Search results for ‘Subject term:"learning disabilities"’ Sort:
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The recognition of web pages' hyperlinks by people with intellectual disabilities: an evaluation study
- Authors:
- ROCHA Tânia, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 25(6), November 2012, pp.542-552.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The initiative for Web Accessibility (WAI) has defined a set of guidelines for designers concerned with accessibility issues. However, research has shown that these guidelines are insufficient to ensure people with intellectual disabilities have proper internet access. One of the most mentioned problems of web accessibility is related to the difficulty regarding the perception of what is or is not clickable in a web page. This study aimed to investigate the recognition of hyperlinks by people with intellectual disabilities, specifically asking whether hyperlinks in navigation menus are more perceptible with text or with images. The methodology was based on the direct observation, video recording, interview and data obtained by an eye tracker device. Ten participants with intellectual disabilities were divided into 2 groups and asked to perform 2 tasks in 2 websites. The first website presented an image navigation menu (INM), whereas the other one showed a text navigation menu (TNM). The tasks required each group to alternatively interact with the 2 different layouts. The findings clearly showed that images were more comprehensible than text, especially for the participants with reading difficulties.
Accessible website content guidelines for users with intellectual disabilities
- Authors:
- KARREMAN Joyce, van der GEEST Thea, BUURSINK Esmee
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 20(6), November 2007, pp.510-518.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative has issued guidelines for making websites better and easier to access for people with various disabilities (W3C Web Accessibility Initiative guidelines 1999). The usability of two versions of a Dutch website (a non-adapted site and a site that was adapted on the basis of easy-to-read guidelines) was tested with two groups of 20 participants. One group had intellectual disabilities but could read, the other group had no identified intellectual disabilities. In a 2 × 2 experimental design, it was investigated whether the easy-to-read website was indeed better accessible and usable for the participants with intellectual disabilities. The adaptation of the website worked well for participants with intellectual disabilities. Users without identified intellectual disabilities were as effective with the adapted site as they were with the non-adapted site. The results form an empirical basis for recommendations about applying guidelines for easy-to-read text on websites for people with intellectual disabilities.
Getting informed: research the production of accessible information for people with learning difficulties
- Authors:
- TOWNSLEY Ruth, RODGERS Jackie, FOLKES Liz
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Integrated Care, 11(3), June 2003, pp.39-43.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Reports on the Information for All Project at the Norah Fry Research Centre, which in investigating the current evidence on accessible information. The study has involved a systematic review of the research literature, and interviews with information providers (including service user-led groups) about their practical experience of making information easier to understand. Major themes emerging include the importance of defining the target audience and their information needs and involving this audience through direct consultation and evaluation.
Access 2 pictures
- Author:
- People First
- Publisher:
- People First
- Publication year:
- 2002
- Pagination:
- 1v.looseleaf, CD ROM
- Place of publication:
- London
Includes a CD ROM containing pictures for cutting and pasting into documents, and a looseleaf folder with sections on good and bad ways of providing information to people with learning difficulties, including a step by step guide on making a piece of accessible information.
Accessible websites – what is out there?
- Authors:
- WAIGHT Mary, OLDREIVE Warren
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 44(2), 2016, p.122–129.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This study aims to outline a time-related study to identify UK websites providing information for people with learning disabilities and to evaluate the websites to determine strengths and weaknesses. Following a brief review of literature, a series of criteria were drawn up to evaluate websites for people with learning disabilities. Eighty-three identified sites were organised and allocated to categories based on function. Of these, 19 websites were deemed to have been created for people with learning disabilities to access. These were reviewed using the following criteria: how site was accessed; how navigation occurred within the site; whether literacy was required; how different compensatory strategies were incorporated including images, video and audio. The assessment criteria revealed a marked inconsistency within the websites in the areas examined. Differences in website design are discussed and suggestions of possible ways forward made to facilitate access for people with learning disabilities. (Publisher abstract)
A capital idea
- Author:
- MACKENZIE Alick
- Journal article citation:
- Learning Disability Today, 10(9), November 2010, pp.30-31.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
This article describes the work of enabledlondon, which has grown from an online leisure resource into a consultancy aimed at creating jobs and making a full life more accessible to people with learning disabilities and other excluded groups. As the number and nature of the projects taken on by enabledlondon has developed this has led to the opportunity to engage more people with different skills in paid freelance work. The initiative has a small group of people with learning disabilities who they call on to discuss how a project is shaping up, share thoughts with, and learn from, in order to shape the finished product. Other consultants test the product at the end. The article describes a few of the projects: Enabled Maps produces maps which are set out as photo story; Word Bank provides animations and explanations of difficult words; and the recruitment of a new member of staff has encouraged the setting up of a photography service.
