IBNU workshop series: Web accessibility in UniSAnet

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IBNU workshop series Web accessibility in
UniSAnet

• Kelly Martin Online Adviser
• Trish Maddison Online Adviser, School of Nursing
  and Midwifery

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Workshop objectives

• WHAT is Web accessibility?
• WHY is Web accessibility important?
• WHO is Web accessibility for?
• HOW do I make a UniSAnet site accessible?

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WHAT is Web accessibility?

• Web accessibility means that people with
  disabilities can use the Web.
• Web accessibility benefits everyone including
  older people with changing abilities due to
  ageing.
• W3C 2005

WebAIM Introduction to Web Accessibility -
http//www.webaim.org/intro/ W3C Introduction to
Web Accessibility - http//www.w3.org/WAI/intro/ac
cessibility.php
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WHAT is Web accessibility?

• Web accessibility refers to the '... philosophy
  and practice of designing web pages so that they
  can be navigated and read by everyone, regardless
  of location, experience, or the type of computer
  technology used...'
• Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity
  Commission (HREOC) 2002
• The power of the Web is in its universality.
  Access by everyone regardless of disability is an
  essential aspect.
• Tim Berners-Lee, World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
  Director and inventor of the World Wide Web

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WHY is Web accessibility important?

• Moral and legal obligation
• demonstrates ethical action and social
  responsibility (graduate quality 5)
• demonstrates a commitment to equal access for
  everyone.
• Policy and legal requirement
• UniSA Online Accessibility Action Plan
• Disability Discrimination Act 1992.
• Quality
• accessible design is good design.

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WHY is Web accessibility important?
LEGAL OBLIGATION

• The Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity
  Commission (HREOC) has the authority to take
  appropriate action in relation to discrimination
  on the grounds of disability under
• Section 67 (Functions of Human Rights and Equal
  Opportunity Commission) of the Disability
  Discrimination Act 1992.
• HREOC evaluates accessibility according to the
  Web Content Accessibility Guidelines developed by
  the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
• The guidelines were adopted as a standard for all
  Australian government Web sites in June 2002
  (HREOC 2002).

A brief guide to the Disability Discrimination
Act - http//www.hreoc.gov.au/disability_rights/dd
a_guide/dda_guide.htm
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WHY is Web accessibility important?
UNISA POLICY

• The Disability Action Plan and the Online
  Accessibility Action Plan outline strategies for
  ensuring that the University's IT environment and
  Web system reflects best practice according to

• W3C international guidelines
• Australian Disability Discrimination Act 1992.

UniSA Disability Action Plan - http//www.unisa.ed
u.au/hrm/equity/disability/action.asp UniSA
Online Accessibility Action Plan -
http//www.unisa.edu.au/footer/accessibility/actio
nplan/default.asp
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WHY is Web accessibility important?
W3C GUIDELINES

• W3C WEB CONTENT ACCESSIBILITY GUIDELINES
• The 14 guidelines are divided into 3 levels of
  priority for Web accessibility
• Priority 1 Web authors must satisfy these
  checkpoints (UniSA implementation by 31 December
  2003)
• Priority 2 Web authors should satisfy these
  checkpoints (UniSA implementation by 31 January
  2005)
• Priority 3 Web authors may satisfy these
  checkpoints (UniSA implementation date TBA)

W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 -
http//www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/ Core techniques for
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 -
http//www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10-CORE-TECHS/
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WHY is Web accessibility important?
UNISA POLICY

• ONLINE ACCESSIBILITY ACTION PLAN OBJECTIVES
• Objective 2 That all staff are aware of the
  University's web accessibility guidelines.
• Objective 3 That all staff with web
  responsibilities can implement the
  Universitys web accessibility guidelines.
• Objective 4 That online teaching and learning
  resources and materials are designed and
  delivered so that the level of communication
  and educational experience is equivalent for all
  students and staff with or without
  disabilities.
• University of South Australia 2004

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WHY is Web accessibility important?

