Guided Generation and Evaluation of Accessible Scalable Vector Graphics

Abstract

Web content, such as text, graphics, audio and video, should be available and accessible for everybody, but especially for disabled and elderly people. Graphics (like figures, diagrams, maps, charts and images), above all graphics with a high explanatory and content value, still may constitute massive barriers for specific user groups. Using Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG), an open standard published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), provides new possibilities for the accessibility of web sites. SVG is based on XML and consequently gains important advantages like search and index functions. Moreover, SVG files can be processed by tactile displays or screen readers. To support the authoring process of graphics in order to make them accessible guidelines are developed, which empower the authors to detect and evaluate potential barriers in their own SVGs. An additional software-based evaluation tool conducts the authors in fulfilling the accessibility guidelines and simplifies the process of making SVG documents usable and valuable for as many people as possible.