Seeing for ourselves: producing accessible information for people learning difficulties and visual impairments
- Author:
- LEVY Gill
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 33(2), June 2005, pp.77-82.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
A lot of people with learning difficulties also have visual impairments. This article asserts that services and supporters need to make sure people who cannot see well get accessible information in the best way for them. It also considers why people with learning disabilities and visual impairments may need different formats for different situations.
Internet use for family carers of people with intellectual disabilities: a literature review and thematic synthesis
- Authors:
- CATON Sue, KOIVUNEN Emma-Reetta, ALLISON Callum
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 23(3), 2019, pp.446-468.
- Publisher:
- Sage
- Place of publication:
- London
Being a family carer can be rewarding but can also lead to mental and physical exhaustion as well as feelings of social exclusion and isolation. Research has shown that the use of the Internet and online forums can provide an immediate place to find information and reassurance and that forum use can be an empathetic place to share experiences and seek emotional support. This article details a systematic literature search of research on carers of people with intellectual disabilities and/or autism using the Internet. A thematic synthesis of the resulting papers identified that online forums give carers a sense of agency by providing a place to go for informational support that may not be elsewhere. Carers also enjoyed the safe community of solidarity and emotional support that online forums provide. An important finding is the lack of published papers in this area with the inclusion of just eight papers. (Edited publisher abstract)
Making communication accessible for all: a guide for health and social care (HSC) staff
- Author:
- BELFAST HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE TRUST
- Publisher:
- Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
- Publication year:
- 2016
- Pagination:
- 48
- Place of publication:
- Belfast
- Edition:
- 2nd ed.
A practical guide providing information to enable health and social care staff communicate more effectively with people who may have a disability or a communication support need. It looks at communicating with people with a range of disabilities, including people who are deaf or have a hearing loss, people who are blind or partially sighted, people who are deafblind, people who have a learning disability, people who have an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and people living with dementia. It also looks at communicating with someone after a stroke or acquired brain injury. The guide aims to help staff to think differently about communication; highlight current legislation; understand to enable more positive outcomes and experiences for people with communication support needs; and help create communication friendly environments to support people to communicate to the best of their ability. It covers face to face communication, telephone communication, written communication, and providing information on the internet. (Edited publisher abstract)
The web: access and inclusion for disabled people: a formal investigation conducted by the Disability Rights Commission
- Author:
- DISABILITY RIGHTS COMMISSION
- Publisher:
- Stationery Office
- Publication year:
- 2004
- Pagination:
- 48p.
This report demonstrates that most websites are inaccessible to many disabled people and fail to satisfy even the most basic standards for accessibility recommended by the World Wide Web Consortium. It is also clear that compliance with the technical guidelines and the use of automated tests are only the first steps towards accessibility: there can be no substitute for involving disabled people themselves in design and testing, and for ensuring that disabled users have the best advice and information available about how to use assistive technology, as well as the access features provided by Web browsers and computer operating systems. Disabled people must frequently overcome additional obstacles before they can enjoy the full range of information, services, entertainment and social interaction offered by the Web: blind people need sites to provide, for example, text as an alternative to images for translation into audible or legible words by specially designed screenreading devices; partially sighted people may be especially reliant upon large-format text and effective colour contrast; people who are dyslexic or have cognitive impairments may benefit in particular from the use of simpler English or alternative text formats, such as Easy Read, and from the clear and logical layout of an uncluttered website; people whose first language is British Sign Language may also find Plain English indispensable; and people with manual dexterity impairments may need to navigate with a keyboard rather than with a mouse.