• BENEFITS OF ACCESSIBLE DESIGN
• Web sites are easy to update and maintain due to
• consistent presentation and formatting
• simple HTML.
• Access to online resources and ease of use is
  improved for everyone
• results in increased student satisfaction.
• Faster access for people with low-speed Internet
  connections.
• Demonstrates social responsibility and awareness.
• Reduces legal liability.

Social Factors in Developing a Web Accessibility
Business Case for Your Organization -
http//www.w3.org/WAI/bcase/soc
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WHO is Web accessibility for?

• All Web sites should provide equal access for
  people with different
• abilities
• cultural backgrounds
• computing skills and knowledge
• literacy levels
• Internet access, and
• hardware and software.

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WHO is Web accessibility for?

• BARRIERS TO WEB SITE CONTENT
• Cost of computer hardware and software.
• Cost and availability of a high-speed Internet
  connection.
• Limited public Internet access facilities for
  people who cannot afford their own equipment.
• Inaccessibility of Web page content to people
  with disabilities, slow or unreliable Internet
  connections and older computer software and
  hardware.
• HREOC 2000

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WHO is Web accessibility for?

• Web accessibility is primarily for people with
  disabilities
• UniSA students and staff.
• Nearly one in five Australians has a disability
  (HREOC 2002).
• The disability rate has increased steadily since
  the first Australian Bureau of Statistics
  Disability Survey in 1981. Major contributing
  factors
• People are generally living longer and acquiring
  disabilities with old age.
• Changes in social attitudes may have encouraged
  more people to disclose their disability (Dell
  2006).

Accessibility reports and statistics -
http//www.unisa.edu.au/footer/accessibility/resou
rces.aspReports
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WHO is Web accessibility for?
DISABILITY TYPES

• Visual blindness, low vision and colour
  blindness.
• Screen magnification software, large monitors,
  customized screen contrast, screen readers,
  Braille input/output devices, scanners, Optical
  Character Recognition (OCR) readers.
• Hearing deafness and other hearing impairments.
• Visual signals that accompany computer sounds.

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WHO is Web accessibility for?
DISABILITY TYPES

• Mobility physical impairments which limit
  movement such as lifting, walking and typing.
• Word prediction and speech recognition software,
  alternative keyboards and pointing devices.
• Cognitive and learning including dyslexia and
  short-term memory deficit.
• Word prediction and speech recognition software,
  scanners, Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
  readers.
• IBM n.d.

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WHO is Web accessibility for?
DISABILITY TYPES

• VIDEO
• Experiences of Students with Disabilities -
  http//www.webaim.org/intro/

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WHO is Web accessibility for?
LEARNING CONNECTION STATISTICS

• There were 811 disability contacts at City East
  in 2005 including
• Division of Health Sciences 617 contacts
• School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences 130
  contacts
• School of Nursing and Midwifery 316 contacts
• School of Health Sciences 169 contacts

Consultation with the Learning Connection
Disability Adviser
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WHO is Web accessibility for?
LEARNING CONNECTION STATISTICS

• Students with a disability in the School of
  Nursing and Midwifery in 2005
• Hearing 12 students
• Learning 23 students
• Medical 41 students
• Mobility 5 students
• Vision 24 students
• Other 22 students

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HOW do I make a UniSAnet site accessible?
QUICK CHECKLIST

• Images (decorative and informative)
• Alt text and text descriptions
• Multimedia (audio and video)
• Text transcripts of audio
• Descriptions of video
• Streaming and downloadable files
• Information about file size, type and required
  software
• Colour
• Information not conveyed with colour alone
• Sufficient contrast

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HOW do I make a UniSAnet site accessible?
QUICK CHECKLIST

• Tables
• Used for data not layout
• Header cells for simple tables
• Association of data and header cells for complex
  tables
• Text formatting
• FrontPage styles only
• Consistency
• Information structure
• Headings
• Lists
• Consistency

