text | 137the web was invented for universal accesslighthouse.org Website, 2010. Design: Dan Mall and Kevin
Sharon/Happy Cog. Front-end code: Jenn Lukas. Information
architecture: Kevin Hoffman. Accessibility research and testing:
Angela Colter and Jennifer Sutton. The visual layout of this
website (left) is optimized for sighted users, while the source order
of the code (below) is optimized for the visually impaired, allowing
users to linearize the text with an automated screen reader. For
example, in the visual display, the navigation menu appears
immediately below the logo. In the source code, however, the
organization name is followed directly by the tagline, preventing the
top of the page from clogging up with navigation elements. Such
differences between the visual display and the source order are kept
to a minimum because not everyone who uses a screen reader is
blind, and some people with disabilities who navigate via source
order can see the visual layout with their eyes. If the visual layout
differs too much from the source code, these users would be confused.
The relationship between the visual layout and the source order is
also optimized for search engines.