Accessibility in Practice: Integrating Web Accessibility

into Cascade TrainingCascade User Conference 2014

Darren DenhamWeb Content Manager

405-974-2606

http://technology.uco.edu

ddenham@uco.edu

twitter.com/DarrenWasHere

University of Central Oklahoma

The Rundown

1. Administrator Options2. Training Opportunities3. Why It Matters4. Training Demo

Based On Votes

Accessibility – Down the Rabbit Hole

Section 508 U.S. Rehabilitation Act

Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

State/Local requirements Oklahoma Electronic

Information Technology Accessibility (EITA) Act

Web Accessibility in Higher Education Project (WAHEP)

Control What You Can

I’m not really a control freak

BUT …may I show you

the right wayto do that?

Map Guidelines To System Options

Consider Accessibility During Template Development Enforce Color Contrast via CSS

WCAG 2.2 Ensure that foreground and background color combinations provide sufficient contrast

Form Controls in form builder WCAG 12.4 - Associate labels explicitly with their controls.

Skip Links & Link Lists Keyboard navigation

System Settings/OptionsDisable Font Assignment for the Content EditorUse Format Drop-down for H1, H2, etc.Enable Accessibility Checker System-wide

Accessibility Myths vs. Reality

All Links Should Use Title

REALITY: The Title attribute is generally ignored by most screen readers (using default settings). Avoid “read more” and “click here” and instead use descriptive text.

Goal: Quality Link Text

Avoid “Click Here” & “Read More”Craft Descriptive LinksTitle can be blank when links describe destination

Open All Non-Institution Links In A New Tab or Window

REALITY: By default, browsers open links in the same window. Changing this behavior, breaks navigation.User choice is removed and unexpected outcomes are introduced.Individuals with cognitive disabilities should be considered.

Open In New Window

New Window breaks navigationTrain to your policy/guidelinesBegin discussions to change mindset

Open in new window is second-nature New window acceptable in some cases

WCAG 2.0 G200

Always Open PDF in New Window

REALITY: The jury is still out. Compromise by including a warning:

Download the campus map (opens in a new window).

Since Most Images Are Decorative Alt Text Isn’t Required

REALITY: The majority of images on the web are used to convey information, present data or enhance page content.Consider why the

image is present when crafting the alternate text.

[image of something, maybe a wall of framed photos]

Images & Alternative Text

Avoid phrases such as: “logo” “image of” “photo”

Images – Informative & Decorative Examples Context helps determine description. Some descriptions may be more detailed based on the

usage and content of the page. Images that repeat information already presented may

be considered decorative.

Images & Alternative Text

Images – Decorative Decorative – mark as decorative to leave blank

in Cascade. (displayed as “” in HTML)

Images & Alternative Text

Images with Text If text is within the image, and not present elsewhere,

utilize alternative text.

Avoid Tables

REALITY: Tables, when crafted with accessibility in mind, can be effective.

Tables require more planning and more effort to implement properly.

Tables – Training Kryptonite

Offer Table-specific training.

Utilize DIVs for layouts in template design

Layout tables should not contain data.

Layout tables are readin linear manner.

Data Tables use specific attributes like "summary,”“caption” and “th.”

1 3 5

2 4 6

Not All Web Pages Need Headlines

REALITY: The Headline, or H1 Heading, tells the assistive technology where the content begins.

Imagine a newspaper without headlines!

Heading 1 – Content Starts Here

Begin each page with Heading 1 (H1)Create prebuilt headings Utilize Format dropdown during training

Accessibility Checklist (Section 508)

UCO Campus Committee & State of Oklahoma Commitment

Development of accessibility checklist handout

Integration into Cascade training

Because “Why” is as important as “How”

Tell A Story

Make Connection with Accessibilityo Campus /Local Resources

Campus Organizationso Students for an Accessible Society

Share Personal ExperienceVolunteer for Eventso Paralympic Gameso Special Olympicso Local Events

Partnerships

Disability Support Serviceso Review trainingo Validation/Testing o Screencast examples of assistive technology in use

Multimedia Serviceso Captioningo Descriptive Audio

Distance Educationo Accessibility in online courses

Resources

WebAIM Web Accessibility In Mindhttp://webaim.org

Section508.gov - Resources for understanding and implementing Section 508http://www.section508.gov

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20

U.S. Department of Labor http://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/Technology.htm

FCC Accessing Social Media webinarhttp://www.fcc.gov/events/accessing-social-media

Dev Wc3 Alt Text Decision Tree http://dev.w3.org/html5/alt-techniques/developer.html#tree

4 Syllables Alt Text Decision Tree http://www.4syllables.com.au/2010/12/text-alternatives-decision-tree

Digital.Gov - How to Use Assistive Technology to Comply with Section 508

http://youtu.be/4XJcswWmmAw http://www.digitalgov.gov

Darren Denham

405-974-2606

http://technology.uco.edu

ddenham@uco.edu

twitter.com/DarrenWasHerewww.DarrenWasHere.com