Post on 28-Dec-2015
ACCESS IS MORE THAN BRICK AND MORTAR:
THE BASICS OF WEB SITE ACCESSIBILITY
AGENDA
• Definitions• Web Barriers• Requirements• Benefits• Standards• Areas to Consider• Issues and Fixes• Accessible Systems Racing League
DEFINITIONS
• Accessibility• The quality of being accessible, or of
admitting approach; receptibility.
• Usability• The effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction
with which users can achieve tasks in a particular environment of a product.
DEFINITIONS
• Interoperability• The ability of software and hardware on
multiple machines from multiple vendors to communicate.
• Assistive Technology (AT)• A generic term that includes assistive,
adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities and includes the process used in selecting, locating, and using them.
WEB BARRIERS
• Individuals who are blind or visually impaired:• Complex science and math notation, images
and image maps• Multimedia (sound & video), frames, forms,
and tables• Navigation, Java scripts and programming
code
WEB BARRIERS
• AT for individuals who are blind or visually impaired:• Screen reader programs
and Braille displays• Screen magnification
programs and High (or different) contrast settings (e.g., yellow text on a black background)
WEB BARRIERS
• Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing:• Multimedia features including sound and
video clips• Error, or information, system or application
messages displayed through audible cues
WEB BARRIERS
• AT for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing:• Assistive technology
devices for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing (e.g., hearing aids) do not impact Web design significantly.
• Textual captioning and visual cues
WEB BARRIERS
• Individuals who have mobility disabilities:• Manipulation of input devices, including the
keyboard and mouse• Difficulty holding down multiple keyboard keys
simultaneously
WEB BARRIERS
• Individuals who have mobility disabilities:• Alternative and adaptive keyboards and mice• Breath control devices• Head pointing/tracking devices• On screen keyboards and mouse emulation
programs• Voice input/recognition
REQUIREMENTS:OVERVIEW
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)• No specific requirements
• Section 508 (Federal Agencies)• Access Board Standards and
Federal Acquisition Regulation
• Section 503 (Federal Contractors)• Office of Federal Contract
Compliance Programs (OFCCP)
REQUIREMENTS:OFCCP
• Contractors must ensure that qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans have an equal opportunity to apply and compete for jobs.
• This may include providing needed reasonable accommodations, unless doing so would cause undue hardship (significant difficulty or expense).
OFCCPCONTRACTOR ACTIONS
• Contractor Actions• Prominently display a notice of how to obtain
reasonable accommodations, including contact and process information.
• Incorporate “interoperable” technology into the online application system.
• Allow people who cannot use the online system because of a disability to apply for a job in an alternate way.
BASIC EMPLOYER BENEFITS
• Demonstrates commitment to diversity.• Increases ability to attract and retain qualified
employees:• Workers with disabilities• Older workers• Workers with English as a second language – both in
the U.S. and other countries
• Saves time by not having to build system workarounds for applicants.
• Avoids complaints from applicants.
COST BENEFITS
• Reduces or eliminates retrofitting to meet requirements
• Reduces cost to maintain once IT staff is trained• Decreases costs associated with debugging• Decreases amount of server capacity needed• Decreases cost of translating websites into other
languages
DESIGN BENEFITS
• Easier to navigate and find information • Captions on videos are useful• Information is not color dependent• Web accessibility guidelines are widely-
recognized international standards• Increases site consistency• Browser and mobile device compatibility• Decreases loading time and bandwidth use• Increases search engine rankings
• Section 508• www.section508.gov
• World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)• www.w3.org
STANDARDS
AREAS TO CONSIDER:RECRUITMENT SYSTEMS
Career SiteSearch
Applicant TrackingSystem
Hard Skills Tests
Soft SkillsTests
AREAS TO CONSIDER:OTHER
• Onboarding
• Training
• Performance Evaluation
• Time keeping
• Payroll
ISSUES AND FIXES
• Issue• Individuals with disabilities, in particular those
with cognitive disabilities may need more time to fill out forms and read content.
• Fix• Provide a notification of a pending time out
and the option to request additional time.
ISSUES AND FIXES
• Issue• Flickering elements may induce seizures for
users with photosensitive epilepsy. Any elements that flicker, blink or scroll may also be accessibility issues for users with low vision.
• Fix• Avoid blinking, marquee or other auto-
scrolling text.
ISSUES AND FIXES
• Issue• Repetitive navigation links are usually on
every page of a Website. For users who are unable to use a mouse, they must tab through each link in order to get to the main content. For screen reader users, they must listen to the repetitive information on each page.
• Fix• Provide a method to skip repetitive links.
ISSUES AND FIXES
• Issue• Users who are deaf or hard of hearing rely on
synchronized captions to understand the audible sounds and speech of multimedia content.
• Fix• Provide captioning for all video and audio
content.
ISSUES AND FIXES
• Issue• Users who are unable to use a mouse (due to
dexterity disabilities or other reasons) rely on the keyboard to navigate and control the computer.
• Fix• Ensure elements on a webpage are not only
mouse driven, but have keyboard equivalents.
ACCESSIBLE SYSTEMS RACING LEAGUE
ACCESSIBLE SYSTEMS RACING LEAGUE (ASRL)
• Developed by EARN in partnership with JAN and ODEP
• Provides a basic evaluation of career site
• Provides consultation through EARN and JAN in identifying resources
ASRL DIAGNOSTIC TOOL
• Assessment of 10 areas• Equal employment opportunity policy
statement (OFCCP)• Reasonable accommodation application
process (OFCCP)• Screen reader interoperability• Significant time out period• “Trigger text” (blinking, marquee or other
auto-scrolling)
ASRL DIAGNOSTIC TOOL
• Assessment of 10 areas, cont.• Repetitive navigation links• Captioning for multimedia • Text description• Accessibility without use of mouse• Accessibility of forms and documents
NEXT STEPS
• Request an assessment of your career site• Email earn@earnworks.com
CONTACT EARN
Website:www.earnworks.comASRL Information:www.earnworks.com/508Racing.aspPhone:866.327.6669Email: earn@earnworks.com