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HOW do I make a UniSAnet site accessible?
QUICK CHECKLIST

• Links
• Names do not include URLs
• Names make sense out of context
• Location is clearly identified
• Uploaded files (Word, PDF, Excel etc)
• Compressed files
• Information about file size, type and required
  software
• Programming objects
• Alternative content provided where functionality
  is important

UniSA accessibility top ten tips for creating
accessible content - http//www.unisa.edu.au/foote
r/accessibility/tentips.asp
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HOW do I make a UniSAnet site accessible?
QUICK CHECKLIST

• IMAGES
• Provide a text alternative for every image.
• All images should have a text alternative that
  communicates the same information or function.
• Where the image content can be expressed in
  words, provide text to describe the function or
  information the image intended to convey.
• Avoid using decorative images
• Decorative images should have empty alt text.
• The FrontPage template will position images on
  the right of the page - this should not be
  changed.
• Use text rather than images wherever possible.
• Don't use images that flash, flicker or blink.

Software Help Images for the Web -
http//www.unisa.edu.au/help-webimage/ Software
help FrontPage tips (add alt text to an image) -
http//www.unisa.edu.au/helpoffice/frontpage/inser
t.asp
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HOW do I make a UniSAnet site accessible?
QUICK CHECKLIST

• MULTIMEDIA
• Provide a text transcript of audio clips.
• Provide a description of video clips.
• Arrange to have video and audio hosted on the FLC
  streaming server.
• Offer downloadable files as an alternative to
  streaming files.
• Include information about file size and type and
  required software.

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HOW do I make a UniSAnet site accessible?
QUICK CHECKLIST

• COLOUR
• Information is not conveyed with colour alone
• All elements (eg images and text) have sufficient
  contrast

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HOW do I make a UniSAnet site accessible?
QUICK CHECKLIST

• TABLES
• Tables should be used for data, not layout.
• Tables should be avoided if possible as they
  present accessibility problems.
• If tables must be used the instructions on how to
  create accessible tables must be followed.

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HOW do I make a UniSAnet site accessible?
QUICK CHECKLIST

• TEXT FORMATTING
• Only use the FrontPage styles.
• Font, font colour and font size should not be
  changed.
• Ensure formatting is applied consistency.
• Use italics should sparingly because they are
  hard to read on screen.
• Italics should be used for references.
• Do not underline text for emphasis as this is the
  convention for links.
• Use Edit gt Paste Special when copying and pasting
  text into the FrontPage template.

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HOW do I make a UniSAnet site accessible?
QUICK CHECKLIST

• INFORMATION STRUCTURE
• Use headings correctly (select from Heading 1, 2,
  3 or 4).
• Establish a consistent heading hierarchy.
• Structure lists items correctly (using bullets or
  numbers).
• Ensure consistency of structure across all pages.
• Chunk information
• Use bullet points, lists, headings and
  dividers/horizontal rules.
• Use sub-navigation in long Web pages.

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HOW do I make a UniSAnet site accessible?
QUICK CHECKLIST

• LINKS
• Links should generally be named the same as the
  title of the Web page they lead to.
• Ensure names make sense when read out of context.
• Clearly identify the location and target of the
  link.
• All hyperlinks on UniSAnet Web pages should open
  in new windows unless the hyperlink leads from
  one Web page to another Web page within the same
  UniSAnet Web site. Avoid naming hyperlinks "click
  here".

