Hello, my name is Matthew Noszlopy, I am a 29 year old working on completing my bachalors in Information Technology with a focus on IT management. This term I am completing a Website Development class and we have been tasked with creating a eportfolio site. This is my attempt and I hope you enjoy!
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This is the contact page designed in IT214 Website Development.
This is the columns page designed in IT214 Website Development.
This is the layout page designed in IT214 Website Development.
This is the navigation page designed in IT214 Website Development.
This is the responsive page designed in IT214 Website Development.
This is the javascript page designed in IT214 Website Development.
Unit 9 Assignment
Matthew Noszlopy
IT214 Website Implementation
Purdue University Global
11/21/23
Testing my site for accessibility involved three different types of tests. This included a color scheme test, a keyboard navigation test, and lastly a screen reader test. All three of these are extremely important when trying to build a website that is accessible to everyone.
During my color scheme test I found that I had a mix of pages that did not pass the WCAG compliance test. These pages included contact.html, layout.html. Contact.html was pretty straight forward due to it only having one background and foreground color. But layout.html had a mix of sections on the page using different background and foreground colors. Which meant a significant increase in testing time was needed. Two different sections did not pass on the page and needed adjusted. For these tests I used an online tool called accessibleweb.com where they provide a free WCAG color contrast checker. Using this tool, I would find the background and foreground hex codes from the CSS page applied to each page that required testing. Once inputted into the checker it would provide a pass or fail for element types such as small and large text and UI components. They even offer a browser extension that you can use when doing normal browsing, so you don’t have to manually scan CSS code but since this was a one-time thing, I chose to use their main site.
The second test I completed for accessibility was a keyboard navigation test. This test helps prove that your site is usable by people who cannot use a mouse for navigation. To complete this test, I went to each page and used keys such as TAB, ENTER, and ARROW keys to navigate the website. Doing this allowed me to click any element I needed such as navigation links, normal links, and images that were clickable.
The last test I did involved using a screen reader. This test helped visual impaired people navigate a computer. It does this by using audio to tell the user where they are at on a website when using a keyboard or even mouse to navigate. The tool I used was found using google and called NVDA. While using this tool I found that it was able to identify all components rather easily in my index.html page and made navigation pretty straight forward. On a side note, I was quite surprised the screen reader said my last name correctly!
Testing is an extremely time-consuming part of web development. What surprised me the most was that even when building these pages, you do a bunch of testing as a normal user without impairments. But once you have a page how you want it and functioning as expected you then have to consider how someone who is blind or with little hand functionality is going to access the page. I think going forward it would be a good idea to consider these things from the beginning because this could cause you to back track on work quite a bit. Thankfully for me there were only a few minor fixes I needed to implement.
Website accessibility is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, it promotes inclusion by ensuring that people with disabilities can access and use the web on an equal basis with others, fostering a more diverse and participatory online community. Legal compliance is another key driver, with many countries enacting laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508, mandating accessibility for websites. Moreover, accessible websites expand their market reach, reaching a broader audience that includes individuals with disabilities, older users, and those employing diverse devices. Improving user experience is also a significant outcome, as accessibility features often enhance usability for everyone. Additionally, accessibility practices contribute to search engine optimization (SEO), positively impacting a website's ranking. Demonstrating corporate social responsibility (CSR), adapting to technological advancements, and addressing ethical considerations further underscore the importance of website accessibility. Lastly, prioritizing accessibility serves as a risk mitigation strategy, reducing the likelihood of legal challenges and reputational damage. In essence, website accessibility is integral for creating an inclusive, user-friendly, and ethically responsible online environment.