Getting Started With Web Accessibility

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

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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

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Web Accessibility Barriers Diversity of Abilities Auditory Speech Cognitive and Neurological Physical/Motor Visual 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1

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Why Be Accessible?

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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

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Why Be Accessible?

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Why Have a Website?

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To Connect With People

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User Experience

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Accessibility Experience

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People Have Experiences Checklists Don’t

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Web Accessibility Principles

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The Only One That Matters

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Principles of Accessibility AODA • Independence • Dignity • Integration • Equality of opportunity

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Principles of Accessibility W3C • Perceivable • Operable • Understandable • Robust

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Understading Web Accessibility For Managers & Developers

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Accessibility is Cheap & Simple…

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…When Finding Problems

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Accessibility is Complicated and Expensive…

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…When Fixing Accessibility Problems

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Accessibility for Management

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Plan for Accessibility From the Beginning

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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/

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

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A vendor claiming a product is accessible does not make it accessible.

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Avoid Assumptions About Your Audience

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Count on Text Provide Alternatives in Text

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Don’t take control of your visitor’s experience

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Use Clear Language

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Testing Is Hard Real People Different Needs Assistive Technology

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Accessibility for Developers

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Be Usable, Searchable and Navigable

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Be Semantic

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Separate Content & Presentation

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Progressive Enhancement is the new graceful degredation

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Do Periodic A11y Sanity Testing Turn off CSS All Alt Text in Place Test with FANGS/Screen Reader

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Testing Is Fun Real People Different Needs Assistive Technology

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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