Web Accessibility

The Web accessibility guidelines promoted by the Instructional Design and Development team are intended to provide basic information for people who are creating web based course materials. Web accessibility helps people with disabilities to access and use the web more efficiently. Web accessibility also benefits all users who access UConn's HuskyCT online and blended courses. For those unfamiliar with accessibility issues pertaining to web page design, consider that many users may be operating in contexts very different from your own. They may:

• not be able to see, hear, move, or may not be able to process some types of information easily or at all.
• have difficulty reading or comprehending text.
• not have or be able to use a keyboard or mouse.
• have a text-only screen, a small screen, or a slow Internet connection.
• not speak or understand fluently the language in which the document is written.
• be in a situation where their eyes, ears, or hands are busy or interfered with (e.g., driving to work, working in a loud environment, etc.).
• have an early version of a browser, a different browser entirely, a voice browser, or a different operating system.
• be accessing online course materials via cell phones, PDA's or other portable electronic devices.

State Mandate

The State of Connecticut requires that information on Connecticut state government web sites be accessible to people with disabilities. To help achieve that requirement, this site uses accessibilty guidelines developed by the W3C organization. Items which are labled as "Priority 1" are required by law. All other items are seen as providing accessibility to the widest possible audience and considered good web design practice. Use the menu to the left to learn about specific techniques you can use to improve the accessibility of your web pages.