Web accessibility for the visually impaired: A case of higher education institutions’ websites in Ghana

Abstract

Globally, the use of web-based resources has increased tremendously among Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). This move has made access to information more convenient and easy for most students. However, while providing this benefit, some students may be excluded because they cannot use standard modes of access. Students with disabilities are most at risk of being excluded from access, particularly those who are visually impaired and use assistive technologies such as screen magnifiers and screen readers. Websites of education institutions serve as virtual gateway to access immediate information for students and should therefore be accessible. Yet, web accessibility is under-explored in Ghana. In this study, we evaluate based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0); the accessibility of some HEIs’ websites in Ghana using diagnostic automatic tool. The findings show that most HEIs websites failed to comply with perceivable and operable principles of WCAG 2.0. The study also shows that despite a growing awareness of web accessibility issues worldwide, visually impaired students in Ghana are likely to be experiencing barriers in accessing web content from these institutions. The study recommends increasing awareness, training web developers and users, and developing contextualized web accessibility guidelines as some needed steps to ensure the integration of visually impaired students into the digital society.