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How to Ensure your Resources are 508 compliant
Information Access for All
Section 508 and beyond for libraries
Slide 2
As it stands right now…
- At least 10% of the human population has a
disability.
- That percentage will increase as we are
living longer.
- Therefore someone visiting your website
may not be able to read, use, or understand
the information you present.
- Blind,
visual/print disabilities
Deaf
Mobility disabilities
Cognitive disabilities
Slide 3
Web accessibility is not a new idea (just an
afterthought)
- Issues of inaccessibility are as old as the
web itself.
- The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of
the WWW Consortium began in 1997. WAI was funded
in part by NIDRR from 2000 to 2005.
- WAI created 3 levels of conformance for web
content, authoring tools, and user agents.
(www.w3.org/WAI).
Slide 4
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended)
addresses information and technology access
- Section 508 was enacted in 1998 to eliminate
barriers in information technology, to make
available new opportunities for people with
disabilities, and to encourage development of
technologies that will help achieve these goals.
The law applies to all Federal agencies when
they develop, procure, maintain, or use
electronic and information technology.
–Section508.gov
- Technical standards cover software
applications, operating systems,
web-based information and applications,
telecommunications products,
video and multimedia,
self-contained information products, and desktop
and portable computers.
Slide 5
The Rehabilitation Act briefly
- Enacted in 1973 and amended several times
- Established agencies, institutes, and
committees including RSA, ICDR,
NIDRR,
NCD, and the Access Board
Established vocational
rehabilitation, independent living, parent
training, and protection and advocacy programs
Defines the civil rights of people with
disabilities
Established professional education and
training, special projects, and demonstration
projects.
Establishes the basis for research funding
in disability and rehabilitation.
Slide 6
508 Guidelines are an outgrowth of WAI (sort of)
- The Access Board created an Electronic and
Information Technology Access Advisory Committee
(EITAAC) to advise it on the standards.
- The Committee's final report was delivered
to the Board on May 11, 1999.
- On March 31, 2000, the Board published a
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking based on the
Committee's recommendations. Proposed standards
were open for comment until the end of May 2000.
- The final standards were published in the
Federal Register in December 2000. Enactment and
enforcement by July 31, 2001.
- The Telecommunications and Electronic and
Information Technology Advisory Committee has
submitted modifications. See
http://webaim.org/teitac/wiki/teitac_wiki
Slide 7
508 isn’t the only law
- Section 504 of the Rehab Act (1973)Bars
discrimination by the US Govt
- ADA (1990)
- Responsibilities
of private entities and state and local
govts
- Sec 255 of the
Telecommunications Act of 1996Accessibility
and usability of telecom
- Other countries have
similar legislation. States, counties, and
municipalities may have their own
accessibility laws.
Slide 8
Our focus: Web sites, e- docs, and multimedia
-
As libraries, these are our
focus when it comes to accessibility.
-
Websites need to be
viewable, readable, and "interactable"by our
patrons.
-
We need to build up our
digital archives while ensuring their
accessibility.
- As we create presentations, videos, and other multimedia, we need to consider
access for all.
Slide 9
508’s 16 rules for accessible websites…
- (a) A text equivalent for every non-text
element shall be provided (e.g., via "alt", "longdesc",
or in element content).
- (b) Equivalent alternatives for any
multimedia presentation shall be synchronized
with the presentation.
- (c) Web pages shall be designed so that all
information conveyed with color is also
available without color, for example from
context or markup.
- (d) Documents shall be organized so they are
readable without requiring an associated style
sheet.
Slide 10
16 rules…
- (e) Redundant text links shall be provided
for each active region of a server-side image
map.
- (f) Client-side image maps shall be provided
instead of server-side image maps except where
the regions cannot be defined with an available
geometric shape.
- (g) Row and column headers shall be
identified for data tables.
- (h) Markup shall be used to associate data
cells and header cells for data tables that have
two or more logical levels of row or column
headers.
Slide 11
16 rules…
- (i) Frames shall be titled with text that
facilitates frame identification and navigation.
- (j) Pages shall be designed to avoid causing
the screen to flicker with a frequency greater
than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz.
- (k) A
text-only page,
with equivalent information or functionality,
shall be provided to make a web site comply with
the provisions of this part,
when compliance cannot be
accomplished in any other way.
The content of the text-only page shall be
updated whenever the primary page changes.
- (l) When pages utilize
scripting languages to display content, or to
create interface elements, the information
provided by the script shall be identified with
functional text that can be read by assistive
technology.
Slide 12
16 rules…
- (m) When a web page requires that an applet,
plug-in or other application be present on the
client system to interpret page content, the
page must provide a link to a plug-in or applet
that complies with §1194.21(a) through (l).
