MSD Principles for Client Accessibility:

1. MSD Principles for Client Accessibility: An interpretation of SSC Guidelines

2. MSD Principles for Client Accessibility Differing views within MSD as to what constituted conformance to the Web Standards. Primarily the issue has been whether: the highest technically achievable level of compliance is an absolute requirement or whether compliance is a journey of progressive improvement influenced by other business factors

3. Client Accessibility Client accessibility can be seen to be the combined outcome of: the client technology available to relay a particular communication to one or more of our senses; the personal enablement of the client to receive that delivery; and the client’s ability to interpret that delivery.

4. Communication Channels Different communication channels will be more or less convenient for different clients. There is diminishing returns in trying to use a single communication channel for all clients. MSD should aim to have at least one good communication channel for each client.

5. Communication Channels A typical communication channel – telephone service Some clients are excluded from use by: Lack of technology - a phone. Personal sensory attributes - Inarticulateness or deafness. Personal intellectual capabilities. We can reduce, but not entirely eliminate, the number excluded. The greater the reduction the greater the cost

6. Accessibility and Usability Accessibility and Usability: There can be a trade off between accessibility and usability. Static web pages maximise accessibility but minimise usability for many applications. We want to balance the two so that our communication channels are attractive to use for those targeted to use them.

7. The NZ Disability Strategy “New Zealand will be inclusive when people with impairments can say they live in: A society that highly values our lives and continually enhances our full participation.’” A set of principles that specify how the differently enabled are to assisted to participate in NZ society

8. The NZ Disability Strategy It is the overall quality of life that we can provide to the differently enabled that is the overriding criteria. This implies a responsibility to marshall our resources so that the best overall quality of life is obtained for our differently enabled clients.

9. The NZ Disability Strategy Economic considerations must influence the communication methods we make available to meet our clients needs. If making a communication method available to a small group of clients who can already access that service through other communication methods precludes better service to larger number of clients it can be seen to be appropriate that we direct those resources elsewhere.

10. SSC standards Adopted WCAG V 2.0 Standards Mid-March 2009 Adopted Level AA as NZ Government level of compliance. Established alternative procedures when Level AA compliance not met.

11. WCAG V 2.0 Principles based. Four Principles Perceivable Operable Understandable Robust

12. Perceivable Provide text alternatives for non-text content. Provide captions and alternatives for audio and video content. Make content adaptable; make it available to assistive technologies. Use sufficient contrast to make things easy to see and hear.

13. Operable Make all functions keyboard accessible. Give users enough time to read and use content. Do not use content that casues seizures. Help users navigate and find content.

14. Understandable Make text readable and understandable. Make content appear and operate in predictable ways. Help users avoid and correct mistakes.

15. Robust Maximise compatibility with current and future technologies.

16. Accessibility Principles A set of principles to guide our implementation of the SSC Web Standards. Covering: Minimum Technological Environment Assistive Technology Alternative Communication Channels

17. Minimum Technological Environment No backward steps Prerequisite Technology

18. Assistive Technology Progressive Improvement Support WCAG Industry Standards

19. Alternative Communication Channels Substitutability Audience Differentiation

20. Applying the Principles Accessibility Plan Developed to indicate how the service embodied in the development will be delivered to differently enabled clients, whether by the development itself or by an alternative channel. Agreed by Business Owner

21. Applying the Principles Vendor Management Plan Whenever a system has been purchased that does not conform to WCAG V2.0 Level AA standards a plan must be developed to encourage the vendor to move to support for those standards. Where the purchase has not yet been finalised the purchase should be conditional on the vendor signing up to the plan.

22. MSD Principles for Client Accessibility: In order to appropriately marshall our resources we need to consciously balance our level of accessibility compliance with the impact on our legacy technology. Business must decide that balance based on Accessibility and Vendor Management Plans developed by IT as part of the normal Project Management Process. We should establish that balance upfront for each project to avoid compliance disputes.