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Web Accessibility and Web Developer Attitudes Towards Accessibility in Mozambique

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Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction. Design Methods and User Experience (HCII 2021)

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Abstract

People with disabilities are found to be severely affected by barriers in websites and other web services. This paper aims to study the web accessibility issues in Mozambique and to review the factors that contribute to it. The case study is based on results from 2 perspectives: first, automatic evaluation of five prominent national websites, and second through fieldwork, interviewing and interacting with web developers in Mozambique. The study found that none of the websites are WCAG 2.1 compatible and the web developers, in general, do not consider web accessibility in their products and services. The underlying factors responsible for web inaccessibility are found out to be extrinsic.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    In this paper we use the term “web developers” to collectively refer to software developers, web developers, web programmers, web designers, webmasters, web makers etc. used as the research participants in this research.

  2. 2.

    The disability or functional limitations, or disablement process is the result produced between the exchange of individual restricted functional abilities with the demands of the society and environment [11].

  3. 3.

    The definition of disability differs from the social model to the medical model to other models in practice. Neither in this report nor my wider disability research, do I reject the idea that disability is powerfully shaped by social forces.

  4. 4.

    “Universal Design is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. “Universal design” shall not exclude assistive devices for particular groups of persons with disabilities where this is needed [40]”.

  5. 5.

    A list of state parties to UNCRPD, can be found at https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV-15&chapter=4.

  6. 6.

    “Disability is an evolving concept and that disability results from the interaction between persons with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinders their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with other” [15]. The current convention proposed by the UN emphasizes to “promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity” [15].

  7. 7.

    Web accessibility means that people with disabilities can use the Web. More specifically, web accessibility means that people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the Web [41].

  8. 8.

    https://www.similarweb.com/.

  9. 9.

    https://achecker.ca/checker/index.php?lang=eng [42].

  10. 10.

    https://www.powermapper.com/products/sortsite/checks/accessibility-checks/ [43].

  11. 11.

    https://wave.webaim.org/ [44].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway

    Suraj Gupta, Terje Gjøsæter & G. Anthony Giannoumis

  2. University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway

    Terje Gjøsæter

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  1. Suraj Gupta
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  1. Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion, Crete, Greece

    Margherita Antona

  2. University of Crete and Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion, Crete, Greece

    Constantine Stephanidis

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Gupta, S., Gjøsæter, T., Giannoumis, G.A. (2021). Web Accessibility and Web Developer Attitudes Towards Accessibility in Mozambique. In: Antona, M., Stephanidis, C. (eds) Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction. Design Methods and User Experience. HCII 2021. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 12768. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-78092-0_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-78092-0_14

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