Journal of Business and Technical Communication Apr 2013

Communicating Web Accessibility to the Novice Developer

Susan A. Youngblood Auburn University

Abstract

Novice Web developers and other technical communicators need to learn not only accessibility standards but also factors that make designs usable to audiences with disabilities. One challenge of teaching accessibility to novices is creating exigency; another is emulating experiences of users with disabilities. This article tackles teaching novices to create Web sites for visually impaired audiences using a five-stage, recursive approach. Teaching best coding practices is only one stage: Instructors should create exigency by introducing real users and their experiences. They should also check for accessibility and emulate screen-reader output using tools such as WAVE and FANGS, respectively. Furthermore, novice developers should examine how different tools can be used in combination to provide a variety of feedback.

Journal
Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Published
2013-04-01
DOI
10.1177/1050651912458924
Open Access
Closed
Topics
multimodality disability studies

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (11)

  1. Bennett et al. (2022)
    Transforming the Rights-Based Encounter: Disability Rights, Disability Justice,…
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  2. Frith (2020)
    Technical Standards and a Theory of Writing as Infrastructure
    Written Communication
  3. Zdenek (2020)
    Metaphor 3: Transforming: Transforming Access and Inclusion in Composition Stud…
    College English
  4. Bivens et al. (2020)
    The Activist Syllabus as Technical Communication and the Technical Communicator…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  5. Sánchez (2018)
    Enabling Geographies
    Pedagogy
Show all 11 →
  1. Jong et al. (2018)
    Functional Complexity and Web Site Design
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  2. Kenzie et al. (2018)
    Teaching Writing for the Health Professions: Disciplinary Intersections and Ped…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  3. Browning et al. (2017)
    Teaching a “Critical Accessibility Case Study”
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  4. Sánchez (2017)
    The Roles of Technical Communication Researchers in Design Scholarship
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  5. Jones et al. (2016)
    Disrupting the Past to Disrupt the Future: An Antenarrative of Technical Commun…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  6. Oswal et al. (2014)
    Paying Attention to Accessibility When Designing Online Courses in Technical an…
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication

Cites in this index (6)

  1. Rude (2009)
    Mapping the Research Questions in Technical Communication
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  2. Spinuzzi (2007)
    Texts of Our Institutional Lives: Accessibility Scans and Institutional Activit…
    College English
  3. Palmeri (2006)
    Disability Studies, Cultural Analysis, and the Critical Practice of Technical C…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
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    "Curb Cuts" on the Information Highway: Older Adults and the Internet
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  5. Breuch et al. (2001)
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    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Show all 6 →
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CrossRef global citation count: 33 View in citation network →

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