1. Web Accessibility: A Best Practices Roadmap
created by Accessibility Working Group
presented by
Kyle Shachmut, Vittorio Bucchieri, Curtis Wilcox

2. Accessibility Working Group
Mildene Bradley
Administrative Technology Services (Security & Accessibility)
Vittorio Bucchieri
Teaching & Learning Technologies
Michele Clopper
University Disability Services
Richard Clinch
Harvard Web Publishing  
Amy Deschenes
Harvard Libraries
Luke Juergens
Administrative Technology Services (Campus Services)
Scott Kearney
Administrative Technology Services (FAS)
Stephen Kobialka
Harvard Kennedy School
Mike Lawrence
HUIT Architecture & Engineering
Richard Ohlsten
Administrative Systems (CAADS)
Kyle Shachmut
HarvardX
Janet Taylor
Library Technology Services
Curtis Wilcox
FAS Instructional Media Services / Assistive Technology Center (ATC)
accessibility.huit.harvard.edu

3. Expectations What will the best practices roadmap provide you?
Reasons why Accessibility matters.
Examples of free and Harvard-licensed tools.
Additional accessibility tools and resources provided by Harvard.
How or where to acquire these tools.
accessibility.huit.harvard.edu

4. What is accessibility?
Digital accessibility means making electronic content available to and usable by everyone, including and especially people with disabilities.
accessibility.huit.harvard.edu

5. Why strive for accessibility?
Improves usability of digital content for everyone, including people with disabilities.
Improves overall user experience.
Enhances clarity for non-native English speakers.
accessibility.huit.harvard.edu

6. Benefits of accessible content
Reduces development effort when accessibility is considered from the start.
Reduces cost when problems are addressed before users encounter accessibility barriers.
Increases search engine optimization & content findability.
Demonstrates inclusiveness.
accessibility.huit.harvard.edu

7. WCAG 2.0 guidelines at Harvard University
HUIT Policy: Applications, whether developed in house or purchased from a vendor, should conform to WCAG 2.0, Level AA guidelines.
Checklist: The guidelines fall into three buckets: Level A, AA, AAA. There are 38 guidelines included in the AA standard.
Organization: There are four (4) principles under which the guidelines are organized. The acronym for these principles is POUR.
accessibility.huit.harvard.edu

8. WCAG 2.0 Principles
Perceivable: All content is accessible, no matter how it is accessed.
Operable: All functionality is available, no matter how it is accessed.
Understandable: Content is in plain language & well- organized.
Robust: Content can be used via any device.
accessibility.huit.harvard.edu

9. WCAG 2.0 - Conformance Requirements
To conform, an entire site must meet all criteria for a given level
Requirement
Guidelines
Information A 25
For Level A conformance (the minimum level of conformance), the Web page satisfies all the Level A Success Criteria, or a conforming alternate version is provided. AA 13
For Level AA conformance, the Web page satisfies all the Level A and Level AA Success Criteria, or a Level AA conforming alternate version is provided.
AAA 23
For Level AAA conformance, the Web page satisfies all the Level A, Level AA and Level AAA Success Criteria, or a Level AAA conforming alternate version is provided.
accessibility.huit.harvard.edu

10. WCAG 2.0 – Requirements: Examples
Guideline
Information A
1.2.2
Captions (pre-recorded): Captions provided for all prerecorded audio content in synchronized media, except when it is a media alternative for text & clearly labeled as such. AA
1.2.4
Captions (live): Captions are provided for all live audio content in synchronized media.
AAA
1.2.6
Sign Language (pre-recorded): Sign language interpretation is provided for all pre-recorded audio content in synchronized media.
accessibility.huit.harvard.edu

11. Media accessibility tools
Assistive media technology examples
Technology
Features
Users
Closed Captions (CC)
Time-synched with the media
Deaf, hearing-impaired, and learning disorders
Transcripts
Not time-synched with media
Subtitles
Language translation and descriptions
Non English speakers
Audio Description (AD)
Spoken information about key visual elements
Low-vision or blind viewers
accessibility.huit.harvard.edu

