Web Accessibility

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Web Accessibility
Marilyn Greenwell Web Accessibility
Coordinator Communications Marketing Marilyn.Gre
enwell_at_louisville.edu 502-852-1630 www.louisville.
edu/web/accessibility/
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Its Happening Here
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Introduction

• Marilyn Greenwell
• Web Accessibility Coordinator, University of
  Louisville since March 2006
• Webmaster for whas11.com (5 years)
• Webmaster for Clear Channel Louisvilles 8 radio
  stations and two news networks (5 years)
• I thrive on technology and computer-related
  knowledge
• I am a self-proclaimed GEEK

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Agenda

• Web Accessibility
• What is it?
• What are the types of disabilities?
• Why is it important to you as a provider?
• What can you do to comply?

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Patrick Henry HughesStudent at U of L
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What is Web Accessibility?
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Wikipedia says

• Web accessibility refers to the practice of
  making websites usable by people of all abilities
  and disabilities. When sites are correctly
  designed, developed and edited, all users can
  have equal access to information and
  functionality.

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OK so WHAT IS IT?

• Web accessibility is designing with accessibility
  in mind. It is creating websites and other
  electronic media that is free of barriers to
  those who use assistive technology devices or
  alternative measures to access and navigate
  electronic information.

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Types of disabilities
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Blindness or Low Vision

• Vision Issues include
• Low Vision
• Have some vision but need magnification and good
  contrast
• Blindness
• Have no vision, requires audio stimulus or screen
  readers
• Color Deficiency (color blindness)
• Have visual abilities, but cannot see some color
  spectrums. Requires good contrasts.

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Hearing Loss or Deafness

• Hearing Issues include
• Deafness
• Unable to recognize conversational speech through
  hearing
• Hard of Hearing
• Some loss of hearing function but still able to
  use hearing for communication
• Often requires amplification
• .

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Motor Skill Impairment

• Motor Skills Issues include many conditions that
  limit ones ability to use conventional mouse
  and/or keyboard
• Common causes include arthritis, Parkinsons
  disease, various forms of muscular dystrophy,
  repetitive strain, stroke, spinal cord injury,
  etc.
• For many with motor skill impairments, assistive
  technology enables them to navigate your website.
  
• Best suggestion is to make sure your site can be
  easily navigated with keyboard

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Motor Skill Impairment

• Motor Skills Issues include many conditions that
  limit ones ability to use conventional mouse
  and/or keyboard
• Common causes include arthritis, Parkinsons
  disease, various forms of muscular dystrophy,
  repetitive strain, stroke, spinal cord injury,
  etc.
• For many with motor skill impairments, assistive
  technology enables them to navigate your website.
  
• Best suggestion is to make sure your site can be
  easily navigated with keyboard

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Cognitive Issues

• Cognitive Issues include
• Learning Difficulties
• Dyslexia
• Attention Deficit
• Memory Difficulties
• Easily the least understood of common issues
• Estimated to have affected more people than all
  other categories combined
• Research is showing that Cognitive issues are
  quickly becoming one of the largest affected
  groups
• Recommendations are slowly appearing

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Photosensitive Epilepsy

• Photosensitive Epilepsy
• For some, blinking text or images are annoying in
  general, but, they can also cause
  photoconvulsions (photosensitive epileptic
  seizures)
• Most people are sensitive to blinking in the
  range of 4 59 times per second
• Avoid flashing text and images
• Novelty of ltblinkgt tag wore off long ago
• Annoying at best, dangerous at worst
• If you feel you need these exciting graphics to
  make your site compelling, perhaps you need to
  re-think your content.

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Exercise 1

• Go to maps.google.com
• Search for your home address

• Now disable images

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Exercise 2

• Lets watch a portion of this video.
• Pay close attention, there will be a short quiz
  afterwards.
• http//youtube.com/univoflouisville
• Now, watch it in an alternative version
• http//www.overstream.net/view.php?oidndtluvivmbm
  r
• Did the alternative version make any difference
  for you?

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Why is it important?
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Lets state the obvious

• Its The Law
• Rehabilitation Act
• Section 504
• Section 508
• Americans with Disabilities Act
• Kentucky Statutes KRS 61.6980 61.988

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So What?

