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State of Connecticut Web Site Accessibility Committee

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Title: State of Connecticut Web Site Accessibility Committee


1
State of ConnecticutWeb Site Accessibility
Committee
  • Our Approach to Making Online Government
    Accessible
  • Technology Accessibility Conference - SCSU
  • October 12, 2007
  • Kathleen Anderson

2
History of the State of Connecticuts Web Site
Accessibility Policy
  • Version 3.1 December 1996
  • http//www.access.state.ct.us/policies/accesspolic
    y31.html
  • Version 4.0 July 2000
  • http//www.access.state.ct.us/policies/accesspolic
    y40.html
  • Version 5 (proposed) 2005
  • http//www.access.state.ct.us/wg/proposal.asp
  • Version 6 (in progress) 2007
  • Section 508 http//www.section508.gov/

3
Version 3.1
  • Written in August 1996
  • Adopted in December 1996
  • Based on the TRACE Center Unified Web Site
    Accessibility Guidelines
  • No training given to state webmasters
  • Not rigorously enforced
  • No compliance date set

4
Version 4.0
  • Committee formed in October, 1999
  • All Committee members are volunteers
  • Policy written by Committee members in the Spring
    of 2000
  • Adopted on July 26, 2000
  • Incorporates the W3C WAI Web Content
    Accessibility Guidelines Priority 1 Checkpoints
  • Encourages the use of valid HTML
  • Requires a valid DOCTYPE declaration
  • Target date for compliance was January 2002

5
Version 5 (Proposed)
  • Working Group formed in December, 2004
  • Proposal developed in 2005
  • Incorporates
  • All WCAG Priority 1 Guidelines
  • Some Priority 2 and Priority 3 Guidelines
  • Section 508 Standards that are not WCAG P1
  • One Guideline from WCAG 2.0 (Draft)

6
Why not Section 508? Why not wait for WCAG
2.0?
  • State Policy Version 3.1 December 1996
  • http//www.access.state.ct.us/policies/accesspolic
    y31.html
  • Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 May
    1999
  • http//www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/
  • State Policy Version 4.0 July 2000
  • http//www.access.state.ct.us/policies/accesspolic
    y40.html
  • Section 508 Rules February 2001
  • http//www.section508.gov/index.cfm?FuseActionCon
    tentID12Web
  • Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 June
    2005 (Working Draft)
  • http//www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/
  • State Policy Version 5 (Draft) 2005
  • http//www.access.state.ct.us/wg/proposal.asp
  • Refresh of Section 508 Standards
  • http//www.access-board.gov/news/508update.htm
  • State Policy Version 6 (in progress) 2007
  • Section 508 http//www.section508.gov/

7
Version 4.0 Implementation
  • Communications
  • Web Site http//www.access.state.ct.us/
  • Listserv CT-Access http//www.access.state.ct.us/
    listserv/subscribeform.htm
  • Monthly face-to-face meetings open to all state
    webmasters

8
Version 4.0 Training
  • Training provided to state webmasters
  • External New Horizons Fall, 2000 Funded by
    the Department of Information Technology (DOIT)
  • Internal All day Refresher course taught by
    Committee members Fall, 2001
  • Resources, Tools and Tutorials available on web
    site

9
Version 4.0 Testing
  • Testing Center set up
  • All hardware and software donated by state
    agencies
  • Test Center Hardware
  • PC running Windows 98
  • Power Mac G4

10
Version 4.0 Testing (Continued)
  • Test Center Software
  • Browsers/Emulators
  • Internet Explorer
  • Netscape(s)
  • Opera
  • Lynx
  • WebTV Viewer
  • Bobby Worldwide
  • JAWS (PC), OutSpoken (Mac)

11
Compliance
  • Tutorials written by Committee members
  • Six Steps to Accessibility Certification
  • How to run Bobby against large web sites
  • How to install the Lynx browser
  • How to code a default DOCTYPE in FrontPage
  • How to create Accessible PowerPoint presentations
  • How to create Accessible PDF documents

12
How to obtain Compliance Certification
  • Agency webmaster writes to the Committee Chair
    requesting a site review
  • Chair posts the request to the listserv
  • A committee member volunteers to do the review
  • The process is then taken off-list
  • All communication is private, between the
    reviewer and the reviewee

13
Compliance Negotiation
  • Occasionally, the Chair is called in during the
    process as an arbitrator, by either the reviewer
    or the reviewee
  • Some webmasters use the compliance certification
    request as a way of finding out whats wrong with
    their site, instead of doing a preliminary
    assessment themselves
  • Differences of opinion spirit of the law
  • Most reviews have a successful outcome

14
Compliance Certification
  • Site is certified to be compliant with the policy
  • Webmasters place a compliance statement and a
    link to the policy on their site
  • Webmaster and their agency head are presented
    with certificates at quarterly statewide
    webmaster meetings
  • A list of all compliant (and non-compliant) web
    sites is available on our web site for all to see

