An accessibility assessment of selected Web‐based health information resources

McCord, Sarah; Frederiksen, Linda; Campbell, Nicole

doi:10.1108/07378830210432552

Cited by 18 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…These results are mirrored in the work of Williams and Rattray (2003), where only 17% of UK-based accountancy firms passed at the Priority 1 level. Perhaps even more disappointingly, McCord et al (2002) on testing the accessibility of Web-based health information resources using screen readers and an automated software checker found none completely accessible.…”

Section: A Review Of Previous Accessibility Surveysmentioning

confidence: 93%

Meeting the on-line needs of disabled tourists: an assessment of UK-based hotel websites

Williams¹,

Rattray²,

Grimes³

2006

Int. J. Tourism Res.

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The easy exchange of rich information between often geographically dispersed parties is an important precursor of successful tourism transactions. Internetbased technologies, in particular the World Wide Web, offer possibilities to both buyers and sellers to exchange information without the constraints of geography and time diminishing its richness. The disabled, representing a significant part of any marketplace, may, however, have difficulties accessing the content of the Web and therefore sharing the benefits of rich information exchange. This is the principal concern of 'Web content accessibility'. Focusing on the tourism sector, in particular UK-based hotels, this paper examines the accessibility of their websites. However, recognising that it is not just access to information that is important for the disabled, but also the quality of that information, the paper also examines the extent to which the information contained on websites serves their particular needs. Utilising the accessibility testing software 'Bobby', disappointingly low levels of Web content accessibility were found amongst the sample of websites. Against a framework of information needs developed from criteria provided by disability organisations, the sample also revealed disappointingly low levels of specific (relevant) information for the disabled.Respondents were then tasked with assessing each of these in terms of: (i) The accessibility of the premises; (ii) the quality of the service; and (iii) the quality of the information they received. The survey generated mixed results. Managers and operators of visitor attractions appeared to meet the needs of the disabled reasonably well. For example, 80% answered that the attractions were 'Accessible to you'

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Section: A Review Of Previous Accessibility Surveysmentioning

confidence: 93%

Meeting the on-line needs of disabled tourists: an assessment of UK-based hotel websites

Williams¹,

Rattray²,

Grimes³

2006

Int. J. Tourism Res.

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“…For individuals with disabilities, this way of accessing information may be the preferred method for obtaining supplemental healthcare information. Little is known, however, about the accessibility of the content of these online health information websites (Mancini, Zedda, & Barbaro, 2005; McCord, Frederiksen, & Campbell, 2002). This proposed study will make a significant contribution to the existing body of knowledge by providing an accurate depiction of the accessibility of these websites, and will also identify the barriers that impede attaining full accessibility.…”

Section: Patient Heal Thyself! Advocating For Accessible Healthcare mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Internet has been successfully used to make quality health information widely available, to the point where it is available anywhere and anytime – but not to everyone! Consumer healthcare websites have been found to have problems in making their content readily available to individuals with disabilities (McCord, Frederiksen, & Campbell, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patient, heal thyself! Advocating for accessible healthcare websites

Brobst

2009

Proc of Assoc for Info

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The purpose of this research is to examine healthcare websites to determine their current level of accessibility based on the criteria established in Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Web accessibility refers to providing equal access to the Internet and equal opportunity to use the Internet for people with disabilities. The unique value of this investigation lies in the attempt to identify what interventions could serve to improve the observed levels of website accessibility in healthcare websites. Federal public laws demonstrate a concern for assuring equal rights and access for those with disabilities. However, the intent of the laws, being to achieve accessibility, has not been accomplished. Recent studies have shown that most categories of websites have low accessibility levels. If allowed to continue, the failure to make accessibility a reality could result in the disenfranchising of a major segment of society. The goal of this study is to determine what can be done, realistically and pragmatically, to make healthcare websites within the United States more accessible. The approach will be a multi‐method examination of accessibility involving: policy analysis, online survey, expert testing, automated testing, and accessibility testing. Each method will add a unique value to the study and in combination will provide a fuller and richer understanding of the current status of healthcare website accessibility. The multi‐method approach supports the Action Stance taken in designing this study. This Action Stance approach focuses on designing research efforts that lead to effective and positive change. For this study, the positive changes will include developing a set of best practices towards attaining web accessibility, identifying interventions that promote accessibility, and making recommendations for improving the federal information policies that address website accessibility.

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“…Five studies (Bowman, 2002;Chambers, 2002, 2003;Horwath, 2002;McCord et al, 2002) examined the accessibility of online indexes and databases, including those with broad-range coverage, such as Ebscohost and Proquest Research Library, and those that are subject-specific, such as Medline and Cancerlit; one study (Coonin, 2002)) focused on the accessibility of electronic journals. Schmetzke (2002) summarized the findings in the above studies using a five-point scale ranging from "very accessible" to "absolutely inaccessible" -with accessibility "mildly reduced", "significantly reduced" and "severely reduced" occupying the in-between points: Of the 14 resources investigated by Bowman (2002); Chambers (2002, 2003); Horwath (2002); McCord et al (2002), the majority (ten) fell in the "mildly reduced accessibility" category, while three were best described as having "significantly reduced accessibility". Extreme cases were rare: Whereas only one index/database interface was described as "very accessible", none of the resources fell into the "severely reduced LHT 23,2 accessibility" or "absolutely inaccessible" categories.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Accessibility and usability of online library databases

2005

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Purpose-The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates that all library services, programs and activities be accessible to people with disabilities. Web-based indexes and databases have become a major staple in today's academic libraries. This study aims to investigate the accessibility and usability of these online resources for people using adaptive software to interface with computers. Design/methodology/approach-Database interfaces were evaluated with two different methods: Selected screens of the interfaces were checked for compliance with major Section 508 and web Content Accessibility Guidelines components; and involving minimally trained subjects to carry out routine search-related tasks, the interfaces were tested for functionality when used along with adaptive software commonly employed by people with print disabilities. Content accessibility within documents was judged based on document format. Findings-The results indicate that, while most indexes and databases are now largely compliant with common accessibility standards and permit the performance of common search tasks, their actual user-friendliness for people with disabilities tends to be low. Research limitations/implementations-Future research could benefit from closer attention to the degree of difficulty involved in performing search tasks and to the accessibility of document content. Practical implications-Usability information, provided for each of the 37 evaluated databases, helps librarians make better informed procurement decisions, offers guidance to those vendors willing to design more inclusive products, and alerts those who assist users of screen readers or audio browsers to the potential difficulties involved in searching specific library databases. Originality/value-This is the first published study that systematically explores the accessibility of the major library databases for people with disabilities.

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An accessibility assessment of selected Web‐based health information resources

Cited by 18 publications

References 1 publication

Meeting the on-line needs of disabled tourists: an assessment of UK-based hotel websites

Meeting the on-line needs of disabled tourists: an assessment of UK-based hotel websites

Patient, heal thyself! Advocating for accessible healthcare websites

Accessibility and usability of online library databases

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