On the Clear Helper Web site, I have implemented a text-resizing approach suggested by Jared Smith, of WebAIM. It relies upon visitors to follow instructions about using their Web browsers to change the Web site’s text size.
Background
In a previous post entitled “Web Site Font Sizes & Switching for People with Cognitive Disabilities“, I proposed adding to the Clear Helper Web site a font size switcher that looks like this image.
In a response to that post, Jared Smith discussed several reasons why such a widget should not be used. He said Web site visitors should use their Web browsers instead. He suggested the approach of SSA.gov. At the top of its pages, on the left, there is a link entitled “Need Larger Text?” Clicking it produces a page with text-based instructions on using the keyboard to enlarge text. On that page is also a link to a W3C page with related text- and picture based instructions for four Web browsers.
My Implementation of an Approach Similar to SSA.gov’s
At the top of the Clear Helper Web site pages, on the left, there is now a link entitled “Need big text?”. Clicking it produces a page with text- and image- based instructions on how to use the keyboard to enlarge text. From that page, another page can be reached that has screen shots to explain how to use Internet Explorer menus to enlarge text or how to use Firefox menus to enlarge text.
My next post will describe problems with this approach, and what I have done to solve them, or at least to ameliorate them.