Methodology for localized and accessible image formation and elucidation

Abstract

Accessibility is one of the key checkpoints in all software products, applications, and Web sites. Accessibility with digital images has always been a major challenge for the industry. Images form an integral part of certain type of documents and most Web 2.0-compliant Web sites. Individuals challenged with blindness and many dyslexics only make use of screen readers/text readers/narrator software programs to access the computer and computer-displayed information. These individuals cannot view digital images/pictures; hence, drafting accessible documents or designing accessibility-enhanced Web sites containing digital images representing figures, diagrams, or maps presents a challenge. There are various published best practices for accessibility of documents or Web sites containing images so that they can be better understood by visually impaired users. But these are truly not enough to cover all of the practical scenarios. This article discusses a need for more innovative solutions and proposes an accessibility-enhanced image-formation technique with relevant modification required in screen readers/narrator software programs that offers an improvement over the existing methods. Finally, it briefly covers the localization and internationalization aspect of the proposed accessibility-enhanced image file format so that a single image is accessible to international individuals.