Post on 24-Dec-2015
Designing and Building an Accessible, Responsive,
University Website Template… Together
Craig Hyatt @chyatt
Randy Oldham @roldham
Background: AODA
What is AODA? Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities
Act Provincial legislation (June 2005) Mandatory accessibility standards to
improve life for people with disabilities One of the Integrated Accessibility
Standards is dedicated to web accessibility: Information and Communication Standards
Enforces WCAG 2.0 A and AA compliance by set dates
Background: WCAG
WHAT IS WCAG? Web Content Accessibility Guidelines versi
on 2 Developed by the
W3C: World Wide Web Consortia They create the standards which guide
and govern the entire internets… all of the internets: HTML, XML…
The take home: The Provincial Government pointed to worldwide standards to ensure accessible websites
AODA Compliance Date…
Beginning January 1, 2014: If you launch a new public website or
your existing site undergoes a significant refresh, the site and any of its web content published after January 1, 2012, must conform to the World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Level A (*specified public institutions)
An Example…
Library Website
Last redesign: 2007 UG template changed Had ballooned to 75,000 HTML files No… I’m not joking… Horribly non-compliant with AODA Hand-coded HTML and Coldfusion Decided to redesign, make AODA
compliant, and migrate to Drupal While we’re at it… Make the website mobile-friendly!
Opportunity for Collaboration
One little problem…we’d never created a Drupal template, let alone a responsive one…
OPPORTUNITY FOR COLLABORATION!
UG central IT provider (CCS) had created the non-responsive Drupal template already used across campus
CCS already working with other clients to help make their hosted sites AODA compliant
Collaboration
CCS & Library both under CIO umbrella
Requested support from CIO/Chief Librarian (REBECCA GRAHAM)
Project approved! The Library, with our UX expertise, partnered with CCS, with their Drupal expertise and extensive experience with UG customers
Mobile Web Design
Two main ways developers make websites mobile-friendly:
Serve up an alternate website
Make the website RESPONSIVE
Two Mobile Methods
Method 1: Serve up an alternate website
m.something.com
A completely different website
Pain to maintain two websites
Different user experience
Two Mobile Methods
Method 2: Responsive Web Design ‘Mobile first’ Design entire website to meet user
needs…succinctly Website detects the screen size of the
device you’re viewing it on, and optimises the display of content for that device’s screen size
No content REMOVED…display is OPTIMISED
No need to maintain two separate sites (example)
DEMOS
Cornerstone Template
Header Challenges
Header Solutions (1/4)
Header Solutions (2/4)
Header Solutions (3/4)
Header Solutions (4/4)
Mega Menu
Twitter Integration
YouTube Integration
CSAHS
“Users commented how the new mega menu made it easier for them to find what
they were looking for, faster.”
Designing and Building an Accessible, Responsive,
University Website Template… Together
Craig Hyatt @chyatt
Randy Oldham @roldham