Eric Velleman, January 31, 2005

Bartiméus Accessibility Foundation - www.accessibility.nl

Setting up a Quality Mark for web accessibility and the results of two years of web evaluation

testing in the Netherlands

Eric Velleman,

January 31, 2005

Seminar Braillenet / Edean


Introduction


Online shopping

• Increased with 50%• Increased

participation of younger generation

• 30% of shopping was outside own country

• But is it accessible??

• Numbers in millions

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

2003 2004

people shopping online

Source: Forrester ‘The 2004 European Online Retail Consumer’


Online government

• 93% of EU member states have a website

• 90% of all countries online offer information, databanks, legislation online

• 30% offers online services

• But are they accessible??

Global eGovernment readiness:

• United States• Denmark• England

• Germany• Switserland

• Netherlands (11th place)

Source: Global eGovernment readiness report 2004


Does it pay off?

For people with disabilities and for ROI? Yes!• Accessibility saves you money• 60% decrease in serverload, easier

maintenance….• Multi platform and multi modality included

• ‘Top of the Web’ research for the Commission: filling out income tax online saves Europeans a total of 7 million hours per year

‘Does eGovernment pay off?’ research by Dutch Ministry of Internal affairs shows that eGovernment pays off even though in the long run, significant changes in the backoffice are necessary.


Quality Mark and evaluation scheme


Our Mission

Ensure that people with disabilities

and age-related impairments (and all of us)

can enjoy “full citizenship” in the Information

Society


The problem

Buyers, sellers and users need reliable information on accessibility and services to help them make informed decisions and advance clear communication.


The solution

Create a web site and evaluation scheme

where stakeholders can obtain and share

vital information on accessibility and control

the quality of products and services.


Targets

Provide harmonisation of evaluation and interpretation in the accessibility market by

- Harmonized accessibility standards for evaluation and interpretation (also European

- Promoting the sharing of information between all stakeholders


More targets

• Conferences, interactive workshops, discussion lists and focus groups to facilitate sharing of information• Ensuring representation from all stakeholders• Promoting best practices, (V)PAT with control mechanism• Identify experts (designers, evaluators…)• Elevate the business response


Implementation


Brochure and normative document


Quality Mark drempelvrij.nl

• Transparant and clear‘Normative document’• Ensuring representation from all stakeholders• Support websites (www.drempelsweg.nl for users and www.accessibility.nl for ‘business’)


Extra stimulation

• 0 – 12 checkpoints conformantReport indicating problems and general solutions

• 12 – 16 checkpoints conformant‘Orange’ logo with link to PAT and complaints procedure

• 16 checkpoints conformant‘Green’ logo with link to PAT and complaints procedure


Identifying expertsAccessible builders/designcompanies Accessible websites/best practice


Identify best practice

examples


Succes after 2 years of evaluation and raising awareness


Current state in most countries

• Percentage of accessible website

In the Netherlands:• 1.000.000 websites• 33 accessible

Sites Accessible

Sites Accessible

Percentage of total Dutch websites

Percentage of government sites


Conformance with guidelines

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

2001 2002 2003 2004

2 checkpoints 16 checkpoints

Dutch situation:• 2 checkpoints: designers

‘please the test’• 4 government websites

had the Quality Mark (less than 0,4 percent of the total. Dec.2004)

• Monitor 2004 shows 2 of the 100 sites accessible


Results of actions• Results of Drempelsweg campaign,

drempelvrij, burger@overheid, accessibility foundation and others:

• Awareness (85% population, 67% companies)• 33% of participants are accessible• 101 paying participants• Participants include multinational companies• Significant increase in accessibility of

websites• 350 Declarations of Intent• Clear website• List of preferred suppliers• Increasing demand for usability testing

protocols


More information

- www.wabcluster.org: Harmonisation of Evaluation Methodology in coordination with WAI and Support-EAM.

- www.support-eam.org: Establishing a European quality mark and supporting services.

- www.drempelvrij.nl: the Foundation that is now responsible for the Dutch Quality Mark logo

- www.accessibility.nl: (registration for the quality mark)

- www.drempelsweg.nl: about the drempels weg project

Eric Velleman, January 31, 2005

Documents

Transcript of Eric Velleman, January 31, 2005