Slide 1
Today you'll be introduced to the topics of Universal Design for the Web, Usability, and Accessibility.


Slide 2
Universal design is an approach to the design of all products and environments to be as usable as possible by as many people as possible regardless of age, ability, or situation. 

Slide 3

Universal Design for the Web provides an equivalent user experience for any user on any platform.

One component is following web standards such such as writing valid XHMTL and CSS. You should be familiar with validation of XHTML and CSS from your first web development course.

Another component is creating content that is accessible to all users. This is accessiblity. 

A third componeent is creating web sites that function and are easy to use. This is usability.

Following web standards while creating usable and accessible sites is the  goal of universal design for the Web.

Slide 4
Let's take a closer look at usability.
Usability is the measure of the quality of a user's experience when interacting with a website.
It’s about making a web site that is easy, efficient, and pleasant for your visitors. 
Steve Krug's book, Don't Make Me Think, is a very good resource on the topic of usability and usability testing.


Slide 5
Accessibility relates to making your web site content available to all individuals.

Accessibility requires accommodations for visual, hearing, physical, and 
neurological disabilities.

Slide 6
It's important to consider both usability and accessibility when designing a website.
A site that is usable is not necessarily accessible. 
A site that is accessible is not necessarily usable. 
However, most of the time an accessible site is more usable for all visitors.

Slide 7

You may be asking why is there such a push for accessibilty these days?
There are ethical reasons to consider, the resulting design is usually better, and, finally, there are legal reasons -- the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. 


Slide 8
We'll be exploring the topics of universal design, usability, and accessiblity this semeser.