Summary: this page covers three issues:
- Making pages accessible to visually-disabled people
- Effective online ministry for disabled Christians
- Avoiding RSI
Accessible web pages
We owe it to disabled people to create web pages which are as accessible as possible because:
- It's the right thing to do. We should care for the most disadvantaged and be aware of their needs. Also none of us knows for certain that one day we may
need to use assistive technology. The world's a better place when we all look out for each other.
- Pages will look better. Most visitors won't know why, but they'll
notice that pages show higher contrast and use fonts that are a bit bigger
and clearer, and they'll thank you for it.
This is the old 'kerb cut' argument (what we call in UK 'dropped kerbs') These tiny access ramps from the street
level to the sidewalk (pavement in UK) were designed for folks in wheelchairs, but have proven
useful for baby strollers, rolling luggage, and lots of other uses that have nothing to do with being 'disabled'.
- It is becoming mandatory for certain public service sites and although unlikely to be
enforced, it is probably a
legal requirement in many countres for any site.
There are a number of ways to make pages more accessible to visually impaired people. These
include:
- ensuring ALT tags are used correctly for graphics
- avoiding hard-to-read font colors/background combinations
- fixed rather than relative font sizes so that the browser cannot resize them (an irritation
even for normal users)
There are surprisingly large numbers of disabled
people who are able to access the Web - even those with partial or complete visual impairment. The Internet can be a lifeline to
them - and a forum where they can meet other people, learn, and minister to other people without their disability being an obstacle.
The Internet has also become a great opportunity for the disabled or house-bound to have a worldwide ministry. We hope that
site will encourage many disabled people to obtain an online evangelistic ministry.
Learning more
There are a growing range of pages on disabilty/web related issues.
Here is a
summary
of ten steps to make a website disability-friendly.
If there is a defitive single portal for disability/usability issues, please
write. Check these araticles too:
It may be difficult to understand all these recommendations, let alone implement them, but even to start making small changes
in page design can help.
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Effective online ministry for disabled
Web offers Christians suffering with many types of disability or illness the wonderful opportunity to minister to others around the world
on an equal footing.
Mary Cox-Bilz is a Christian writer who is also quadraplegic. Her disability has not prevented her obtaining two degrees and working professionally in several fields.
She uses a mouth-stick to punch the keyboard: she says, "I know there is voice-activated software available, but it's too slow for me." She has published Love Aunt Alma,
Your True Friend Always, Louisa, (a Christian Civil War Novel)
and At The Gate Called Beautiful, a collection of stories of the Bible's men, women, and children with disabilities.
The author has published work with international newspaper The Midnight Herald.
Mary's article A Stranger Said was chosen by their editor to be included in a book of the newspaper's
best articles of the past several years. She is also a regular contributor of commentaries for
her local newspaper. Read her story.
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Avoiding Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)
Experts make a number of recommendatons:
- Avoid any twist in the spine while seated, so that your head faces in the same direction as your hips.
- Don't have papers between you and the keyboard that make you reach or stretch over them, and don't rest your wrists on the desk while typing.
- Take short breaks. To relax stressed muscles and tendons, try 30 seconds of well-chosen stretches and movements at your desk. Better- if possible, get out
of your chair and exercise your arms by waving and stretching them.
- Adjust your chair so that hands are no higher than your elbows and your back is well supported.
- Remove the arm rests on chairs if they force your arms and shoulders into an unnatural postion.
- If you do not already touch-type ('real' typing),
learn touch-typing - Mavis Beacon CDs are highly recommended to teach yourself.
- Avoid use of the mouse where possible - you can generally use the keyboard shortcuts instead, and it often turns out to be quicker once you know the rules.
Find an online list of keyboard shorcuts, e.g. Windows XP and print it out.
- Don't throw devices that claim to be ergonomic at a problem unless they address a real cause. Ergonomic keyboards can be worse than standard ones if you are not a touch-typist. Chairs can be expensive and may not address your problem.
Voice-recognition software may be able to take some of the workload from your hands.
Even if you do not use it to replace typing, there are products that allow spoken browser commands to replace mouse/keyboard strokes.
- Act immediately if you experience discomfort. Rest and treatment of symptoms alone can never solve the problem if the causes remain the same.
- Workrave prompts computer users to take a 30 second break every 5 minutes, and a 15 minute break every hour.
More advice links:
There are also a growing number of RSI support organizations. In UK: Ability Net tel: 01926 312847 and RSI Association tel: 020 7266 2000.
Hand exercisers may help sufferers. For example, Rudy Brinkman of Christpages found considerable help from
Dynabee.
Dictionaries
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