15
The Pros and Cons of Policy vs. Law
  • Funding
  • Buy-in
  • Training
  • Compliance

16
Funding
  • No funding for a Policy
  • All goods and services are donated
  • Hardware
  • Software
  • Time
  • Like Blanche DuBois, we depend on the kindness of
    strangers

17
Buy-in
  • A Law leaves no doubt whether or not to comply
  • A Law normally has funding attached
  • Provides an avenue and redress for complaints

18
Training
  • Training needs to be funded
  • Training needs to be mandatory
  • Training needs to be offered on an on-going basis
  • New hires
  • New technologies
  • New consultants

19
Compliance
  • A Law mandates compliance
  • A Policy mandates compliance however,
  • Scope is unclear
  • different branches of government
  • Internet vs. Intranet vs. Extranet
  • Physical location of server (state server or
    vendor server)
  • Not a priority for agencies in an era of budget
    cuts
  • No penalty for non-compliance

20
External Issues
  • Vendors
  • Training
  • Software

21
Vendors
  • Difficult to find qualified consultants already
    on state contract
  • Proposals submitted by vendors were unrealistic
    in terms of
  • Hours
  • Scope of work
  • Dollar amount of the proposal
  • Raised the questions
  • Did the vendors really know what they were being
    asked to do?
  • Did they think we didnt know what we were asking
    for?

22
Vendor Training
  • Problem solved in Connecticut by requiring
    vendors to be trained in how to make Accessible
    web sites
  • Training was provided by the State at no cost to
    vendors
  • Test center made available for use by vendors
  • Committee web site and listserv available as
    resources for follow-up

23
Vendor Training Issues
  • Billable hours
  • Vendors thought the State should pay for the time
    the consultant was in class
  • We said We dont pay for your database
    training, accessibility training isnt any
    different its a skill set required to qualify
    for a state contract
  • Attitude
  • Some consultants walked into class with a low
    enthusiasm level
  • 99 walked out getting it and thanking us for
    the learning opportunity

24
Keys to Training Successes
  • Webmasters must experience the barriers in a
    hands-on environment
  • Take them out of their comfort zone (out of their
    office, away from their PC)
  • Take away the mouse
  • Turn off the speakers
  • Turn off images
  • Training can be effective in either a classroom
    environment or online

25
How did we do?
  • Summer 2002
  • 81 consultants representing 35 companies were
    trained in less than 3 months
  • 2004 - 2005
  • Vendors are asking for training for new hires so
    they can remain qualified
  • They are given a choice of Acceptable courses to
    choose from

26
Web Site Accessibility - Acceptable Training
Programs
  • HTML Writers Guild http//www.hwg.org/
  • Introduction to Designing Accessible Websites
  • Key-Logic http//www.key-logic.com/
  • Universal Web Site Accessibility Training

27
Web Site Accessibility - Acceptable Training
Programs
  • New Horizons Computer Learning Center
    http//www.newhorizons.com/content/index.aspx
  • State of Connecticut Web Site Accessibility
    Training
  • Email kathleen.anderson_at_po.state.ct.us
  • Phone (860) 622-2159

28
Software
  • It is just as important that all people be able
    to author content as it is for all people to have
    access to it.
  • W3C Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 -
    http//www.w3.org/TR/2000/REC-ATAG10-20000203/
  • Questions to ask
  • Does the web page authoring tool create
    accessible web pages?
  • Is the web page authoring tool itself accessible
    to people with disabilities?

29
How to choose an Accessible Authoring Tool
  • Conformance Reviews done by the WAI Authoring
    Tools Working Group http//www.w3.org/WAI/AU/2002
    /tools
  • Section 508 Buy Accessible http//www.section508.
    gov/index.cfm?FuseActionContentID2

30
What factors contributed most to our success?
  • Committee participation is voluntary
  • Policy development
  • Writing tutorials
  • Web site reviews
  • Support from DOIT
  • Agreement to adopt a statewide IT policy
  • Funding for state webmaster training
  • Mandating vendor training

31
And, strange as it sounds
  • Change in the way state agencies communicate
    (email, web, listservs, etc.)
  • Information available faster and accessible to
    more people
  • Discussions held (and decisions made) online
    instead of waiting for a meeting
  • Greatly reduces bureaucracy and things get
    done!

32
For more information
  • Visit our web site http//www.access.state.ct.us/
  • Subscribe to the CT-Access listserv
    http//www.access.state.ct.us/listserv/subscribefo
    rm.htm
  • Come to a meeting http//www.access.state.ct.us/m
    eetings/2005meetings.html
  • Send me an email kathleen.anderson_at_po.state.ct.us
  • Call me (860) 622-2159
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