Web Accessibility for All: Building Excellence

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Web Accessibility for AllBuilding Excellence

• Joyce Tikalsky, Webmaster
• Engineering External Relations
• UW-Madison College of Engineering
• From a sign posted on the door of an elementary
  school art classroom
• There are no mistakes.
• There is no right way or wrong way.
• There is only make.

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Web Accessibility for AllBuilding Excellence

• Web accessibility guidelines in a nutshell,
  common tasks
• Web workflow
• Accessibility guidelines for web authoring,
  editing, illustrating, programming, and managing
• Benefits of the guidelines

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Web AccessibilityGuidelines Common Tasks

• Think about accessibility, identify with the site
  visitor.
• How can the page meet the guidelines?
• PHOTOS, GRAPHICS Add alternate text.
• ADOBE ACROBAT PDFs Run the Accessibility
  Checker and create alternative pages.
• FORMS Add special tags (label for)
• TABLES Add special tags (id, headers)
• SCRIPTS Consider alternatives.

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Web Workflow

• Content creation
• Review and editing
• Update scheduling
• Design and graphics
• Converting to X/HTML
• Testing
• Upload
• Updates on demand

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Web WorkflowA Role for All

• Content creation Write alternate text for
  photos, images, illustrations and graphics.
• Review and editing Check style and usage for
  easy comprehension. Are alternatives needed?
• Update scheduling include time in the schedule
  for accessibility tasks.
• Design and graphics Check for accessibility.
• Converting to X/HTML Check for accessibility.
• Testing Test for accessibility.
• Upload Update accessibility tools.

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Web WorkflowSuccess Story

• Someone who occasionally sends Word documents for
  insertion into a website in PDF format.
• In a face-to-face meeting, expressed interest and
  offered to help.
• Learned how to add alternate text to the Word
  document.
• Realized they had access to the full version of
  Adobe Acrobat to convert the Word file to PDF and
  check accessibility.
• Scheduled a short demo to learn how to eliminate
  remaining error.

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Benefits of the Guidelines, Direct and Indirect

• Excellence by pursuing Priority 2 and 3 as well
  as Priority 1.
• Improves website readability and usability for
  everyone.
• Allows access to a website without extraordinary
  measures.
• Positions website design for future technologies.
• Encourages testing and good development
  practices.
• Encourages teamwork.
• Encourages routine updates.

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Resources for Providing Web Access

• Primary consulting
• Web-certified student web designers

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