Web Content Accessibility
Hearing Impairments and Our Web Site
Hearing impairments that can affect the usefulness of Web content include:
- total deafness
- hard of hearing (mild to moderate hearing impairments — hearing loss often due to environmental or age issues)
While our Web site does contain some audio or audio-mixed-video Web content, for the most part our site is visual. Regardless of the quantity of audio content, what are we doing for those with audio disabilities? We use the following methods/solutions:
- Whenever possible we try to provide the content in alternative formats (transcripts or reports from full meetings, captions for brief audio content, etc.).
- We always try to make sure page images are appropriate for the content of that page (lack of content-related images in heavy textual pages can slow comprehension for user whose first language may be sign language rather than a written/spoken language).
- Our Web site currently has no requirements for voice input for function, navigation or content controls. Should such requirements be considered for the future, all necessary controls will have alternative means of implementation beyond just voice/hearing controls.
