1. access tempe: demystifying accessible web apps
Stephanie Deitrick, Ph.D, GISP
Ayan Mitra
Seth Lewis

2. where it all began…access tempe
replace Access Tempe brochure (2009)
Office of Strategic Management & Diversity
Tempe as dementia friendly city

3. accessible access to information
Americans with Disabilities Act (1990, 2008) & Section 508 Amendment to Rehabilitation Act of 1973 apply to internet content
much web content wasn't designed for residents with disabilities

4. what is web accessibility?
more than access to information
means that people with disabilities can understand, interact with, and navigate the web
seeks to consider all disabilities including auditory, cognitive, mobility, visual
populations with specific needs such as those with dementia or their caretakers

5. how to get there? principles of universal design
design for broad range of abilities
focus on functional needs instead of single disability
support multiple ways of knowing
spatial awareness
focus
simple language

6. webGIS + accessibility
webGIS apps present complexity issues not always present in standard markup
e.g. how to convey results that are nearby or relevant to user?

7. webGIS + accessibility

8. what about templates?

9. initial design

10. revised design
what about users who struggle with understanding information spatially?
solution: offer text-only alternative and support back-forth navigation

11. launch page

12. finding resources via text

13. finding resources via text

14. finding resources via text

15. the map

16. getting user location

17. providing user with relevant results

18. make map results easy to understand

19. easy navigation between text & map searches

20. demo

21. takeaways
conversation and collaboration are needed

22. thank you!