Accessibility

====In order to serve the needs of all potential users, websites should be accessible to everyone. In order for a website to truly be accessible, anyone should be able to utilize all of its information or services, regardless of any disabilities or impairments. With the Internet constantly growing, more and more information and services are offered online, which means more and more people should be focusing on making their websites accessible. This means users with visual or auditory impairments, mental or physical disabilities, age-related issues, or any other barrier to accessing information must be able to get as much out of each website as any other user.====

====Throughout my experience as a classroom educator, I have taught many students with varying disabilities. One of the most frequent barriers to accessibility that I have encountered is with my students with dyslexia or dysgraphia. Often, the computer screen is too bright and cluttered for them, so they must adjust the brightness of the screen on the monitor or adjust the size of the text on the screen. These common impairments are something to keep in mind when designing a website or choosing websites as sources for assignments, as websites that are too "busy" or cluttered can cause major issues for many students.====

====Differentiated Instruction is the name for methods used to meet the needs of various types of learners. Follow this link to learn more about DI, examples of it, and lists of resources of how and why to differentiate. DI can be applied also to increase accessibility on the Internet.====

====The WebAIM website shares information about accessibility, including two videos, which include information about numerous barriers to Web access and first-hand accounts of how inaccessibility hinders people's lives.====

====To specifically address website access for people with dyslexia, since I am currently a grade-level dyslexia representative, I have found the article Enabling the Internet for People with Dyslexia, by Sandra Vassallo for E-billity.com to be extremely helpful. This article explains how users can make adjustments on their end, such as using F11 to view the full screen, changing the font size and style, accessing "Accessibility Options" in Windows, and using or creating style sheets.====