Tag Archives: Web Accessibility
CSUN Debrief Part
My presentation at C
SUN (“Proactively Designing for Web Accessibility”) was a completely sold-out session. During the session, I talked about my experiences with two enterprise customers (a financial services company and a major household brands company).
My Comments at the Section 508 Access Board’s Public Hearing
Last week, while I was at CSUN, I testified at the U.S. Access Board’s Public Hearing on the 2011 proposed changes to the Section 508 standards. I initially didn’t want to testify, but after considering the potential impact on people with disabilities (and considerable peer pressure), I agreed.
Headed to CSUN for 27th Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference
Next week, I along with Jeff Singleton, will be headed to San Diego for the California State University, Northridge Center on Disabilities’ 27th Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference. The conference held February 27- March 3, 2012 is an opportunity for all participants to share knowledge and best practices in the field of assistive technology.
I look forward to this event as it showcases cutting edge technology and practical solutions that can be utilized to remove the barriers that prevent the full participation of persons with disabilities in educational, workplace and social settings.
Accessibility in Microsoft Office 2010
Microsoft pro
vides an Accessibility Checker in Office 2010 that alerts users to certain accessibility issues in a file so that potential problems can be fixed that might keep someone with a disability from accessing your content. It allows an author to test for errors, warnings and tips at the time of authoring. While this tool is one step in the right direction for Microsoft as it offers help in creating more accessible content, it is still a few steps behind.
The problem lies with Accessibility Checker only checking. It does not guarantee that everyone in an organization is using it before publishing, saving or sending a document. It also requires employee training if they wish to use this as a solution to ensure their documents are accessible.
Content Managers Take Heed: Section 508 is Changing
The Section 508 regulations are about to change. That shouldn’t be a big surprise because, as technology leaps forwards, the challenges and opportunities for people with disabilities also change. Consequently, the rules for what kind of technology the government can use or buy should also change. These changes have been in the works for years. Change is coming and it’s inevitable. But while it may look innocent and inevitable, it isn’t. Read on for more details.
For web content, the most obvious change will be from the relatively basic 16 requirements in the older Section 508 regulations to the complex 38 “success criteria” that comprise the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 levels A and AA. That’s a daunting but not insurmountable challenge.
A bigger challenge is the impact on content management systems. As accurately reported by Fierce Content Management, the new rules will affect:
- content that is public facing;
- content that is broadly disseminated within the agency;
- letters adjudicating any cause within the jurisdiction of the agency;
- internal and external program and policy announcements;
- notices of benefits, forms, questionnaires and surveys;
- emergency notifications;
- formal acknowledgements; and
- educational and training materials.
In other words, exactly the sorts of things agencies use content management system to do. Further, the new rules cover “authoring tools” that are used to create that content. Because so much content is created in CMS these days, the systems will all have to change if they want government customers. Certainly a big change for some, but a welcome one. Emphasizing better tools and backend technologies obviously make it easier to create compliant content. And, it also drives the market to make these technologies available to everyone.
But all is not rainbows and unicorns in the current draft Section 508 regulations. The new regulations require that IT needs to separately meet both the “functional performance requirements” and the “technical provisions.” What this means is that, even if you comply with all of the nitty-gritty technical requirements, you still have to demonstrate that people with various types of disabilities can use your product. This means getting people with different disabilities to “sign off” on your product before making a Federal government sale—and still risk being denied because your testers didn’t accurately reflect all users with those disabilities. If you also find that a little troubling, feel free to let the Access Board know how you feel before March 7. Those who wish to provide comments should contact Kathy Johnson at johnson@access-board.gov, (202) 272-0041 (v), or (202) 272-0065 (TTY).
To learn more about Web accessibility read the whitepaper Content Management Systems (CMS) and WCAG 2.0.
Ken Nakata is a well-known figure in the area of IT accessibility and works as the Director of Accessibility Practices for HiSoftware. His work focuses on web and software accessibility from both a legal and technical perspective. Nakata has helped shape the government’s policies for the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.
Kohl’s and USAA Earn Excellent Score in Forrester’s 2012 Customer Experience Index
Forrester Analyst, Megan Burns, blogged this week about the results of the Forrester’s 2012 Customer Experience Index (CXi). Impressively, Kohl’s and USAA, both HiSoftware customers, earned excellent scores. I believe both companies’ accessibility policies played to the strength of their customer experience. More to come on that…
There were three main takeaways from the report as said by Megan:
- Customers’ expectations of their experiences are getting higher. They’re accustomed to more options, greater control, and a worldwide platform to tell others what they think about the way brands treat them. What brands in one industry do affects what people expect from other industries, raising the bar for everyone at lightning speed.
- Parity is a moving target. Companies hoping to differentiate on the basis of customer experience (and there are a lot of them!) will have to work even harder just to catch up to the leaders in their industry. Case in point: The gap between the high and low scoring bank in our study grew by 10 points this year, in part because USAA widened its lead in this category by 6 points in a single year.
