ALT='Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test6-b' onclick='changeImage(\"iframe1871115043\", \"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/oV2FTEiKk1Y?wmode=transparent&amp;rel=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;autoplay=1\", \"oV2FTEiKk1Y\", \"youtube\", \"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/wp-content\/plugins\/zhaw-twoclick\/build\/images\/youtube_overlay.3f4d5ac2.png\", \"Dieser Inhalt kommt von Youtube. Mit dem Abspielen kann Ihr Surf-Verhalten mitverfolgt werden. \/ This content comes from YouTube. By viewing it, your surfing behaviour can be tracked.\" , \"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/wp-content\/plugins\/zhaw-twoclick\/build\/images\/playbutton_transparent.22b3642a.png\")'><img src='https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/wp-content\/plugins\/zhaw-twoclick\/build\/images\/playbutton_transparent.22b3642a.png' ALT='Playbutton f\u00fcr Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test6-b' onclick='changeImage(\"iframe1871115043\", \"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/oV2FTEiKk1Y?wmode=transparent&amp;rel=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;autoplay=1\", \"oV2FTEiKk1Y\", \"youtube\", \"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/wp-content\/plugins\/zhaw-twoclick\/build\/images\/youtube_overlay.3f4d5ac2.png\", \"Dieser Inhalt kommt von Youtube. Mit dem Abspielen kann Ihr Surf-Verhalten mitverfolgt werden. \/ This content comes from YouTube. By viewing it, your surfing behaviour can be tracked.\" , \"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/wp-content\/plugins\/zhaw-twoclick\/build\/images\/playbutton_transparent.22b3642a.png\")' class='playbutton'><p><\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-project-accessibility-of-zhaw-webpages\"><br><strong>The project: accessibility of ZHAW webpages<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Prior to our project, the ZHAW initiated an ICT-based assessment of its webpages on behalf of the President\u2019s Office. This assessment was subsequently conducted by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zhaw.ch\/en\/linguistics\/business-services\/laic-lab\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">LAIC Lab<\/a>. The <a href=\"https:\/\/accessibility.zhaw.ch\/indexd97e.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ICT Accessibility Lab<\/a> evaluated the compliance of the webpages with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/Translations\/WCAG20-de\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WCAG 2<\/a>, in German). While ICT testing delivers crucial and reliable results, we contend that only web users themselves can judge the accessibility of a website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Team-BfK-Web-Accessibility-ZHAW-IUED-1-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15207\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Team-BfK-Web-Accessibility-ZHAW-IUED-1-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Team-BfK-Web-Accessibility-ZHAW-IUED-1-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Team-BfK-Web-Accessibility-ZHAW-IUED-1-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Team-BfK-Web-Accessibility-ZHAW-IUED-1-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Team-BfK-Web-Accessibility-ZHAW-IUED-1-1639x2048.jpg 1639w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Team-BfK-Web-Accessibility-ZHAW-IUED-1.jpg 1713w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The web accessibility project team: Dario D&#8217;Agostino, Martin Schuler, Birgit Fuhrmann.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Funded by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zhaw.ch\/en\/focus-topics\/zhaw-digital\/translate-to-english-digital-futures-fund\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Digital Futures Fund<\/a>, we therefore resolved to evaluate the accessibility and usability of our webpages. We were eager to find out the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How accessible our webpages are for visually impaired users.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The benefits of usability testing, which is not a commonly applied method in this field.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The benefits of the direct involvement of actual web users.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The requirements of visually impaired participants during testing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Necessary adaptations to research processes, employing usability as a method.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It is worthy of note that conducting research in collaboration with visually impaired people, rather than merely researching &#8222;about&#8220; them, was a pivotal perspective that we prioritised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-needs-of-visually-impaired-people\"><strong>Needs of visually impaired people<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Several participants acknowledged that our webpages are superior to others and on the right path. However, we identified substantial potential for optimisation across six categories, namely with respect to the search function, navigation, structure, site design, continuing education and an app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Regarding the search function,<\/strong> users found it inconvenient, as it requires two clicks to activate and enter a search term. In contrast, most Internet search functions only require a single click. This caused confusion and also resulted in time being lost. We would therefore highly recommend changing this aspect.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Concerning structure,<\/strong> we noted that multiple headings on a single page were formatted using heading level 1 (main heading). This posed a problem, as the primary heading holds pivotal importance in terms of providing an overview and aiding navigation. Having multiple main headings means that users need to search through them in order to find core content, leading to confusion and time being lost. We propose that this aspect is optimised by making the level 1 heading (i.e. the webpage title) prominently consistent at the page&#8217;s outset and that level 1 headings are limited to one occurrence per page.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>In terms of navigation,<\/strong> we observed difficulties with respect to keyboard operation in instances in which users needed to use the tab and enter keys to open and navigate menus. This was not in keeping with the users&#8216; expectations, as the up and down arrow keys are more commonly used for menu navigation. We suggest that both methods are enabled in order to provide flexibility as regards keyboard operation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Following our research, we engaged in a discussion with the President\u2019s Office in which we shared our recommendations for webpage optimisation and the integration of usability testing into future developments with the goal of enhancing accessibility and usability for visually impaired people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"15201\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test6-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Woman-Web-Accessibility-test-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED\" class=\"wp-image-15201\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test6-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test6-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test6-768x1151.