Issues affecting Access to the Internet for Deaf People
Cathy Haas [clhaas@jessica.stanford.edu]
Stanford
Cathy Haas [clhaas@jessica.stanford.edu]
Stanford
On the surface, the World Wide Web appears to be an ideal information-sharing medium for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. This is essentially true when information is presented in a textual or graphical form but the growing use of spoken text, video clips and various audible cues is beginning to erode the level of access available to people who are deaf or hard of hearing. This presentation describes: 1) the access issues confronting deaf users of the web, 2) alternatives that should be provided for people who cannot use the speech and sound elements of web pages, and 3) opportunities for using the web to improve the interchange of ideas and information among people within the deaf community, and between deaf and hearing people.