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Making Java Applications/Applets More Accessible:Introduction

Need for Accessibility

A significant portion of our population have impairments which reduce their ability to effectively use WWW pages. Although there is a tremendous variety of specific causes, as well as combinations and severity of disabilities, the major four categories are:
    Visual Impairments.
    Hearing Impairments.
    Physical Impairments.
    Cognitive/Language Impairments.
Simple Java Application/Applet design changes or alternate forms of information presentation can greatly increase the number of individuals who can use a Java Application/applet, benefiting the individual and, as the WWW becomes more commercialized, benefiting the mass market. The current direction in which www pages are evolving will automatically encompass many or most of the required features and capabilities if the new design directions are implemented carefully. Regardless of a users disability, a Java application/applet should present perceptible information, have flexibility in use, have tolerance for error and require low physical effort. The purpose of this Making Java Application/Applets More Accessible design guide is to point out ways the AWT, Java Applet-Browser interactions, Java Application/Applet design and Java Application/Applet creation tools can be used or modified to easily accommodate users with disabilities.

Problem and Solution Overview

Increasing Java Application/Applet accessibility can occur from changes in the java AWT, Applet-Browser interactions, and application/applet design, and mechanisms to communicate Application/Applet semantic information to accessibility aids via Browser/Application peering, and Browsers/Application utilizing accessibility APIs of the underlying OS. Also, other toolkits in place of or built on top of AWT may also need to be changed/ appropriately designed for accessibility. The Java application/applet creation tools can preincline user to incorporate application/applet characteristics which improve accessibility. The applet creator does not have to be aware they are doing good because often increased accessibility makes applets easier for all to use. The AWT must be extended so objects have accessibility increasing properties as the default. As new AWTs are created, these accessibility increasing properties must be uniformly present. The designer of the application/applet can compensate for short falls in the AWT in regards to accessibility, but most application/applet creators will only use accessibility improving resources if they are convenient. For the application/applet creator, accessible designs may be good designs. The contents of the different solutions are presented below. At present if a list was made of inaccessible Java Applications/Applets, it would almost be a comprehensive list of Java Applications/Applets. Identifying Accessibility Problems discusses the types of problems encountered.
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