Managing the Process of Providing an Inclusive Institutional Web Presence: Workshop

Managing the Process of Providing an Inclusive Institutional Web Presence: Workshop David Sloan @sloandr 19th June 2012Image credit: Flickr user emmar IWMW 2012http://goo.gl/Fmeyu Edinburgh

Aims and outcomes• For you as workshop participants – To learn more about current practice in Web Accessibility Policy across UK HEIs – To learn more about BS8878 – To appreciate the opportunities that BS8878 might offer in supporting improved institutional Web Accessibility Policy, and the barriers to effective adoption David Sloan, 19 June 2012 2

Aims and outcomes• For me as facilitator: – To share the perspective of an accessibility researcher and accessibility advocate in a UK HEI. – To understand more about current practice in Web Accessibility Policy across UK HEIs (data gathering) – To discuss the opportunities that BS8878 might offer in supporting improved institutional Web Accessibility Policy, and the barriers that HEI representatives to effective adoption David Sloan, 19 June 2012 3

Outline of the session• What is the current nature of web accessibility policy in HEIs? (15 minutes)• What is BS8878? (15 minutes)• Applying BS8878 in practice (40 minutes)• Discussing the applicability of BS8878 to developing and implementing institutional web accessibility policy (20 minutes) David Sloan, 19 June 2012 4

Workshop output• (with your permission!) a public account of what we’ve found out and what we discussed David Sloan, 19 June 2012 5

1. INSTITUTIONAL WEBACCESSIBILITY POLICY – WHEREARE WE? David Sloan, 19 June 2012 6

Does your institution have a web accessibility policy?• Yes 53% (8)• No, there is no institution-wide Web accessibility policy 7% (1)• No, but web accessibility is included in a wider ICT accessibility policy 13% (2)• No, web accessibility policy is devolved to college/school/department level 0%• Don’t know 20% (3) David Sloan, 19 June 2012 7

What’s in your web accessibility policy?• Accessibility levels that should be reached by published web content: 100% (10)• Process for evaluating accessibility of existing web resources: 40% (4)• Process for dealing with existing web resources that do not meet a specified level of accessibility: 40% (4)• Training in accessibility for people who produce institutional web content: 30% (3)• Training in accessibility for people who manage the production of institutional web content: 20% (2)• Consideration of accessibility in procurement or commissioning of web content publishing systems: 20% (2)• Consideration of accessibility in procurement or commissioning of new web resources: 10% (1) David Sloan, 19 June 2012 8

To what extent are you aware of BS8878?• Never heard of it: 13% (2)• Heard of it but not sure what it covers: 27% (4)• Have a reasonable idea of what it covers, but haven’t read the standard itself: 33% (5)• Have read the standard: 20% (3) David Sloan, 19 June 2012 9

To the best of your knowledge, which of the following best describes your organisation’s use of BS8878?• BS8878 has been adopted as formal organisational web accessibility policy: 7% (1)• BS8878 has been used for guidance when developing formal organisational web accessibility policy: 7% (1)• BS8878 has been mentioned in discussions on implementing or changing formal organisational web accessibility policy: 20% (3)• BS8878 has never been discussed in relation to formal organisational web accessibility policy: 27% (4)• Other: 40% (6) David Sloan, 19 June 2012 10

2. AN OVERVIEW OF BS 8878 David Sloan, 19 June 2012 11

BS 8878:2010 – a brief history• Published Dec 2010, replacing PAS 78• Available to purchase from BSI or from public libraries• Intended to complement technical standards for web accessibility – Focusing on process of creating accessible web resources – And on effectively documenting this process David Sloan, 19 June 2012 12

BS 8878:2010 – aims• Aims to help organisations who create web products make informed decisions on accessibility: – Understand how to create and implement effective organisational accessibility policy – Include the needs of disabled and older people throughout the web production process• Audience: – Senior management, managers responsible for equality & inclusion (e.g. HR, CSR), procurement managers, web production teams, web content managers/authors, educators in web authoring/development,… David Sloan, 19 June 2012 13

BS8878: 16 step process1. Define the purpose of the web product – Including relationship to any existing non-web means of accessing a similar service2. Define the target audiences of the web product – e.g. students, staff, general public, researchers with specific domain knowledge.3. Analyse the needs of the target audiences – May be well known, or require research David Sloan, 19 June 2012 14

