Challenging Accessibility Assumptions: Screen Readers

Webinar for Knowbility's 2021 Accessibility Series

If you don’t understand accessibility and how it affects your project, you’re setting the stage for budget overruns, missed deadlines and unfulfilled requirements. Challenge your assumptions and learn how role-based accessibility can lead to more efficient and effective projects!

With a focus on screen readers, learn where accessibility fits into the project life cycle and when, as well as who is responsible for accessibility decisions.

Transcript

1. 2021 Accessibility Series • February 22 • 10-11:30am Central Challenging Accessibility Assumptions: Screen Readers #AccessibilitySeries
2. • Email: emily@knowbility.org • LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/emilyplewis • Twitter: @emilylewis Connect!
3. Digital Project Management
4. Managers Team Leads Directors Coordinators Owners Executives Who’s Responsible?
5. Lack of support from the top Misunderstandings about requirements Poor hiring and outsourcing Projects over budget Missed milestones, late launches Accessibility fades over time Developers are struggling Stakeholders are confused Challenges & Risks
6. Accessibility Leaders
7. • Screen reader user experience • What accessibility is • When, where and how accessibility fits into the project life cycle • Who is responsible for accessibility • How much accessibility is built into web trends Assumptions
8. • What is accessibility? • Why does it matter? • Where does it fit into the project lifecycle? • Who is responsible for accessibility? Become Informed
9. What Is Accessibility?
11. It’s About People
12. Can people with disabilities get the same information, perform the same interactionsand function as others with comparable ease?
13. Assumption #1 Why people use screen readers
14. “Screen reader users are blind” “Only people who have trouble seeing need a screen reader” Also Known As (AKA)
15. • Blind • Low vision • Cognitive disabilities • Learning disabilities • Help with small print in documents that can’t be scaled • Prefer audio over text Screen Reader Users Web Accessibility Perspectives Videos: www.w3.org/WAI/perspective-videos
16. Assumption #2 How people use screen readers
17. “Screen reader users don’t use the keyboard” “Why does a screen reader user need to use a mouse?” AKA
18. • Mouse • Keyboard • Switch • Screen magnification • Resizing/zooming • Braille displays Screen Reader Software
19. Assumption #3 Who your users are
20. “Our users are only interested in wheelchair access” “We don’t have blind customers” ”People with disabilities don’t visit our website” AKA
21. • 9.8 million US adults with more than one disability • Consumer needs are varied Adults with One or More Functional Disabilities — United States, 2011–2014: www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6538a1.htm Diversity
22. • $490 billion total disposable income • Consumer loyalty A Hidden Market: The Purchasing Power of Working-Age Adults With Disabilities: www.air.org/system/files/downloads/report/Hidden-Market- Spending-Power-of-People-with-Disabilities-April-2018.pdf Purchasing Power
24. Assumption #4 WCAG is enough
25. “WCAG means we are accessible” “We are WCAG compliant and safe from lawsuits” AKA
26. • Provides a path towards accessibility • Incorporated in legislation across the world • Defines the bare minimum for accessibility Important Standards
27. Can people with disabilities get the same information, perform the same interactionsand function as others with comparable ease?
28. Neil Lenane Talent Acquisition/Diversity and Inclusion Leader Progressive Insurance If you do not intentionally include, you unintentionally exclude.
29. • 69% of online shoppers with access needs leave sites due to difficulties • 75% will pay more for an item on an accessible website • 86% only shop on sites they know to be free of barriers The Click-Away Pound Report 2019: www.clickawaypound.com/downloads/cap19final0502.pdf Don't Leave Money on the Table
30. • 6 times more costly during development than during design • 15 times more costly during testing How much do bugs cost to fix during each phase of the SDLC? www.synopsys.com/blogs/software-security/cost-to-fix-bugs-during-each- sdlc-phase Improve Efficiency
31. • More than 11,000 ADA Title III Lawsuits in 2019 • Litigation is expensive and damages reputations ADA Title III Lawsuits Hit Another All-Time High in 2019: www.hrdive.com/news/ada-title-iii-lawsuits-hit-another-all-time-high-in- 2019/573393 Reduce Legal Risk
32. Assumption #5 Accessibility for screen readers is enough
33. “We added ARIA” “We tested with JAWS” AKA
34. • Diverse screen reader users • Misunderstanding barriers Inclusive Accessibility
35. • No impact on keyboard or mouse • No ARIA is better than bad ARIA The WebAIM Million: webaim.org/projects/million/#aria The Truth About ARIA
36. Assumption #6 Where accessibility fits in the project lifecycle
37. “The developers are taking care of accessibility” AKA
38. • Discovery • Planning • Content strategy • Information architecture • Copywriting and editing • User experience design • Visual design • Front-end development • Back-end development • Content entry • Quality assurance • Maintenance All Phases
39. • Executive / C Suite • Project / Product Managers • Content Strategists / Information Architects • Copywriters / SMEs / Content Authors • Designers • Front-end Developers • Back-end / CMS Developers • Quality Assurance • Contractors / Vendors Role-based Accessibility
40. Collaboration
41. • Owner/Executive: budget, hiring • Project manager: communication, resource • Vendor: 3rd-party transcription • Content author: support transcription • Designer: look and feel • Developer: code • QA: testing Captions for Video WCAG 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded): www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/captions-prerecorded.html
43. Assumption #7 Who is responsible for accessibility decisions
44. “The developers know the standards” “Our tech team lead has the final say” AKA
45. Primary Decision-maker • Content author Alt Text for Images Secondary Decision-maker • Visual designer Contributor • Manager WCAG 1.1.1 Non-text content: www.w3.org/TR/UNDERSTANDING-WCAG20/text-equiv-all.html
46. Assumption #8 Web trends are accessible
47. “Google does it” “Bootstrap says it’s accessible” AKA
48. • Carousels that don’t provide context for screen reader users • Media without alternative content • Form controls that can’t be used with the keyboard Be Informed, Double-check
49. “… it should be perfectly possible to create websites and applications with Bootstrap that fulfill WCAG 2.0 (A/AA/AAA), Section 508 and similar accessibility standards and requirements.” Bootstrap Accessibility: getbootstrap.com/docs/4.0/getting-started/accessibility Read the Fine Print
50. Assumption #9 It’s all or nothing
51. “We don’t have time to factor in accessibility” “It’s too expensive to make it accessible” AKA
52. • Start small, stay focused • High-priority, high-impact • Role-based accessibility • Stay informed Make it part of your plan
54. emily@knowbility.org • training@knowbility.org Thank you!