Getting Started With Web Accessibility

@seanyo SeanYo.ca [email protected] Getting Started with Web Accessibility

What is Web Accessibility? Web accessibility refers to the practice

of making websites usable by people of all abilities and disabilities. When sites are correctly designed developed and edited all users can have equal access to information and functionality. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_accessibility

Web Accessibility Barriers Diversity of Abilities Auditory Speech Cognitive and

Neurological Physical/Motor Visual 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1

Why Be Accessible?

Why Web Accessibility Makes Sense More People on Your Website

Be Awesome Better Code Be Awesome It’s the law or it will be Do The Right Thing More Aging Visitors Google Will Love You Easier to Maintain

Why Be Accessible?

Why Have a Website?

To Connect With People

User Experience

Accessibility Experience

People Have Experiences Checklists Don’t

Web Accessibility Principles

The Only One That Matters

Principles of Accessibility AODA • Independence • Dignity • Integration

• Equality of opportunity

Principles of Accessibility W3C • Perceivable • Operable • Understandable

• Robust

Understading Web Accessibility For Managers & Developers

Automated Tools and Best Practices Accessibility is Simple • Lots

of great, free tools to measure accessibility • Lots of great, free info & recommendations • Using web standards is good for accessibility • Tools: WAVE, FAE, TAW, FANGS, NVDA • Info: WAI, WCAG, WebAIM, WaSP • Use valid, semantic code - Even better, use a CMS

Accessibility is Complicated • How to measure accessibility? • Automated

testing needs user testing • Websites are not fire &forget – they are a process • Which Standard? WCAG, 508, AODA • Lots of platforms: IE, Gecko, Webkit + Mobile • Content will change & break accessibility No Single Path

The Best Stuff is Open & Free Accessibility is Cheap

• Being accessible improves search rankings • Google is a Screen Reader • CMS tools are a strong investment – Open & free • The best tools are Open & free • Development best practices are Open & free • CMS tools can automated compliance : alt tags

You’re only as Accessible as your last a11y bug… Accessibility

is Expensive • Passing a checklist doesn’t make a site accessible • Accessibility is challenging and doesn’t end • Leaving it to the end is costly – in time and money • Web development is a mature profession • Accessibility is a critical dimension of webdev • A11y is expensive to retrofit, like schemas & security

Accessibility is Cheap & Simple…

…When Finding Problems

Accessibility is Complicated and Expensive…

…When Fixing Accessibility Problems

Accessibility for Management

Plan for Accessibility From the Beginning

Most errors are introduced during requirements analysis and design. The

later they are removed, the most expensive it is to take them out. Boehm et al (1975): “Some Experience with Automated Aids to the Design of Large-Scale Reliable Software.” Diagram Source: http://blogs.windriver.com/vxworks/device-management/

Accessibility is not an option. An inaccessible website is incomplete.

A vendor claiming a product is accessible does not make

it accessible.

Avoid Assumptions About Your Audience

Count on Text Provide Alternatives in Text

Don’t take control of your visitor’s experience

Use Clear Language

Testing Is Hard Real People Different Needs Assistive Technology

Accessibility for Developers

Be Usable, Searchable and Navigable

Be Semantic

Separate Content & Presentation

Progressive Enhancement is the new graceful degredation

Do Periodic A11y Sanity Testing Turn off CSS All Alt

Text in Place Test with FANGS/Screen Reader

Testing Is Fun Real People Different Needs Assistive Technology

Connect With Me Sean Yo BAh MA Web Analyst University

of Guelph @seanyo seanyo.ca [email protected] Sean Yo BAh MA Web Analyst University of Guelph @seanyo seanyo.ca [email protected] Find links to these slides at seanyo.ca, as well as other presentations on Web Accessibility