BS8878: 16 step process1. Note any platform or technology preferences and restrictions of the web product’s target audiences – e.g. restrictions of a standard desktop, ability/aptitude to use up-to-date browsers, available assistive technology2. Define the relationship the product will have with its target audiences – Use of personalisation approaches: user groups or individuals? David Sloan, 19 June 2012 15

BS8878: 16 step process1. Define the user goals and tasks the web product needs to provide – Including priorities and success criteria, and variations between user groups2. Consider the degree of user-experience the web product will aim to provide – Technically accessible? Usable? Or satisfying to use? David Sloan, 19 June 2012 16

BS8878: 16 step process1. Consider inclusive design and user- personalized approaches to accessibility – Inclusive design “requires products to be usable by as many people as reasonable or possible” (pragmatic) – User-personalising – adaptation or selection from alternatives based on profile information2. Choose the delivery platforms to support – Desktop, mobile, IDTV,… David Sloan, 19 June 2012 17

BS8878: 16 step process1. Choose the target browsers, operating systems and assistive technologies to support – Choice will be influenced by factors such as knowledge of target audience, control, availability2. Choose whether to create or procure the web product in-house or contract out externally – Establishing whether the supplier can deliver the demanded level of accessibility David Sloan, 19 June 2012 18

BS8878: 16 step process1. Define the web technologies to be used in the web product – …considering the accessibility support of the web technology in question2. Use web guidelines to direct accessible web production – Selection of appropriate guidelines (e.g. WCAG) and conformance level David Sloan, 19 June 2012 19

BS8878: 16 step process1. Assure the web product’s accessibility through production – Defining and implementing an accessibility test plan and how this relates to overall project plan and decision to launch2. Communicate the web product’s accessibility decisions at launch – Accessibility statement documenting decision- making process covered in previous steps David Sloan, 19 June 2012 20

BS8878: 16 step process1. Plan to assure accessibility in all post-launch updates to the product – Addressing outstanding known accessibility issues – Collecting and dealing with feedback received after launch – Ensuring maintenance and update process address accessibility – On-going testing programme David Sloan, 19 June 2012 21

BS8878 and assuring accessibility through a product’s lifecycle• BS8878 provides advice on: – Involving older and disabled people in requirements analysis and establishment – using accessibility guidelines to direct production – implementing an appropriate accessibility test plan as part of procurement/production – Ensuring accessibility is integrated into maintenance and update processes David Sloan, 19 June 2012 22

BS8878 – supplementary information• Disability and relevant legislation• Business case for accessibility• Examples of Web accessibility policies and published accessibility statements• Allocation of responsibilities across an organisation• Accessibility challenges of different Web products• How people with accessibility needs use the Web• Examples of goals, tasks, “degrees of user experience”; measuring success criteria• Personalisation and accessibility• Procurement David Sloan, 19 June 2012 23

3. APPLYING BS8878 IN PRACTICE David Sloan, 19 June 2012 24

Activity• In pairs, take the scenario you have been given, and discuss how a BS8878 approach could help you decide on a set of actions to take to optimise accessibility of the web resource under discussion – 10 minutes to discuss your approach in pairs – 10 minutes plenary discussion per scenario David Sloan, 19 June 2012 25

4. BS8878 AND YOUR INSTITUTION David Sloan, 19 June 2012 26

• What are the opportunities that BS 8878 offers in addressing the challenges of implementing a workable institutional web accessibility policy?• Are there any areas where it falls short? Is unnecessary? Inappropriate? David Sloan, 19 June 2012 27

Another perspectiveStrategic ITAccessibility: Enablingthe OrganisationJeff KlineISBN-10: 1936909189 David Sloan, 19 June 2012 28

More resources• Community of Practice: http://www.meetup.com/bs8878-web-accessibility• Jonathan Hassell’s BS8878 resources: http://www.hassellinclusion.com/category/bs8878• Web 4 All at Univ of Southampton: http://www.southampton.ac.uk/web4all/ David Sloan, 19 June 2012 29

THANKYOU FOR YOURPARTICIPATION!eAccess+ European Accessibility Network:http://www.eaccessplus.euemail: dsloan@computing.dundee.ac.uktwitter: @sloandrblogs: www.58sound.com --- blog.dundee.ac.uk/eaccessibility 30

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Managing the Process of Providing an Inclusive Institutional Web Presence: Workshop

by David Sloan on Jun 20, 2012

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