265263 A study to assess the level of knowledge about accessibility on the Internet for web designers

Monday, October 29, 2012

Tom Schaal, MPH , Department of Public Health, Dresden Medical School, University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany
Joerg Klewer, MD PhD , Faculty of Public Health and Nursing Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Zwickau, Zwickau, Germany
Joachim Kugler, MD PhD , Department of Public Health, Dresden Medical School, University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany
Background: In Germany, about 7 percent of the internet users are older than 60 years. Elderly persons often are disadvantaged when entering the Internet. For this group of users the “Barrier-free Information Technology regulation" describes barrier-free designs of websites, related to impairments in cognitive, motor, and visual skills. The aim of our study was to identify to what extent web designers are familiar with the criteria of barrier-free designs of websites. Starting point were investigations of critical judgment about accessibility to websites of nursing homes in two big cities in Germany. Method: A nationwide survey was conducted. Participants were recruited by random selection. Ten percent of all web designers in Germany listed on www.gelbeseiten.de were included (n = 542), 41 of them participated. A standardized questionnaire was used. Non-parametric measures of bivariate relationship (p<0.05) were used to check correlation between 7 categories within all assessment criteria. Results: On average, participants obtained 35.3 out of 54 possible rating points (SD ± 3.6). All significant correlations were in the same direction. A multiple relationship existed among the categories of "text design", "website navigation" and "complexity". The most improvement was in the category of "complexity" and "visually perceptible". Conclusion: The relatively low score points to the problem, that there is a need to improve the knowledge of web designers about designing barrier-free websites. Thus, an improvement of accessibility to health-based internal measures for older people is feasible

Learning Areas:
Communication and informatics
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Program planning
Provision of health care to the public
Public health or related nursing

Learning Objectives:
Older people encounter at sites of care facilities on barriers. In this study it was examined to what extent have knowledge of web designers to design of accessible websites. Plenty of 65 percent of the surveyed requirements were met here. There was potential for improvement identified. Due to the low number of participants, the calculation results are not representative. They are intended as a recommendation.

Keywords: Internet, Information Technology

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Since the first studies in nursing management I research in health promotion and public health. With the graduate Master of Public Health were expanded bases of the first degree and research areas taught. Publications and conference presentations were delivered in Germany.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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