Achieving Accessibility

Making the Web Work for People with Disabilities

MSF&W Accessibility Solutions

Accommodating People with Disabilities

• People with low vision or blindness
• People with limited use of their hands
• People who are deaf or hard of hearing
• People with learning disabilities

Compatibility with Assistive Technologies

• Large Fonts & High Contrast
• Screen Magnifiers (ZoomText, MAGic)
• Screen Readers (JAWS, Window-Eyes, NVDA)
• Alternate Keyboard & Mouse Devices
• Speech Recognition (Dragon NaturallySpeaking)
• Reading Aids (BrowseAloud)

Your Customers, Your Staff....

• 10-20% of Americans have or will have a disability
• An aging population has increasing accessibility needs
• Accessibility and usability go hand-in-hand

The Law

• Americans with Disabilities Act
• “Section 508” of the Rehabilitation Act
• Illinois Information Technology Accessibility Act
• 47 other states with accessibility laws and/or policies...

The Lawsuits

• America Online
• IBM (Olympics.com)
• Priceline & Ramada.com
• State of Arkansas
• Target.com

Target.com

• Repair web site
• Monitoring by the NFB
• Original plaintiff → $20,000
• Class-action fund → $6 million

Accessibility Standards

• W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
• Section 508 Standards
• Illinois Information Technology Accessibility Act Standards

Common Principles

• Content & Semantics - use HTML as it was meant to be used
• Text Alternatives - “alt” text, transcripts, captions
• Contrast - visual & auditory
• Order - reading order, tab order
• Keyboard Operability - focsable, operable, predictable

Testing

• Quick Test Checklist
• Automated Testing (ATRC, FAE, WAVE)
• Testing with Assistive Technologies

Keys to Success

• Be Proactive
• Find the Right Resources
• Train your Staff
• Don't be Overwhelmed

Our Services

• Accessibility Audits
• Training
• Technical Assistance
• Quality Assurance