Debi Orton, Co-ChairNYS Forum IT Accessibility Committee

Review of how people with disabilities access the web

History and review of NYS technology policies on web accessibility

Discussion of what to consider when planning web-delivered training

Tips for meeting everyone’s needs Questions

Types of disabilities with impact on web-delivered training:◦ Blindness / Low vision◦ Deafness / Hearing impairments◦ Mobility impairments◦ Cognitive impairments

Types of web-delivered training to consider◦ Webinars◦ WebEx sessions◦ Traditional elearning content◦ HTML elearning content

People who are blind access the web via:◦ Screen reading software ◦ Refreshable Braille displays◦ CANNOT use pointing devices

People with low vision may use those tools or:◦ Screen magnification software ◦ External (larger) displays

Visual acuity also a factor for:◦ People using mobile devices◦ People using older equipment (smaller monitors,

lower resolutions) Visuals need to be described using “alt

text” Videos or presentations containing

instruction needs to be audibly described

Cataracts

Glaucoma

Macular Degeneration

Retinopathy

Difficult to magnify graphical text without distortion

Map of Hurricane Isabel (with color)

Map of Hurricane Isabel (simulating red/green color blindness)

Subway maps

Video or presentation content with audio must be captioned

Elearning content cannot rely on audio cues People whose computers do not support

sound Can be an issue for mobile device users

Cannot use mouse for navigation Interaction through keyboard only May have difficulty with timed responses

Images are helpful for many with cognitive impairments

Avoid “Wall o’ Text” Use headlines and bullets Attention to “fog index”

Began in 1998 with call to action Developed and released first accessibility

policy in September, 1999 – aligned with W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, version 1 (WCAG 1)

Major policy shift in 2004, to “hybrid” standard

Minor changes in 2006, 2008 Major change for 2010

Will mirror federal Section 508 Allows NYS to leverage work vendors have

already done to become Section 508 compliant

Expands tools available for our use

Covers all web content and applications on both Internet and intranet sites

Intranet allowed more latitude because agency can ensure end user platform

Requires that 14 guidelines be met

1. Requires text equivalents for non-text content

2. Don’t use color to convey information3. Requires proper document structure4. Requirements for “skip navigation” and

home page links5. Avoid flickering and blinking elements6. Allow user to reprogram timed responses7. Data tables must be properly marked up

8. Frame titles must provide context and orientation information

9. Image maps must provide redundant text links

10. Information shall not be conveyed via audio only

11. Multimedia must be captioned and described

12. Elements and information provided via scripting must be accessible to A. T.

13. Label elements must be used for all form controls

14. Agencies can post proprietary formats so long as an accessible alternative is made available

Given the scope of the policy, anything that requires a browser to access can be considered “web”:◦ Webinars◦ Webcasts◦ HTML◦ Elearning delivered via browser

When planning training, do not rely on one sense alone◦ If using videos in your training, be sure:

1. Videos are captioned and you provide instructions about how to access captions

2. Any video demonstration (for example, showing how to tie a knot) is described in such a way that someone unable to see the video can follow it

When planning a webinar:◦ Keep in mind that people using screen readers

can interact with only one window at a time◦ Make sure your presenter knows to describe any

substantive images he or she uses

When planning a webcast:◦ Ensure that you have arranged for captioning

services◦ Note on the announcement if the webcast will be

captioned live or if a captioned version will be available at a later date

Audio content (e.g., podcasts):◦ Provide a transcript, and put a link to the

transcript adjacent to the link to the podcast

When posting a presentation:◦ If the presentation will be posted long-term,

provide a Braillable text description of the presentation

If using online learning authoring tools, be sure you can create accessible content with it◦ Keep graphical text to a minimum◦ Make sure navigation is consistent and

adequately labeled◦ If using Flash animations, make them accessible