Software Help Open link in new window -
http//www.unisa.edu.au/helpoffice/frontpage/windo
w.asp
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HOW do I make a UniSAnet site accessible?
QUICK CHECKLIST

• LINKS
• Do not use URLs as text within a Web page except
  where the URL is part of a reference.
• For example, use Learning Connection rather than
  http//www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/learningconnectio
  n/
• If the hyperlink leads to something other than a
  Web page (eg a file) the link name must include
  the file type and file size of the file being
  linked to and the hyperlink must open in a new
  window
• For example, Referencing using the Harvard system
  (PDF 121KB link opens new window)

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HOW do I make a UniSAnet site accessible?
QUICK CHECKLIST

• LINKS
• Jaws links list

Image source http//www.its.monash.edu.au/staff/w
eb/slideshows/webwriting/all.htm
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HOW do I make a UniSAnet site accessible?
QUICK CHECKLIST

• UPLOADED FILES
• Ensure files sizes are kept to a minimum.
• Include information about file size and type and
  required software.
• Avoid uploading files to the left navigation
  frame
• Include links to files in Web pages.

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HOW do I make a UniSAnet site accessible?
QUICK CHECKLIST

• PROGRAMMING OBJECTS
• Provide alternative content provided where
  functionality cannot be ensured but is important.

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HOW do I make a UniSAnet site accessible?
ADDITIONAL TIPS

• Consider your audience and prepare content
  accordingly
• Rural, local, international, internal, external
  students?
• File names
• Use only one word for the file name wherever
  possible.
• Use a dash, ie " - " between words if more than
  one word is required. Don't use spaces.
• Use all lower case.

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Examples

• Inaccessible UniSAnet Web site
• Accessible UniSAnet Web site

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Resources

• Accessible Information Solutions, National
  Information and Library Service -
  http//www.nils.org.au/ais/
• Georgia Institute of Technology Access eLearning
  tutorials - http//www.accesselearning.net/
• Microsoft Accessibility - http//www.microsoft.com
  /enable/
• Policies relating to Web accessibility -
  http//www.w3.org/WAI/Policy/
• Software Help FrontPage tips -
  http//www.unisa.edu.au/helpoffice/frontpage/defau
  lt.asp
• UniSA copy standards - http//www.unisa.edu.au/sta
  ff/copystds.asp
• UniSA Web Authoring Guide - http//www.unisa.edu.a
  u/wag/
• UniSA Web Authoring Guide Writing for the Web
  -http//www.unisa.edu.au/wag/design/webcontent.asp
  
• Web Accessibility Network for Australian
  Universities (WANAU) - http//wanau.org/
• WebAIM Web Accessibility in Mind -
  http//www.webaim.org/
• Web Style Guide - http//www.webstyleguide.com/

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References

• Dell, K 2006, Statistics on People with a
  Disability, Student Services Group, RMIT
  University, viewed 14 June 2006,
  lthttp//www.rmit.edu.au/browse/Information20and2
  0Services2FCurrent20Students2FStudent20Service
  s20Group2FDisability20Coordination20Officer2F
  Statistics20on20People20with20a20Disabilitygt.
  
• HREOC 2000, Accessibility of electronic commerce
  and new service and information technologies for
  older Australians and people with a disability,
  Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity
  Commission, viewed 14 June 2006,
  lthttp//www.hreoc.gov.au/disability_rights/inquiri
  es/ecom/ecomrep.htmgt.
• HREOC 2002, World Wide Web Access Disability
  Discrimination Act Advisory Notes, Australian
  Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission,
  viewed 26 January 2006, lthttp//www.humanrights.go
  v.au/disability_rights/standards/www_3/www_3.html
  s1_2gt.
• IBM n.d., Understanding disability issues when
  designing Web sites, IBM, viewed 14 June 2006,
  lthttp//www-306.ibm.com/able/access_ibm/disabilit
  y.htmlgt.
• University of South Australia 2004, UniSA Online
  Accessibility Action Plan, Adelaide, viewed 13
  June 2006, lthttp//www.unisa.edu.au/footer/accessi
  bility/actionplan/default.aspgt.
• W3C 2005, Introduction to Web Accessibility,
  viewed 13 June 2006, lthttp//www.w3.org/WAI/intro/
  accessibility.phpgt.