1. Web Accessibility Compliance in Localisation
The Missing Link for an Optimal End User Experience
Silvia Rodríguez Vázquez & Sharon O’Brien ·
16 – 17 November 2017
Translating and the Computer 39, London

2. Localisation’s landscape today
Ever-evolving industry
Technological progress
Increasing language coverage
New client demands
Strengthened service portfolio
Social media
Multilingual SEO
Multimedia
Usability testing
Globalisation and internationalisation
LSPs now see themselves as “Solutions companies”
Digital Marking Strategy

3. One of the many examples

4. One of the many examples

5. Enhanced final user experience
Same language
Same cultural conventions
Not necessarily same physical and sensory abilities
“The aim of localization should be that people from a specified locale can use the product without any difficulty in their own language”
Sandrini (2008)
Ensuring linguistic & cultural adequacy
Removing functionality-related obstacles

6. What about web accessibility?
“All users (especially those with disabilities) can perceive, understand, navigate, interact with and contribute to the web”
Dpt. Social Services, Australian Government
Web Accessibility
Web Accessibility Perspectives
“Essential for some, useful for all”

7. Semi-structured interviews
Study highlights
Goal:
Investigate the attitudes and actions of the localisation industry regarding the implementation of WA best practices during the multilingual web production chain.
Low level of awareness
10 out of 15 interviewees had not heard about WCAG 2.0
Semi-structured interviews
Low level of accountability for MWA
Knowledge, time, budget constraints
MWA seen as client’s responsibility, but support should be given as partners, advisors
15 interviewees (7 nationalities, >10 years of experience)

8. Business Case for Web Accessibility
Why should they adopt accessibility?
Factors
Business Case for Web Accessibility
Technical
Legal & Policy
Social
Financial
The Web is increasingly an essential resource for many aspects of life: education, employment, government, commerce, health care, recreation, social interaction, and more.
The Web is used not only for receiving information, but also for providing information and interacting with society.
While accessibility focuses on people with disabilities, it also benefits older users, mobile device users, and other individuals, as well as organizations.
Developing a Web Accessibility Business Case for Your Organization. Shawn Lawton Henry and Andrew Arch, eds. Copyright © 2012 W3C

9. Business Case for Web Accessibility
Social factors
Technical
Legal & Policy
Social
Financial
Factors
Business Case for Web Accessibility .
Estimating how many people are affected by Web accessibility is difficult
Overlap with the needs of older people, people with low literacy or not fluent in the language, people with low bandwidth connections or using older technologies, new and infrequent users and users of mobile devices
There are estimated to be over 30 million blind and partially sighted persons in geographical Europe (see details). An average of 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss.
Web accessibility provides improved access, interaction, and social inclusion for the people described above, which is a primary aspect of corporate social responsibility (CSR).
WA is a primary aspect of corporate social responsibility (CSR).

10. Business Case for Web Accessibility
Financial factors
Technical
Legal & Policy
Social
Financial
Factors
Business Case for Web Accessibility .
Increases potential use by more people, expands potential market share
Increases findability with search engine optimization (SEO)
Increases potential use in more situations
Increases usability: website users achieve their goals effectively, efficiently, and satisfactorily
Increases positive image (as a result of CSR)

11. Business Case for Web Accessibility
Financial factors
Technical
Legal & Policy
Social
Financial
Factors
Business Case for Web Accessibility .
Direct cost savings
Decreases potential for high legal expenses
Decreases cost of alternative format materials
Decreases cost of localisation
Decreases personnel costs for maintaining the site when accessibility reduces site maintenance
Decreases the amount of server capacity needed and saves on additional server costs when accessibility reduces server load
Decreases the need for creating multiple versions of a site for different devices when accessibility enables content to work on different devices
Decreases the cost of upgrading for new technologies when accessibility helps take advantage of advanced web technologies and be prepared for future web technologies
Decreases the amount of server capacity needed and saves on additional server costs when accessibility reduces server load

12. Business Case for Web Accessibility
Technical factors
Technical
Legal & Policy
Social
Financial
Factors
Business Case for Web Accessibility .
Reduce time and effort needed to change presentation
Facilitate efficient debugging
Reduce the size of each page served
Facilitate interaction with different input devices
Allow users and user agents to request content in a way that suits their capabilities by using markup for structure and CSS for presentation

13. Business Case for Web Accessibility
Legal & policy factors
Technical
Legal & Policy
Social
Financial
Factors
Business Case for Web Accessibility .
Some governments have laws that specifically require that certain types of websites are accessible.
The web is indirectly covered under broader anti-discrimination legislation, information and communications technology (ICT) policy, or other laws or policies.
Legal action:
Some organizations determine that it is in their best interest (financially and otherwise) to make their sites accessible, rather than risk legal action.
One should understand the risks for non-compliance.

14. Challenges and needs Challenges Needs Client’s budget
Clients’ maturity
Not accessible source
Clients’ technology dependency
Needs
Technology support (authoring, evaluation)
Training for a higher level of awareness among all actors involved in l10n workflows
Accessibility-dedicated team

15. silvia.rodriguez@unige.ch · sharon.obrien@dcu.ie
Thank you
Silvia Rodríguez Vázquez & Sharon O’Brien ·