Developing Accessible Applications

How to Develop Accessible Linux Applications
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# 2. Developing Accessible Applications

Some of the most important reasons for developing accessible software are:

- Software should be accessible to as many users as possible.

- Accessibility to new products benefits everyone. Information technology has provided many benefits to society. However, individuals with disabilities can not participate fully when the technology does not meet the needs of users with disabilities.

- Compliance with worldwide regulations and standards such as Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, Americans with Disabilities Act and the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Accessibility Initiative.

## 2.1. Principles for Developing Accessible Applications

Developers need to consider the following needs of disabled users when developing an accessible application:

- Choice of input methods. Support should be available for various types of input, such as, keyboard, mouse and adaptive technologies. Pay close attention to keyboard navigation.

- Choice of output methods. Support should be available for various types of output, such as, visual display, audio, and print. The main focus is that text labels are provided for all user interface elements and objects, graphics, and icons.

- Consistency and flexibility with the user's system configuration. In addition, include customization options so the user can select color, font, and layout of the work area.

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