- (n) When electronic forms are designed to be
completed on-line, the form shall allow people
using assistive technology to access the
information, field elements, and functionality
required for completion and submission of the
form, including all directions and cues.
- (o) A method shall be provided that permits
users to skip repetitive navigation links.
- (p) When a timed response is required, the
user shall be alerted and given sufficient time
to indicate more time is required.
Slide 13
Go further
- Beyond 508
-
Use consistent and
appropriate markup (H1 for top level
headings, blockquotefor quotes, address,
cite).
-
Let the browser choose
the look (strong, em, smaller).
-
Consider usability (what
do your visitors expect: left side nav,
search, about/contact).
-
Consider Dept
consistency.
Slide 14
Accessible Multimedia
(back to 508)
- (c) All training and
informational video and multimedia productions
which support the agency's mission, regardless
of format, that contain speech or other audio
information
necessary for the comprehension of the content,
shall be open or closed captioned. (d) All training and
informational video and multimedia productions
which support the agency's mission, regardless
of format, that contain visual information
necessary for the
comprehension of the content,
shall be audio described.
- (e) Display or presentation
of alternate text presentation or audio
descriptions shall be user-selectable unless
permanent.
- See also Web rule B (synchronizing
alternatives with multimedia presentations).
- (a) and (b) relate to DTV ready TVs and
secondary audio playback in TVs and tv-tuned
computers.
Slide 15
In addition…
Any software or hardware you
create or purchase for staff or for your
patrons must comply with 508 standards
(section 1194.21, .24, .25, and .26).
- Any telecommunications equipment you create or purchase must comply
(1194.23).
Slide 16
E-docs (PDF, Word, Excel, PP, etc.)
- Many of the web accessibility rules
apply here:Alt text for images
- Tables laid out with headers
- Forms labeled and tabbed appropriately
- Use markup (H1, H2) rather than changing
points and appearance
- Many are specific to documents:Logical
reading order
- URLs should be live and accurate
- TOCsand bookmarks should be active and
accurate
- These are reinterpretations of web
accessibility guidelines. These were
developed by HHS as agency-wide
accessibility guidelines. (See
http://www.hhs.gov/web/508/index.htmlfor
web, PDF, Word, xls, etc)
Slide 17
Easiest to create accessible documents directly from authoring
tools
Headers, columns, bold,
italic
Use section and page
breaks appropriately
Add
alternative text to images
Use captions for figures and
tables
Mark up tables with headers
These tags will be picked up in the PDF.
Slide 18
Retrofitting older documents
- Existing paper documents can be scanned
and made as accessible as possible.
- Adobe
9 and other PDF generators can OCR text,
recognize columns and tables, and find
figures
- A9 will generate an
accessibility report using 508 requirements
or WCAG guidelines
- Human intervention is
needed to tag and format, and to add alt
text
Slide 19
Testing your Accessibility
- Several tools are available to test/evaluate
your site’s accessibility
WAI has a searchable
database of evaluation tools at
http://www.w3.org/WAI/ER/tools/simple
They also teach you how
to choose the right one
Adobe 9 incorporates an
accessibility reporting tool that is
customizable to your level of
accessibility.
Slide 20
Don’t rely on automated tools
- Authoring programs assist in
many ways (alt text, labels, CSS) but
encourage bad habits
- Reporting tools catch many
common errors, but they are no substitute
for human interaction
- Involve users in the accessibility/usability testing
http://www.w3.org/WAI/eval/users.html
Slide 21
Make it part of your plan
- Consider accessibility and
usability from the beginning of your
design/planning process.
- Decide on your level of conformance (508? A? AA? AAA?)
- Test, check, and repair as needed
- Get someone to check it!
Slide 22
Undue Burden?
- Make every effort possible, but sometimes
it’s not possible:
- When development, procurement, maintenance,
or use of electronic and information technology
that meets the standards published by the Access
Board under paragraph (2) would impose an undue
burden, the Federal department or agency shall
provide individuals with disabilities covered by
paragraph (1) with the information and data
involved by an alternative means of access that
allows the individual to use the information and
data.
Slide 23
For more information visit…
- Section 508 www.section508.gov
- WAI @ W3C www.w3.org/WAI
- Adobe9 accessibility guides www.adobe.com/accessibility/products/acrobat/training.html
- Web Accessibility In Mind www.webaim.org
- TEITAC Wiki webaim.org/teitac/wiki/teitac_wiki
- Cynthia Says www.cynthiasays.com
- Department of Transportation Sec 508 Coordinator
- JonniBurnham
-202-366-5426
- -jonni.burnham@ost.dot.gov
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