• Nielsen estimates that about 90 of
  business-oriented web sites suffer from usability
  issues.
• A recent Harris Poll found that people with
  disabilities spend twice as much time on the
  Internet as people without disabilities.
• If users with or without disabilities cannot use
  a site, so what?

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Why is Web Accessibility Important to YOU as a
provider?

• According to the World Wide Web Accessibility
  Initiative, providers have the following
  benefits
• Increase Market Share and Audience Reach
• How many does your site exclude?
• Improve Efficiency
• Where do search engines rank your site?
• 3. Demonstrate Social Responsibility
• Is it really going to hurt you to do the right
  thing?
• 4. Reduces Legal Liability
• Are you ready for a lawsuit?

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OUCH! That hurts!

• Some are learning the hard way that they must
  comply with Federal and State laws and guidelines.

Judge allows class action against Target Web
site October 3, 2007
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What can we do to comply?
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Universal Design

• The design of products and environments to be
  usable by all people, to the greatest extent
  possible, without the need for adaptation or
  specialized design-- Ron Mace, founder of the
  Center for Universal Design at NC State
  University

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Universal Design

• Adapts to the full range of user ability and
  preference
• Regardless of skill, knowledge or concentration
  level, is easy to understand and use
• Provides essential information regardless of
  sensory abilities
• Minimizes effects of unintended actions allows
  easy recovery
• Considers physical requirements and does not
  fatigue user regardless of body size, posture,
  or mobility
• Appealing and useful to all users

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W3C - 10 Quick Tips

• The links in the Quick Tips below mostly go to
  the techniques documents that provide
  implementation guidance - including explanations,
  strategies, and detailed markup examples.
• Images animations Use the alt attribute to
  describe the function of each visual.
• Image maps. Use the client-side map and text for
  hotspots.
• Multimedia. Provide captioning and transcripts of
  audio, and descriptions of video.
• Hypertext links. Use text that makes sense when
  read out of context. For example, avoid "click
  here."
• Page organization. Use headings, lists, and
  consistent structure. Use CSS for layout and
  style where possible.
• Graphs charts. Summarize or use the longdesc
  attribute.
• Scripts, applets, plug-ins. Provide alternative
  content in case active features are inaccessible
  or unsupported.
• Frames. Use the noframes element and meaningful
  titles.
• Tables. Make line-by-line reading sensible.
  Summarize.
• Check your work. Validate. Use tools, checklist,
  and guidelines at http//www.w3.org/TR/WCAG
• http//www.w3.org/WAI/quicktips/

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Follow WCAG Guidelines

• WCAG Version 1
• Priorities
• Each checkpoint has a priority level assigned by
  the Working Group based on the checkpoint's
  impact on accessibility.
• Priority 1 A Web content developer must
  satisfy this checkpoint.
• Priority 2 A Web content developer should
  satisfy this checkpoint.
• Priority 3 A Web content developer may address
  this checkpoint.

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5-minute Quick Check

• Disable or turn off images in your browser
• Disable or turn off support for JavaScript
• Tab through the page, try navigating without a
  mouse
• Increase the font size by typing Ctrl or using
  the browser
• Disable/turn off support for CSS
• If you have tables on your page, linearize
• Look at site in different browsers and check for
  consistency.

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Tools References

• Tools
• W3C Validator, online html validator
• W3C CSS Validator, online stylesheet validator
• Watchfire WebXACT test for quality,
  accessibility, and privacy (formerly Bobby)
• TotalValidator, online accessibility evaluation
  tool Firefox Extension
• The Wave, an online accessibility evaluation tool
• References
• World Wide Consortium Web Content Accessibility
  Guidelines
• WebAIM, Web Accessibility in Mind from Utah State
  University
• Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
• Apple's Accessibility Website
• Dive Into Accessibility
• HTML guidelines
• Jim Thatcher's Web site, with links to online
  accessibility resources
• Adobe's Accessibility Resource Center
• Washington State University DoIT Website

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Thank YOU!

• Marilyn Greenwell
• Web Accessibility Coordinator
• Communications and Marketing
• 852-1630marilyn.greenwell_at_louisville.eduhttp//
  louisville.edu/web/accessibility