Accessibility and Usability For Web Sites: Accessibility 'Gotchas'

1. http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/workshops/eemlac-2005-01/http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/workshops/eemlac-2005-01/ UKOLN is supported by: Accessibility and Usability For Web Sites: Accessibility 'Gotchas' • In this session we will: • Explore a number of common misunderstandings • Explore your understanding and interpretations of WAI guidelines • Explore some of the difficulties of implementing WAI guidelines Brian Kelly UKOLN University of Bath Bath Email B.Kelly@ukoln.ac.uk URL http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/

2. Web site with: • WAI AAA logo • WAI AA alt text • But not HTML-compliant so: • WAI A only (at best) To Logo Or Not? http://www.openia.com/accessibility/modaccessibility • You see sites with accessibility logos (WAI, Bobby, Cynthia Says, …) • Issues: • Are they patronising? • Do they distract from page design? • Are they confusing (who is Cynthia?) • Do they tell the truth? Note that displaying an accessible logo does not make your site accessible – and having a misleading logo is dishonest and makes you vulnerable to legal claims.

3. WCAG Facts Sheet at <http://www.w3.org/1999/05/WCAG-REC-fact#text> Text-only pages should not be necessary to ensure accessibility of Web pages that follow the "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, "except in very rare cases. In fact, text-only pages are frequently counterproductive to accessibility since they tend to be kept less up-to-date than "primary pages," or in some cases leave out information that is on primary pages. Beware Web developers who provide Web sites with WAI logos, text-only features, … Let's now explore other possible areas of confusion • Many other issues: • Many visually impaired users have some sight • Needs of dyslexic users • Why should I miss out? Text-Only Web Sites • Text-only Web sites are great for people with disabilities?

4. Understanding / Interpreting WCAG • Exercise • Complete the Exploring Your Knowledge Of Web Accessibility Issues form • Do not spend too long on this – the aim is to explore the extend to which there is a shared agreement and interpretation of various aspects of Web accessibility

5. Web Accessibility – It's Easy? • In order to provide accessible Web sites all you need to do is: • Follow the WAI guidelines • Add ALT tags for your images • Make sure your Web page is HTML compliant • Use CSS • Not using colour alone to distinguish between content • … • You find many Content Management System (CMS) vendors (licensed and open source) who will claim to do this 'out-of-the-box' So why do we need a day's workshop if it's simply a question of following some simple rules or using standard software?

6. Web Accessibility – It's Difficult! • Surveys show that many public sector organisations have difficulties in providing accessible Web sites: • UK University Home Pages • Surveys in 2002 and 2004 used Bobby to analyse University home pages. Results showed that only 1.8% and 5.6% comply with WAI WCAG AA • Disability Rights Commission (DRC) Survey • DRC commissioned survey published in April 2004 which used Bobby to analyse 1,000 home pages. Results showed that over 80% fail to comply with WAI WCAG A(Note that in Dec 2004 the report itself was not available in HTML format ) Note that the UKOLN Benchmarking Web Sites workshops for NEMLAC and EEMLAC Regional Agencies give similar results

7. Conclusions From Surveys • It should be noted that: • The automated survey can only prove that a page is inaccessible so that the findings are likely to be worse than reported • Only the home page was analysed • What can we conclude from the findings: • The community doesn't care about Web accessibility • WCAG AAA and AA compliance can be difficult toachieve (even on a single, high profile page) • There are other issues to consider • There may be other approaches to Web accessibility

8. WCAG AA and AAA Compliance • In order to achieve WAI WCAG AA compliance: • Avoid deprecated features (e.g. FONT) • Use W3C technologies when available and appropriate (no Flash, MS Word or PowerPoint). • Use the latest versions [of W3C formats] • Create documents that validate to published formal grammars (i.e. HTML must be valid) • In order to achieve WAI WCAG AAA compliance: • Provide information so that users may receive documents according to their preferences (i.e. markup language) • Specify document collections with the LINK element and "rel" and "rev"

9. Concerns Over WAI WCAG • Guidelines Too Theoretical • Some WCAG guidelines appear theoretical • WCAG seeks to promote W3C standards (including new ones) in addition to addressing mainstream accessibility issues • Overall WAI approach is dependent on content, authoring tools and user agent guidelines – the latter two are outside the remit of Web authors • Developments Outside Of W3C • WAI has succeeded in raising awareness of accessibility – and commercial sector has responded (cf. accessibility in OS, proprietary formats, …)

10. Standards Or Guidelines • Are WAI's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines: • Pragmatic and much needed guidelines which can help authors to make Web pages more accessible • To be interpreted and applied sensibly - on par with Jakob Neilson's usability guidelines • or: • Mandatory standards which must be implemented in order to (a) claim WAI compliance and (b) abide with legislation • No room for interpretation Do you use GIF images or FONT tags? Use HTML 4.0? HTMLvalidation errors? WAI A is best you can achieve! 11.1   Use W3C technologies when they are available and appropriate for task and use the latest versions when supported. [Priority 2]

11. Universal or User-Centred Design? • 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<http://www.design.ncsu.edu:8120/cud/univ_design/princ_overview.htm> • Underlying principle behind WAI activities • User-Centered Design: • Ask 'Who will be using the product?'. … Once this target audience has been identified [ask] questions such as: What do you want the product to do for you? In what sort of environment will you be using the product? What are your priorities when using the software? … <http://www-3.ibm.com/ibm/easy/eou_ext.nsf/Publish/2> The word 'universal' implies a single solution will apply to all. This does not appear to reflect experiences in developing educational or cultural services or an environment which values diversity.

12. Any Questions? • Any Questions?