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test6-1025x1536.jpg 1025w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test6-1366x2048.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test6-scaled.jpg 1708w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Visually impaired woman navigates our websites<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"15198\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test3-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"web-accessibility-test-usability-lab-ZHAW-IUED-3\" class=\"wp-image-15198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test3-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test3-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test3-768x1151.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test3-1025x1536.jpg 1025w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test3-1366x2048.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test3-scaled.jpg 1708w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Observed by a researcher<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"15196\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test1-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Woman-Web-Accessibility-test-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-1\" class=\"wp-image-15196\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test1-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test1-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test1-768x1151.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test1-1025x1536.jpg 1025w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test1-1366x2048.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test1-scaled.jpg 1708w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Test person navigates using zooming<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-id=\"15199\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test4-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"web-accessibility-test-usability-lab-ZHAW-IUED-4\" class=\"wp-image-15199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test4-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test4-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test4-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test4-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">View from the observation room into the test room &#8211; in our Usability Lab. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-key-takeaways-for-everyday-life\"><strong>Key takeaways for everyday life<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond our findings, we also yielded significant insights into implementing usability testing with the involvement of visually impaired people. Initially, we became aware of the diverse nature of visual impairments. Common perceptions often revolve around canes or guide dogs for the visually impaired. However, there are guidelines for the grading of visual impairments, with different grades requiring different tools to assist affected individuals in navigating and accessing webpages. We recognised that we too had preconceptions about visually impaired people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lessons-learned-for-research-and-usability-testing\"><strong>Lessons learned for research and usability testing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Inclusive research projects present an ongoing challenge for researchers, as the field is not yet well-equipped for such endeavours. Adjustments are needed to accommodate inclusivity in light of the fact that conventional research methods and procedures may fall short in this regard. We confronted this challenge in our project, garnering insights for future projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For instance, our usability lab is physically accessible. However, this is one of the simplest modifications. Planning and recruiting test participants necessitates greater empathy and a deeper level of knowledge about the testing group. In this way, potential pitfalls can be anticipated and prevented, facilitating smoother testing in the process. Our test settings were thus individually tailored to the needs of each participant, accommodating variations such as the use of personal devices and specific apps during the testing process. This approach minimised friction during the completion of tasks on the websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Generally, traditional usability testing methods strictly specify that the test leader should not intervene during the testing process. However, this was unfeasible as part of our inclusive testing, meaning we adopted a coaching approach that involved questioning and hints from the project team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-research-with-visually-impaired-people\"><strong>Research WITH visually impaired people<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Crucially, we acknowledge that we could not have undertaken this project on our own. We would like to extend our immense gratitude to the organisations that support visually impaired people and who assisted us in recruiting participants by distributing our communications. We would also like to thank all of the participants who invested their time in visiting our lab and contributing to our tests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cI am very grateful for the opportunity to meet these resilient, patient and admirable people who participated in our project. This experience also highlighted the challenges found within today&#8217;s web infrastructure and the necessity for inclusive web design. Hopefully, our findings will promote awareness and provide impetus for the creation of more inclusive websites\u201d<\/em>, remarked Birgit Fuhrmann<em>. <\/em>These lessons learned will guide us in future projects conducted within this research area. We are eager to share our findings and insights with fellow researchers and practitioners, allowing us to contribute to a better and more inclusive world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test5-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"discussion-web-accessibility-test-usability-lab-ZHAW-IUED\" class=\"wp-image-15200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test5-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test5-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test5-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test5-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-Test5-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The research team and a visually impaired tester discussing how accessible the ZHAW\u2019s webpages are.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-and-it-shouldn-t-be-forgotten-access-to-information-and-communication-technologies-and-systems-is-a-human-right\"><strong>And it shouldn\u2019t be forgotten: access to information and communication technologies and systems is a human right<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2006, the United Nations adopted the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/en\/instruments-mechanisms\/instruments\/convention-rights-persons-disabilities\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities<\/a>, advocating for inclusivity across personal and professional spheres. Article 9 of this convention emphasises accessibility in information and communication technologies, including webpages. In 2014, Switzerland ratified these conventions, committing to observe their principles. However, considerable strides can still be made to bolster accessibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-references\"><strong>References<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>[1] Lang, M., Heyl, V. (2020): P\u00e4dagogik bei Blindheit und Sehbehinderung. Stuttgart: W. Kohlhammer Verlag<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zhaw.ch\/en\/linguistics\/institutes-centres\/iued-institute-of-translation-and-interpreting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"381\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2020\/05\/170524-7936-1024x381.jpg\" alt=\"ZHAW_angewandte-linguistik_IUED_Image\" class=\"wp-image-8029\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2020\/05\/170524-7936-1024x381.