1. Accessibility Nuts and Bolts
NERCOMP
November 15, 2017

2. Overview
Where to Start
What to Test
Who Does The Testing
How to Test

3. Where to Start

4. On VPATS Is a self report (in many cases)
Intended to be an initial vetting tool
Quality greatly varies
They can be flat out wrong
“Meets with exceptions” means “Not Accessible”
Mixed availability

5. What to Test

6. Re-defining “Place of Public Accommodation”
Institutional Webpage
Internal portal
LMS
MOOC/SPOC
Mass communication/ Social Media
Databases
Registration
Library databases
Print release stations
Online tutoring/advising
Webinar platforms
Course/Lab simulation software
Course specific infrastructure
Physical amenities with digital/online components

7. What else?
(Examples?)

8. Factors to Test/Inspect For
Color/Contrast
Fonts
Keyboard access
Form fields
Alt Tags
Captions
Heading/navigation structures
Descriptive text/audio

9. Color/Contrast
Best tool to use: EvalAccess 2.0, web accessibility and color checker
Never use color alone to convey information
Use a symbol or graphic that will work in a monochromatic environment
To test if the color contrast is effective, print it on black and white printer with the background color included
Beige, yellow and orange can be confused with red and green

10. Fonts Nothing smaller than 12pt font
Best tool to use: A user and/or EvalAccess 2.0, web accessibility
Nothing smaller than 12pt font
Avoid Serif fonts (monotype corvisa)
Choose Serif fonts (Veranda/ Arial)
Allow the text to be manipulated for resizing purposes by the user
Set a default font size in the style sheet
Font should not be smaller than 12pt font

11. Who Does the Testing?

12. Performing the Accessibility Tests
Experts
In-sourcing: IT staff, DS staff, dedicated staff member
Out-sourcing: Consultant (Perkins, Carroll, WebAIM, etc)
Users
In-sourcing: Students, faculty/staff (users, trained), DS staff (users, trained), dedicated staff member
Out-sourcing: Students (SWD, Sw/oD), workstudy

13. How To Test

14. Process Overview: “Beginner” testing
The 6 Simplest Web Accessibility Tests Anyone Can Do
Unplug your mouse/turn off trackpad
Turn on high contrast mode
Turn off Images
Check for captions or transcripts
Click on field labels
Turn off CSS

15. Process Overview: “Expert” testing
Tool-guided evaluation
Screening
Tool-based inspection
Code Review

16. Tool-guided Eval: Where to Begin
Automated testers
Examples: WAVE, Achecker, FAE, CynthiaSays, etc.
PROs
Efficiency vs Volume, Presence vs Absence, Starting point, Oversight detection.
CONs
Incomplete, Quality of alt text, Forms, Applications of color, Device dependent applications

17. Screening
Use AT to access site or content to emulate experience of end user
Employ experienced AT users to check site or content (mistakes or inexperience with AT do not necessarily mean that something is inaccessible)
JAWs Resource
Resource -
Training - dCertification

18. Screening Tools Screen readers JAWS – industry standard
NVDA – open source screen reader
Fangs screen reader emulator

19. Fangs

20. Tool-based Inspection
Lots of tools for lots of testing; use of multiple tools is encouraged
Examples of tools include
Page structural inspectors, (X)HTML inspectors, color contrast checkers, Readability checkers, etc.
Browser features/plug-ins – Web Developer in Chrome; Firefox W3C features

21. Code Review

22. Code Review
If anything, can utilize “inspect element” to verify alt tags:

23. Wrap Up Resource Guide: https://www.w3.org/WAI/Resources/