Accessibility 101 for I.T. Professionals

1. Accessibility 101 for I.T. Professionals

2. What is IT accessibility? • Accessible information technology (IT) is IT that can be used by all qualified users, including those with disabilities. As growing numbers of programs, services, resources, and opportunities in higher education depend on the use of IT, the need becomes especially critical for higher education institutions to ensure their IT is fully accessible. http://www.educause.edu/wiki/it-accessibility-faq

3. What makes technology accessible? • Elements that are not text-based (e.g., graphics) should be accompanied by a text description • Widgets should be usable by keyboard, as well as mouse • Documents should separate structure, semantics, and style • Structure: banners, navigation bars, footers, sidebars, sections, articles • Semantics: headings, lists, forms, links, paragraphs • Style: font, colors, positioning, decoration, weight, size • Media should include captions or transcripts • Color schemes should use sufficient contrast • Dynamic changes in context should be made apparent to the user • Users should be able to understand and correct errors

4. Accessibility myths • Myth: Accessibility means extra work • Fact: Accessible sites have better search results, increased audience potential, greater versatility, and a lower cost of maintenance • Myth: Accessibility means text-only • Fact: While text is an important part of accessibility, well-designed sites can be feature-rich and entirely accessible • Myth: Accessibility is handled by assistive technology • Fact: Many people with disabilities use assistive technology to access the web, but many others use web browsers, smart phones, and other mainstream technology

5. A Word on Web Accessibility • Web accessibility means designing websites so that they are usable and useful to everyone, regardless of disability • Web accessibility is more than just a technical issue • Inclusive in philosophy • Universal in design • Global in scope • Technical in execution • Web accessibility benefits all users • Multiple modes of presentation • Device independence • Access in a variety of environments

6. Web Accessibility Means: POUR • Perceivable • All users should be able to “take in” the message of the site, whether by visual, auditory, tactile, or other means • Operable • All users should be able to “drive” of the site: follow links, use forms, and work with other interactive components • Understandable • Sites should be understandable in terms of language, idiom, navigation, error avoidance and correction, etc. • Robust • Site should be designed in such a way that they can be used with any browser, screen reader, operating system, or other technology that supports the Web.

7. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines • WCAG 1.0 initially published in 1999 • 14 guidelines, prioritized 1, 2, 3 • Focus on instructing authors on “what to do” • WCAG 2.0 published in 2008 • Four high-level principles comprising 12 guidelines • Each guideline consists of several success criterion • Focus on instructing authors to “do what’s right” • WCAG 2.0 is the policy standard at the University of Iowa • Quick reference at http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref/

8. How people experience technology

9. Potential ability barriers • Visual • Auditory • Mobility • Cognitive • Environmental • Temporary

10. Potential technical barriers • A web application can only be operated with a mouse • A PDF is saved as a scanned graphic • An online video is presented without captions • A series of links all use the text phrase “Learn More” • A chart uses only color to distinguish between data series • A web page requires horizontal scroll on a tablet or phone • It takes 30 keystrokes to access a widget, form, or link • Table cells are not associated with column or row headings • A website uses different branding and navigation on each page

11. Inaccessible IT • Only one way to accomplish a task • Flat • Textless • Low-contrast • Jumpy and unpredictable • Inconsistent, arbitrary

12. Accessible IT • Many ways to accomplish a task (click, key, swipe, speak) • Rich semantics and structure (headings, links, lists, titles) • Well-exposed text (explanations, descriptions, labels, relationships) • Good contrast for low-vision/color-blind users (but never color alone) • Stable and predictable, only changes with user interaction (including keyboard control) • Consistent navigation, operability, look and feel

13. Some questions to assess accessible IT • Can the application be used with only the keyboard? • Do images have appropriate text descriptions? • Do pages have a consistent look-and-feel? • Does text content have enough color contrast? • Does the content include headings and landmarks? • Do form controls and web widgets have labels? • When styling and layout are removed, is the document understandable? • Does audio content have transcripts and do videos have captions? http://www.educause.edu/wiki/it-accessibility-faq

14. Accessible information delivery • Web pages, websites, online forms • Office docs, spreadsheets, digital presentations • Software applications • Video, audio, multimedia • Trainings, orientations, live presentations

15. What makes technology accessible? • Graphics should be accompanied by a text description • Widgets should be usable with only the keyboard • Documents should separate content and style • Media should include captions or transcripts • Color schemes should use sufficient contrast • The screen shouldn’t change without a user action • Users should be able to move easily between parts of a page or app • Users should be able to understand and correct errors

16. Accessible webpages • Images and non-text elements are accompanied by text descriptions • All navigation and interaction can be achieved by using the keyboard only • Use correct structure and semantics to develop pages • Provide captions and/or transcripts for multimedia content

17. Assistive Technology • Screen Readers • JAWS: dominates market share • NVDA: a common second choice among screen-reader users • VoiceOver: standard in MacOS • Braille displays • Screen magnifiers • Sip-n-Puff systems • Speech recognition/Speech to text

18. Demos • UI Facilities Management PDF Demo • Twisters restaurant menu (PPT, online) • Ted Talk, featuring Coldplay

19. Clear? Appropriate to the audience? Understandable language? Accessible? Regardless of physical or cognitive impairment? Does it load quickly? Consistent? Does the visual aspect of the site hold together well? Is the site structurally consistent, even without formats and styles? Navigable? Are directions clear and consistent? Can you use it with a keyboard? Do all of the links work? Visually Perceivable? Do the colors contrast well? Are the typefaces appropriate for the site’s users? Did you use <blink>? Communicative? Is there a feedback page? Is there sufficient contact information? Ask: Is this technology…

20. So accessible technology can benefit… • People with disabilities • People who speak English as a Second Language • People with a variety of learning styles • People who use a variety of technologies • People who use technology in different environments

21. You wouldn’t marry a panther, would you?

22. Then why would you… • …use a PDF as a web form? • …use Photoshop to create a website? • …present an article as a graphic? • …create a spreadsheet in a Word table? • …create an editable HTML <span>?

23. Parting Shot • Accessibility benefits everyone

24. Parting Shot • Accessibility benefits everyone

25. Parting Shot • Accessibility benefits everyone

26. Parting Shot • Accessibility benefits everyone

27. Disability, Advocacy, and Technical Partners • Student Disability Services • Faculty/Staff Disability Services • Disability Planning and Action Committee • ITS/Enterprise Services • ICATER • University Libraries • Other CIC technical units

28. The Web Accessibility Project@ The University of Iowa Mark Hale mark-hale@uiowa.edu Todd Weissenberger todd-weissenberger@uiowa.edu http://itaccessibility.uiowa.edu

29. Other aspects of accessible IT • Mobility • Project management