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2020\/05\/170524-7936-300x112.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2020\/05\/170524-7936-768x286.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2020\/05\/170524-7936-1536x572.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2020\/05\/170524-7936.jpg 1564w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zhaw.ch\/en\/linguistics\/institutes-centres\/iued-institute-of-translation-and-interpreting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">IUED Institute of Translation and Interpreting<\/a> is the ZHAW competence centre for multilingualism and language mediation. It is actively engaged in conducting research, offering degree programmes and continuing education courses, and in providing services and consulting in these fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zhaw.ch\/en\/linguistics\/study\/ba-in-multilingual-communication\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">BA in Multilingual Communication<\/a> and the specialisations in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zhaw.ch\/en\/linguistics\/study\/ma-in-applied-linguistics\/specialisation-in-professional-translation\/%23c80177\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Professional Translation<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zhaw.ch\/en\/linguistics\/study\/ma-in-applied-linguistics\/specialisation-in-conference-interpreting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Conference Interpreting<\/a> within the MA in Applied Linguistics are practice-oriented degree programmes for the communication experts of tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The IUED has a strong international reputation. It is a member of prestigious international networks, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zhaw.ch\/de\/linguistik\/institute-zentren\/iued\/ueber-uns\/netzwerke-und-berufsorganisationen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CIUTI<\/a>&nbsp;and <a href=\"https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/info\/resources-partners\/european-masters-translation-emt_en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">EMT<\/a>, and it has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zhaw.ch\/de\/linguistik\/institute-zentren\/iued\/ueber-uns\/netzwerke-und-berufsorganisationen\/\">close ties<\/a> (link in German only) with institutes and universities in Switzerland and abroad.<\/p>\n<div class=\"pt-sm\">Schlagw\u00f6rter: <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/tag\/accessibilty-barrierefreie-kommunikation\/\">Accessibilty Studies \/ Barrierefreie Kommunikation<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/tag\/fachkommunikation-und-informationsdesign\/\">Fachkommunikation und Informationsdesign<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/tag\/imk\/\">IMK Institut f\u00fcr Mehrsprachige Kommunikation<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/tag\/technikkommunikation\/\">Technikkommunikation<\/a><br><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is life like for people with a visual impairment? How do they access information, especially via digital channels? And how do they navigate websites? In a recent project, we analysed how accessible the ZHAW\u2019s webpages are for visually impaired people, incorporating a usability approach in the process. Recognising that stand-alone accessibility measures are insufficient, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":477,"featured_media":15192,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[203],"tags":[129,318,145,182],"features":[341],"class_list":["post-15190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-forschung","tag-accessibilty-barrierefreie-kommunikation","tag-fachkommunikation-und-informationsdesign","tag-imk","tag-technikkommunikation","features-recommended-post"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Web accessibility is an absolute must-have - Language matters.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"ZHAW&#039;s researcher analysed how accessible the ZHAW\u2019s webpages are for visually impaired people, incorporating a usability approach.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/2023\/08\/29\/web-accessibility\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"de_DE\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Web accessibility is an absolute must-have\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"ZHAW&#039;s researcher analysed how accessible the ZHAW\u2019s webpages are for visually impaired people, incorporating a usability approach.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/2023\/08\/29\/web-accessibility\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Language matters.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-08-29T06:52:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-10-04T11:53:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-2-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1344\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"ZHAW Language matters\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Verfasst von\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"ZHAW Language matters\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Gesch\u00e4tzte Lesezeit\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"11\u00a0Minuten\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/2023\/08\/29\/web-accessibility\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/2023\/08\/29\/web-accessibility\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"ZHAW Language matters\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/#\/schema\/person\/aa084f536a466bb6435a802f4606646b\"},\"headline\":\"Web accessibility is an absolute must-have\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-08-29T06:52:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-10-04T11:53:33+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/2023\/08\/29\/web-accessibility\/\"},\"wordCount\":1511,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/2023\/08\/29\/web-accessibility\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/files\/2023\/08\/Web-Accessibility-Usability-Lab-ZHAW-IUED-2-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Accessibilty Studies \/ Barrierefreie Kommunikation\",\"Fachkommunikation und Informationsdesign\",\"IMK Institut f\u00fcr Mehrsprachige Kommunikation\",\"Technikkommunikation\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Forschung\"],\"inLanguage\":\"de\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/2023\/08\/29\/web-accessibility\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/2023\/08\/29\/web-accessibility\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blog.zhaw.ch\/languagematters\/2023\/08\/29\/web-accessibility\/\",\"name\":\"Web accessibility is an absolute must-have - 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