- No one can afford to be complacent when it comes to customer experience. While many scores rose this year, many also fell. Perennial leader Barnes & Noble dropped 7 points in one year, and was one of 23 brands whose scores fell by 5 points or more since 2011.
A customer’s experience presents huge revenue opportunities, but only if a site is working properly. And beyond consumers wanting and expecting a great online experience, comes the benefits of ensuring an accessible site.
Kohl’s was able to design a site for 100% of the population, rather than excluding 20% of the population with disabilities: a significant population that wants to use the Web freely and easily. While the legal team at Kohl’s drove the accessibility initiative, improved SEO was an added bonus that we are sure plays a role in benefiting the customer’s experience.
An inclusive design offers significant benefits beyond accessibility to include:
- Making a site more useable for everyone – by 35%*
- Platform independence – mobile to grow by 400% by 2015, iTV to embrace web apps
- Reduces page weight, bandwidth and maintenance
- Improves search engine rankings
- Future-proofs Web site/applications
USAA is taking the website another step further to ensure accessibility, but also to check against site quality. Site quality can have a great benefit or detrimental impact on the overall customer experience. In fact, analysis shows that a simple spelling mistake can impact revenue for a website.
Forrester’s recognition of Kohl’s and USAA is well deserved. Now if the can just get all businesses to recognize the role accessibility had in improving the customer experience, we’ll all benefit.
Check out the webinar with AbilityNet that promotes the benefits of an inclusive design to reaching new customers and improving the overall experience.
*Disability Rights Commission (DRC) ‘The Web – Access and Inclusion for Disabled People’ report 2004 (ISBN 0117032875)
For the last 6 years, Dan has helped HiSoftware customers in meeting Web Compliance requirements, specifically in the area of Accessibility and Privacy.
Six Steps to a Website Compliance Check-Up
Monitoring these important compliance and quality issues manually is impossible and for most e-commerce vendors, traditional content management systems are insufficient for the task. Therefore, many top brands are turning to dedicated web compliance solutions to audit their sites, establishing ongoing, automated checks that ensure accessibility, site quality and privacy concerns are seamlessly managed and that compliance issues are flagged and prioritised for swift remediation.
There are six steps e-commerce brands should take to ensure their website complies with new accessibility mandates while meeting the rising expectations of consumers in the areas of site quality and privacy. These include:
1. Keep pace with accessibility and compliance
2. Automate site quality and checkups
3. Protect consumers’ privacy
4. Manage content in the age of collaboration
5. Realise benefits of automation
6. Empower the right leadership
Download the HiSoftware white paper which goes into more detail on the six steps.
Building Perfect Council Websites ’11 – 14 July 2011
Local Government needs to be getting more out of every cent they spend. What better way than to run more efficiently, both internally and externally, than having the ultimate website to meet each council’s local needs? A council’s website can be at the heart of the organisation serving the entire community, providing an opportunity to comment and participate in local government while helping to reduce costs throughout it.
Firmly Covet Customer Feedback
Customer feedback should be encouraged by every organisation as a vital source of information on how they can improve their website and their services. In a competitive online environment it is also essential that companies take advantage of the significant additional custom accessibility affords. As a blind person I am constantly having to switch from site to site until I find one that I am able to spend my money with – but very encouragingly each month sees a gradual improvement in awareness and implementation of inclusive design.
Technology 4 Good Awards
On Tuesday I attended the UK Technology4Good Awards. It was a great opportunity to celebrate what companies, organisations and individuals are all doing to help make technology more widely available for everyone from young to old, disabled to non-disabled.
What really inspired me was how many people are working to ensure technology and the Web are accessible for all. Some of the winners were:
• Internet Buttons won the Innovation award for its web tool aimed to simplify the Internet for new or nervous users. You can create a page with a few simple links and share it with your friends or family, making it easier for them to find what they need online.
• The HiSoftware sponsored category, Working Together Award, was won by XMA and iansyst. These companies collaborated to ensure the effective and efficient delivery bespoke computer packages to enable over 9,000 children those with disabilities and special needs get online as part of the Home Access programme.
• The Accessibility Award was given to Lifelites. This children’s technology charity provides a package of fun and educational technology to every children’s hospice in the UK. This gives children the chance to: take control of something for themselves; spend quality time with their families; keep in contact with their school and friends; and simply enjoy themselves away from the constant reality of their illness.
I was inspired by my co-presenter Martha Lane Fox, the Government’s UK Digital Champion. When presenting the Working Together Award she mentioned her 2004 near fatal accident in Morocco. She emphasised the role technology played in her recovery helping to connect her with her family and friends.
Martha’s Race Online 2012 campaign – backed by organisations from the Post Office to the Women’s Institute – has signed 100,000 volunteers in a bid to get everyone in the UK online by the time of the London Olympics. With nine million people in the UK never having been online, this campaign has volunteers pledging to train someone in their family or community.
Web Accessibility opens the door for people to save money, find jobs and connect with the outside world. These awards really hit home to me.
Read more about Web Accessibility.
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