No abstract

No abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify important principles which should be applied to electronic library websites to make them usable for all people. Design/methodology/approach The goal of this paper was to make the simplified user interface of Hungarian Electronic Library (VMEK) more accessible and usable by leveraging the latest technologies, standards and recommendations. Vision-impaired and motor-disabled people were also involved in brainstorming and collecting ideas during the design phase and in testing the implemented website. Findings This paper showed that the perspicuity of the Web page is greatly improved by semantically correct HTML codes, clearly defined links and alt attributes, hotkeys and typographic principles. Practical implications The paper presents the design principles of electronic library Web pages which can be applied by Web developers and content managers. The paper identifies design principles, which improve the perspicuity of user interfaces to a great extent (especially in the case of blind users); draws attention to the typographic principles, which promote reading and understanding documents; and recommends guidelines for developing electronic library home pages and managing the content of these home pages. Originality/value This paper bridges the gap between the information and library science field and the Web accessibility and usability field. Based on brainstorming results where people with various kinds of disabilities were involved, the paper gives 11 recommendations which should be taken into account while designing and developing electronic library websites to ensure equal access to their services and documents.

In today's information society, computer users frequently must seek information on home pages as well as select among software functions. A well-designed interface is essential for finding everything necessary and meeting the requirements of both the average user and the users with special needs. Our project set out to discover where and with how much contrast objects should be placed on the screen to find everything easily. We examine what kind of characteristic searching routes can be found, and whether we can find differences between the average user and mentally retarded user in navigation and everyday searching exercises.