Web Accessibility - short introduction Patrick H. Lauke

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Web Accessibility - short introductionPatrick H.
Lauke
Chapel Street Business Group - 28/2/2006
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Introduction

• What well cover
• some of the misconceptions about accessibility
• reasons why accessibility is important

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Some misconceptions

• What is accessibility?
• making sure our web site works for the blind
• There is a wide range of disabilities
• visual impairments
• auditory impairments
• mobility impairments
• cognitive disabilities

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Some misconceptions

• Why bother?
• Marketing executive
• such a small market is not worth the hassle
• Web designer
• no time to create a separate accessible site
• Site owner
• blind people wont be using my web site

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Some misconceptions

• Marketing executive
• such a small market is not worth the hassle
• It is estimated that there are 7 million disabled
  people in the UK and that around 19 of the
  working age population has some form of
  disability.
• Source Disability Rights Commission Disability
  briefing January 2004

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Some misconceptions

• Web designer
• no time to create a separate accessible site
• In majority of cases, no need for special
  disabled only access
• Inclusive design, not segregation
• Separation of content and presentation, using web
  standards, structural markup single site,
  accessible to all
• Accessibility included in planning stage, not as
  an afterthought
• Text only is not a solution

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Some misconceptions

• Site owner
• blind people wont be using my web site
• Accessibility not just about the blind, but
• A possible scenario visually impaired customer
  buying photographs or paintings for a sighted
  relative?

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Legal requirements

• If the ethical / moral and financial reasons were
  not enough, there are legal requirements
• UK - Disability Discrimination Act 1995provision
  of goods and services
• Australia Disability Discrimination Act 1992
• USA Americans with Disabilities Act
• USA Section 508 of Rehabilitation
  Actprocurement policy for federal government
  agencies
• Other countries have similar legislation.
• Cases are being brought to court SOCOG, RNIB,
  Ramada/Priceline, Target

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Access for all

• More importantly
• Accessibility is not just about users with
  disabilities
• Provisions and changes made for accessibility can
  benefit all users
• Real world example access ramps
• With regards to web
• Benefits to users of alternative browsing devices
  (PDAs, web phones, etc)
• Not a permanent disability, but situational
  library PC, loud environment, etc
• Crossover between usability and accessibility

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Accessibility and SEO

• Google and co.
• worlds largest disabled users

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What to do?

• If you're a business owner
• understand that accessibility is relevant to you
  (legal requirement, but also potential market)
• commission accessible sites (specify in tender
  documents, BSI PAS 78 Guide to Good Practice in
  Commissioning Accessible Websites)
• beware of snake oil salesmen (check GAWDS, RNIB,
  etc)

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What to do?

• If you're a web designer/developer
• understand the problem (not just a technical
  solution)
• familiarise yourself with legislation and
  guidelines
• best practices (it's just what we do)
• continuous learning

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Automated validators

• The infamous Bobby(now WebXact)
• Automated accessibility checkers are dumb.
• Bobby and co. are just a tool and do not
  replace human checks.
• False positives, false negatives.
• All my images have an ALTernate text of
  imageis that accessible?

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Conclusion

• Hopefully, what youll take away from this
  presentation
• Accessiblity not just about the blind
• Moral, financial and legal reasons to ensure web
  sites are accessible
• Accessibility can benefit all users
• Worth noting accessibility not about rote
  mastery of a few guidelines. Many cases where
  there is no one single solution requires
  judgement and compromise.

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Resources

• W3C Web Accessibility Initiativehttp//www.w3.org
  /WAI/
• Accessifyhttp//www.accessify.com/
• Accessifyforumhttp//www.accessifyforum.com/
• WebAIM Web Accessibility In Mindhttp//www.webai
  m.org/
• Isolanihttp//www.isolani.co.uk/
• Dive into Accessibilityhttp//www.diveintoaccessi
  bility.org/
• Evaluating Web Sites for Accessibility with the
  Firefox Web Developer Toolbarhttp//www.webaim.o
  rg/techniques/articles/evaluatingwithfirefox
• WaSP (Web Standards Project)http//webstandards.o
  rg