12. Video captioning, transcription, and subtitling
Used by Harvard
3Play Media, Harvard’s preferred vendor, provides premium closed captioning, transcription, subtitling and audio description services.
Other vendors providing similar video services
REV
CaptionSync
CADET developed by WGBH/NCAM, is a free tool making it possible for anyone creating videos to add and edit closed captions.
accessibility.huit.harvard.edu

13. Free tools: Wave toolbar1
The Wave toolbar from the WebAIM organization allows users to test individual web pages for accessibility.
accessibility.huit.harvard.edu

14. Free tools: Color Contrast Analyzer
Color Contrast Analyzer from The Paciello Group tests the legibility of text and the contrast of visual elements.
accessibility.huit.harvard.edu

15. Free tools: Google Accessibility Developer tools
This Chrome extension adds to the Chrome Developer Tools an Accessibility audit as well as an Accessibility sidebar pane in the Elements tab.
accessibility.huit.harvard.edu

16. Free tools: Web Developer toolbar
This browser extension from Chris Pederick works with Chrome, Firefox and Opera and adds a variety of developer view and display tools, including: link details, tab index, table depth, and more.
accessibility.huit.harvard.edu

17. Free tools: Summary
Online testing tools provide free resources that can be used to ensure that digital content meets established accessibility standards.
Technology
Features
Users
Wave toolbar
Tests individual web pages
Content Creators and Developers
Color Contrast Analyzer
Tests the legibility of text and the contrast of visual elements
Content Creators
Google Accessibility Developer tools
Accessibility audit
Developers
Web Developer toolbar
Code editing and verification
accessibility.huit.harvard.edu

18. Harvard-licensed tools: Features Overview
Test single pages or crawl entire sites.
Report and track progress over time by individuals and teams.
Generate detailed reports with recommendations and code examples.
Provide training modules.
Facilitate testing:
Automated
Manual
Assistive technology.
accessibility.huit.harvard.edu

19. Harvard-licensed tools: Acquisition / Use
The Accessibility Working Group evaluated several tools and then selected two accessibility testing tools:
Accessibility Management Platform (AMP)
Siteimprove
Both tools are licensed for enterprise use for Harvard faculty or staff  request an account through Service Now.
Training resources are available through AMP and Siteimprove websites.
accessibility.huit.harvard.edu

20. Harvard-licensed tools: Siteimprove 2
Siteimprove is best-used for public-facing websites and automatically generates reports on a weekly basis.
Siteimprove Benefits
User Interface designed for ease of use.
Accessibility testing.
QA testing (broken links, misspellings) & SEO.
Chrome browser extension for testing non-public web pages.
Training: Guides, FAQs, and videos.
accessibility.huit.harvard.edu

21. Siteimprove: Demonstration
Dashboard & Reports
accessibility.huit.harvard.edu

22. Harvard-licensed tools: AMP
AMP from SSB Bart Group is designed for use with complex, transactional websites and applications. Can schedule tests and reports.
AMP Benefits
Works with Harvard-Key protected websites.
Includes browser plug-in for testing web pages that reside behind a firewall or on a local device.
Plug-in results can be included in reports.
Training: A wide range of courses.
accessibility.huit.harvard.edu

23. AMP: Accessibility Management Platform
AMP Workflows and Use Cases
Access Assistant toolbar for assessing and remediating content
accessibility.huit.harvard.edu

24. AMP: Accessibility Management Platform - Assessing Content
AMP Workflows and Use Cases
Assess via toolbar “scan module” actions or by crawling an entire (public) site
accessibility.huit.harvard.edu

25. AMP: Accessibility Management Platform - Fixing Content
AMP Workflows and Use Cases
Identifies errors & offers explanations with code examples to fix the problem
accessibility.huit.harvard.edu

26. Next steps – for everyone . . .
Try one of the free accessibility tools on your web page.
To monitor and maintain the accessibility of your entire website, request a Siteimprove or AMP account through the Accessibility account request form, which creates a Service Now request.
Learn more at the Online Accessibility website: watch training videos, find coding techniques, and locate additional digital accessibility resources.
If you need assistance or answers to questions, please contact our Accessibility team members.
accessibility.huit.harvard.edu