Web Accessibility: Limitations Of Conventional Approaches

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Web Accessibility Limitations Of Conventional
Approaches
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ccessibility-summit-2006-11/
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• Brian Kelly
• UKOLN
• University of Bath
• Bath

Email B.Kelly_at_ukoln.ac.uk
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Contents

• Strengths of WAI Approach
• High profile
• Internationally recognised
• Limitations
• WAI Model
• WCAG
• Universal or contextual solutions
• Accessibility, usability, interoperability
• WCAG can limits what we can do
• Uncertain future

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Background W3C WAI WCAG

• W3C (World Wide Web Consortium)
• Body responsible for coordinating development of
  Web standards
• WAI (Web Accessibility Initiative)
• W3C group responsible for developing guidelines
  which will ensure Web resources are widely
  accessible
• WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)
• One of three sets of WAI guidelines. WCAG
  provides advice of accessibility on Web content
  (e.g. HTML pages)
• Other two WAI guidelines cover accessible user
  agents (UAAG) and accessible authoring tools
  (ATAG)

WAI Approach
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WAI Strengths

• WAI work
• Provides valuable guidelines for helping to make
  Web sites more accessible
• Widely recognised
• Widely adopted
• Support by various tools
• WebXact (Bobby)
• Cynthia Says

WAI Approach
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The WAI Model

• The WAI model for Web accessibility is based on
  three components
• Content
• Authoring Tools
• Browsers
• Assumption do three right ? universal
  accessibility
• But
• We have no control over browsers authoring
  tools
• The browsers and authoring tools aren't great
• The content guidelines are flawed
• Is universal accessibility really possible?

WAI Approach
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Interpretation of WAI WCAG

• How do you interpret WAI WCAG (must use ALT tags
  for images HTML must be valid must use style
  sheets for presentation )
• Mandatory, with following characteristics
• Clearly defined rules ? Objective
• Checking mostly objective
• Penalties for non-compliance
• Similar to checking that HTML complies with the
  standard
• Advisory, with following characteristics
• Useful guidelines, to be interpreted in context
• It's about providing useful, usable resources
• It's contextual
• Checking mostly subjective
• It's similar to checking that a Web site is
  well-designed

WAI Approach
BK
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Limitations of the WAI Model
Limitations

• WAI approach has shortcomings
• WAI model relies on conformant Web sites,
  conformant authoring tools, conformant user
  agents
• and conformant users!
• WCAG guidelines have flaws ("must use W3C
  formats must use latest versions ")
• Has a Web-only view of the world
• What about other IT solutions?
• What about blended (real world) solutions?
• Has a belief in a single universal solution
• But isn't accessibility a very complex issue
• Is it reasonable to expect an ideal solution to
  be developed at the first attempt?

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Diversity - Content
Alternatives

• WAI guidelines focus on informational Web sites
• Heres the train timetable I want the
  information and I want it now
• This is reasonable and desirable

• But is this approach always relevant to
  e-learning
• Heres something you must interpret it (and
  being wrong can be part of the learning process)

• Or culture
• Heres the Mona Lisa you decide why she is
  smiling

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Jordans Pleasure Principle
Alternatives

• Even for informational resources, we may not
  always choose to make information readily
  accessible
• Super Calli Go Ballistic, Celtic Are Atrocious!
• Breaks draft WCAG 2.0 guidelines on Content must
  be understandable
• But brings a smile to many (but not all)

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Usability Interoperability

• What about
• Usability
• Interoperability

http//www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/docume
nts/code/InternetHome.hcsp

• Example
• Long, application-specific URLs can cause
  accessibility/usability and interoperability
  problems
• Addition Problems
• Weve got WCAG AA (and checked with users)
• We dont need to do anymore (its costly)
• We dont need to address usability
• The focus on priority levels can limit whats done

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Reflection On The Past

• WAI
• Political success, but lack of rigourous
  examination of its shortcomings
• Usage
• WAI can be used as a control mechanism (you cant
  use x) even if can provide valuable user benefits
• Context
• Assumption about universal solutions (therefore
  no debate) which doesnt reflect reality

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Reflection On The Present

• BSI PAS 78
• Provides a context to use of WAI
• Acknowledges there may be solutions which break
  WAI guidelines
• Flash PDF can provide useful services and
  accessibility issues can be addressed
• Neutral on technologies
• Need to
• Determine the underlying principles
• Look to build on this for the future

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The Future WCAG 2.0?

• WCAG 2.0
• Long time in development
• Joe Clarkes To Hell With WCAG 2.0 posting
  unleashed much debate
• Useful summaries from The Pickardsand _at_Media
  2006 session
• Issues
• Its confusing
• Its too liberal
• Its too tech--centric
• ..

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Steven Downes Blog

• Posting, May 2006
• Well known for his writing on accessibility, Joe
  Clark slams WCAG 2.0. "The process is stacked
  in favour of multinationals with expense accounts
  who can afford to talk on the phone for two hours
  a week and jet to world capitals for meetings."
  And the result, writes Clark, is predictable a
  confused, convoluted and dysfunctional set of
  standards.
• Response (former WAI WG member)
• Oh, I think it's worse than Joe writes. As I see
  it, the WCAG 2.0 accomplishes two things. First,
  it makes it less likely that sites will ever
  really be accessible to persons with
  disabilities. Second, it makes the price of
  admission for an ostensibly accessible site (i.e.
  one that "meets" the guidelines) quite high.

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Conclusions

• To conclude
• WAI has been a political success
• But the future seems uncertain
• Need to
• Be open about limitations and our experiences
• Be user-focussed (?)
• Build an underlying model
• Seek consensus
• A roadmap for the future

Conclusions
Any Questions?