Date or reference Web Accessibility - short introduction Patrick H. Lauke Chapel Street Business Group - 28/2/2006

28/2/20062 Introduction What we’ll cover: some of the misconceptions about accessibility reasons why accessibility is important

28/2/20063 Some misconceptions What is accessibility? “making sure our web site works for the blind…” There is a wide range of disabilities: visual impairments auditory impairments mobility impairments cognitive disabilities

28/2/20064 Some misconceptions Why bother? Marketing executive: “such a small market is not worth the hassle” Web designer: “no time to create a separate accessible site” Site owner: “blind people won’t be using my web site”

28/2/20065 Some misconceptions Marketing executive: “such a small market is not worth the hassle” It is estimated that there are 7 million disabled people in the UK and that around 19% of the working age population has some form of disability. Source: Disability Rights Commission – Disability briefing January 2004Disability Rights Commission – Disability briefing January 2004

28/2/20066 Some misconceptions Web designer: “no time to create a separate accessible site” In majority of cases, no need for special “disabled only access” Inclusive design, not segregation Separation of content and presentation, using web standards, structural markup: single site, accessible to all Accessibility included in planning stage, not as an afterthought “Text only” is not a solution

28/2/20067 Some misconceptions Site owner: “blind people won’t be using my web site” Accessibility not just about the blind, but… A possible scenario: visually impaired customer buying photographs or paintings for a sighted relative?

28/2/20068 Legal requirements If the ethical / moral and financial reasons were not enough, there are legal requirements: UK - Disability Discrimination Act 1995 provision of goods and servicesDisability Discrimination Act 1995 Australia – Disability Discrimination Act 1992Disability Discrimination Act 1992 USA – Americans with Disabilities ActAmericans with Disabilities Act USA – Section 508 of Rehabilitation Act procurement policy for federal government agenciesSection 508 Other countries have similar legislation. Cases are being brought to court: SOCOG, RNIB, Ramada/Priceline, TargetSOCOGRamada/Priceline Target

28/2/20069 Access for all More importantly Accessibility is not just about users with disabilities Provisions and changes made for accessibility can benefit all users “Real world” example: access ramps With regards to web: Benefits to users of alternative browsing devices (PDAs, web phones, etc) Not a permanent disability, but “situational” – library PC, loud environment, etc Crossover between usability and accessibility

28/2/ Accessibility and SEO Google and co. world’s largest “disabled users”

28/2/ What to do? If you're a business owner: understand that accessibility is relevant to you (legal requirement, but also potential market) commission accessible sites (specify in tender documents, BSI PAS 78 “Guide to Good Practice in Commissioning Accessible Websites”)BSI PAS 78 beware of snake oil salesmen (check GAWDS, RNIB, etc)GAWDSRNIB

28/2/ What to do? If you're a web designer/developer: understand the problem (not just a technical solution) familiarise yourself with legislation and guidelines best practices (“it's just what we do”) continuous learning

28/2/ Automated validators The infamous “Bobby”…(now WebXact)WebXact Automated accessibility checkers are dumb. “Bobby” and co. are just a tool and do not replace human checks. False positives, false negatives.False positives, false negatives All my images have an ALTernate text of “image”…is that accessible?

28/2/ Conclusion Hopefully, what you’ll take away from this presentation: Accessiblity not just about “the blind” Moral, financial and legal reasons to ensure web sites are accessible Accessibility can benefit all users Worth noting: accessibility not about rote mastery of a few guidelines. Many cases where there is no one single solution – requires judgement and compromise.

28/2/ Resources W3C Web Accessibility Initiative Accessify Accessifyforum WebAIM: Web Accessibility In Mind Isolani Dive into Accessibility “Evaluating Web Sites for Accessibility with the Firefox Web Developer Toolbar” WaSP (Web Standards Project)