Breaking Barriers: Content Management Systems and Accessibility

License: CC-BY-SA

Accessibility is a key requirement in modern web applications — not only because of new legislative requirements (like the European Accessibility Act), but because it is also a human right and a cornerstone of an inclusive society.

This presentation aims to shed light on the on the different kinds of barriers a user might encounter in a modern web application (especially in the context of the "usual suspects" of content management systems like Wordpress or TYPO3), and also show that there are some barriers that all users may encounter, regardless of their physical or mental ability. Instead, some barriers may arise from the technology available to a user (who possibly only has access to a low-end device, works with a spotty network connection or does not have access to a required input device), the education of a user, their language comprehension and many other factors. We will explore key accessibility principles to allow users to overcome these barriers and share real-world practical examples to illustrate the impact of accessible design on user experience and inclusivity.

We will provide actionable strategies for developers and UX designers to enhance accessibility working with or on these CMS frameworks. Attendees will gain insights into optimizing software and content for diverse user needs, ensuring compliance with global accessibility standards and regulatory requirements (like the European Accessibility Act), and leveraging the latest technologies to create a more inclusive digital landscape.

Transcript

1. BREAKING BARRIERS Content Management Systems and accessibility FOSDEM, February 4th, 2024 LUKAS FRITZE @mittwald MARTIN HELMICH @mittwald
2. MARTIN HELMICH Head of Architecture & Developer Relations Lecturer, Software Engineering & Cloud Computing Sci-Fi-Nerd, Metalhead, Amateur Woodworker
3. LUKAS FRITZE Full Stack Software Developer & Junior Architect Freelance WordPress Developer Cyclist, Ballroom dancer, Typography nerd
5. RELEVANT LEGISLATION (among others) EUROPEAN ACCESSIBILITY ACT (Directive 2019/882 on the accessibility requirements for products and services) AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (42 U.S. Code Chapter 126 - Equal Opportunity for Individuals with Disabilities) Scott Graham https://unsplash.com/photos/man-writing-on-paper-OQMZwNd3ThU
6. DO YOU CARE ABOUT ENABLING ACCESS… …OR JUST ABOUT NOT GETTING SUED? Orderinchaos https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:X-Joondalup_broken_lift_20140917.jpg MiamiAccidentLawyer https://pixabay.com/photos/law-lawyer-attorney-justice-judge-4617873/
7. KINDS OF BARRIERS PERCEPTUAL MOTORIC MENTAL/COGNITIVE TECHNICAL ECONOMICAL Charles Deluvio https://unsplash.com/photos/disable-person-signage-RrZI0UD12So
8. Barriers do not need to result from a disability Andrew Neel https://unsplash.com/photos/man-holding-white-ceramic-teacup-QLqNalPe0RA Hugh Han https://unsplash.com/photos/people-inside-train-5pkYWUDDthQ Mikhail Fesenko https://unsplash.com/photos/a-person-sitting-at-a-desk-with-a-laptop- and-a-computer-monitor-p6YWrjhmjhM Towfiqu barbhuiya https://unsplash.com/photos/a-person-holding-a-crutch-and-walking-cane-B3PxVCnbsSI
9. WE CAN’T AFFORD ACCESSIBILTY! JUST DO IT RIGHT FROM THE START!
11. A11Y ❤ SEO
12. A11Y ❤ PERFOR MANCE
13. A11Y "SECURI Y T
14. CC-BY-SA https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/226743/captcha-is-impossible-to-solve-worse-than-anytime-before
15. FRONTEND Give editors the option to build accessible content BACKEND Make the CMS backend itself accessible for editors CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ACCESSIBILITY IN
16. Refer to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) for a full reference of guidelines: https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/ Especially for CMS: Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG): https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/atag/
17. SEMANTIC CONTENT STRUCTURES
18. Make it easy for editors to create semantic content structures
19. Make it easy for editors to create semantic content structures
20. BE MINDFUL OF YOUR USERS EXPECTATIONS…
21. BE MINDFUL OF YOUR USERS EXPECTATIONS… …DO NOT SURPRISE THEM
22. ADHERE TO MENU CONVENTIONS
23. ADHERE TO MENU CONVENTIONS USE UI COMPONENTS CONSISTENTLY
24. DO NOT CLUTTER UP THE DASHBOARD
26. GIVE AND RESPECT CHOICES @media(prefers-color-scheme: dark|light) @media(prefers-reduced-motion) @media(prefers-contrast: no-preference|more|less|custom) EXAMPLES: Link Open Target Font Size Reduced Motion Autoplay Increased Contrast Color Inversion Keyboard Bindings
27. wE dOn’T nEeD aCcEsSiBiLiTy — NoNe Of OuR uSeRs ArE dIsAbLeD! „ “ ivabalk https://pixabay.com/photos/ostrich-head-grimace-view-stupid-1652481/ …what about disabilities that you cannot see? …what about tomorrow? QUOTES FROM THE REAL WORLD
28. ACCESSIBILITY IS… …NOT A FEATURE to be implemented „when we have the time“ …NOT RISK AVOIDANCE so that we „don’t get sued“ …A HUMAN RIGHT. …NOT (JUST) A CHECKBOX …in your CI pipeline