1. How Does Your Web Page Sound?

2. Our Agenda  So what? Why does it matter?  General Review of Accessibility Standards (508/WCAG)  Putting Web Standards to Work: Validation tools Common problems that drive users crazy  JAWS Demonstration  Your Game Plan for Accessibility

3. What this Presentation is:  A brief introduction to/review of Web accessibility standards  A demonstration of what a screen reader sounds like and how it acts while surfing the Web  A call to action to those present to educate themselves and their colleagues in issues surrounding Web accessibility

4. What this Presentation is NOT:  Comprehensive training in accessible Web design  Comprehensive training in Section 508 or WCAG  Comprehensive training in use of screen reader software  Inclusive of all of the kinds of disabilities that our patrons may have

5. So what? Why does it matter?  The American Foundation for the Blind estimates that: 10 million people in the US are blind or visually impaired 1.3 million people are legally blind  People with learning and physical disabilities use screen readers as well  Legal implications of Section 508: AFB vs. Target  Universal Design: Writing good code is good practice, and makes it more accessible to all

6. Why is Accessibility an Issue?  Because the increasingly graphic nature of the Web has made using it more difficult for people with visual disabilities to use  Because Web browsers are too forgiving of bad code HTML doesn’t have to be perfect to display correctly to a sighted person  Because library Web pages tend to be home- grown

7. Web Accessibility Standards Makers  The Federal Government Section 508, Subpart B, §1194.22, a-p 16 recommendations  World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines  Priority 1: checkpoints must be satisfied  Priority 2: checkpoints should be satisfied  Priority 3: checkpoints may be satisfied

8. 508 vs. WCAG: What’s the difference?  508 is mostly based on WCAG 508=WCAG Priority 1 plus five other rules (l-p)  Following WCAG is voluntary  Section 508 compliance is enforceable by law  Jim Thatcher, “Side by Side WCAG vs. 508”  Which should I use? Presenter recommends 508

9. Putting Web Standards to Work  The first step in making your library’s Web presence more usable to all patrons is ensuring that the code behind it is standards- compliant and accessible  There are free Web-based validation tools available to check different kinds of Web content  Check and recheck your Web content often (after redesigns, upgrades, etc.)

10. Free* Validation Tools  Watchfire WebXACT (formerly Bobby) *Proprietary software, but a free, Web-based page-by- page check is available  Cynthia Says  Both allow one to generate a detailed report of code errors based on a choice of 508, WCAG Priority 1, 1-2, or 1-3  Jennifer Kyrnin, “How to Use an Accessibility Validator”

11. Don’t fear the results!  Report text can be difficult to interpret at first, but refer to the line numbers and check your document  Often, there are a number of simple, repeated code mistakes that will take only a few minutes to correct  Some local report cards: Auraria Library: 76 errors Denver Public: 149 errors

12. Common—and Irritating!—Problems  No alternatives for visual elements (photos, graphics, etc.)  Poor document structure This refers to the internal, HTML structure Reminder: it can look good to a sighted user, but it may still not sound good!  Repetitive navigation

13. Problem 1: No alternatives for visual elements  Web designers use images and photos to increase the visual appeal of, and sometimes to structure, Web pages  If no alternative to the information provided in the image or photo exists, users of screen readers to not have access to that information  Corresponding standards: WCAG Checkpoint 1.1 (Priority 1) 508 Subpart B, §1194.22, paragraph a

14. Solutions:  Use and tags wisely  Keep descriptions short and sweet  Use to include a link to a.txt file that describes the content (i.e., a graph)  Minimize the use of images for decoration and document structure; use CSS to structure and add decorative elements to your Web pages

15. Problem 2: Poor Document Structure  Computer users with visual disabilities must use screen reader software to “scan” a Web page quickly for the information that they want.  Poorly-structured documents do not provide good “scannable” content  Corresponding standards: 508 Subpart B, §1194.22, paragraph c WCAG Priority 2 Checkpoints: 3.5, 12.3, 12.4, 13.1 WCAG Priority 3 Checkpoints: 9.4

16. Solution 2  Make appropriate use of header and paragraph tags Nest header tags correctly: is highest level Avoid using to double space  Make hyperlink text meaningful Bad: “Click here!”; hyperlinked footnotes Good: “Click here for more information about…”  Label forms (including search boxes) correctly Patrick Griffiths, “Accessible Forms”

17. Problem 3: Repetitive Navigation  Good Web design requires consistent page design and navigation throughout a Web site  Sighted users can easily ignore these repeated elements; screen readers cannot, since they “follow the flow” of the HTML document (left to right, top to bottom)  Corresponding standard: 508 Subpart B, §1194.22, paragraph o

18. Solution 3: Skip Navigation Links  Provide “Skip Navigation” or “Jump” Links Place a link near the top of your template:  skip navigation …to a named anchor at the start of the page content:   Jim Thatcher, “Skip Navigation Links”

19. JAWS for Windows  Professional version: $1095  Standard version: $895  Site license/school district pricing available  Free trial mode available; Windows must restart after 45 minutes  Vendor: Freedom Scientific  Top competitor: Window-Eyes

20. JAWS Demo: What You’ll Hear  The percent of the page loaded announced  The number of frames, links, headings, and forms on the web page being read announced  The word “edit” when JAWS encounters a form/search box  Now close your eyes…

21. Demo links  Dr. Mudd Museum web page: http://carbon.cudenver.edu/~nmchale/mudd/  Auraria Library inaccessible page: http://carbon.cudenver.edu/~nmchale/presentation s/cal2007/accessible.htm http://carbon.cudenver.edu/~nmchale/presentation s/cal2007/accessible.htm  Auraria Library more accessible page: http://carbon.cudenver.edu/~nmchale/presentation s/cal2007/inaccessible.htm http://carbon.cudenver.edu/~nmchale/presentation s/cal2007/inaccessible.htm

22. Getting Buy-In in the Library  “But coding with web standards… …makes boring, ugly Web pages!” …takes too much time!” …costs too much!” Insert excuse of your choice here  Karl Dubost, “My Web site is standard! And yours?”

23. About the OPAC and the databases…  The majority of vendor-created library products are NOT accessible by 508/WCAG standards  Next Generation Catalogs are especially problematic Peggy Shaughnessy, “Advocating for Accessibility in the Next Generation Catalog”  Try using Library subscription resources with screen reader software Vibiana Bowman, “Reading Between the Lines: An Evaluation of WindowEyes Screen Reader…”

24. Your Game Plan:  Make library site code valid, if it’s not already  Download the JAWS demo and/or Fangs emulator to test  Involve patrons who use screen readers in usability testing and/or long-term planning  Get buy-in from others (Dubost article)  Advocate for accessible products from vendors (Shaughnessy article)

25. A Final Thought “Sometimes I think sighted people have handicaps of their own. Vision can be very deceptive.” -Pat Laing, computer programmer and JAWS user

26. Questions? Nina McHale nmchale@cudenver.edu http://carbon.cudenver.edu/~nmchale/