Accessibility: Best Practices in Drupal Theming William Lawrence Drupalcon Szeged 2008 Szeged, Hungary József Attila Study and Information Centre 29 August 2008

Overview What is accessibility Why accessibility matters: A brief history When does one consider accessibility Who does accessibility, or lack thereof, effect Where are the specifications & guidelines Some best practices for Accessibility in Drupal

What is accessibility

Why accessibility matters: A brief history

When does one consider accessibility

Who does accessibility, or lack thereof, effect

Where are the specifications & guidelines

Some best practices for Accessibility in Drupal

What is accessibility? Web accessibility can be defined as the ability of a website to be used by all, irregardless of ability or disability. But break that down a bit: web user agent accessibility web authoring tool accessibility web content accessibility web application accessibility

Web accessibility can be defined as the ability of a website to be used by all, irregardless of ability or disability.

But break that down a bit:

web user agent accessibility

web authoring tool accessibility

web content accessibility

web application accessibility

A brief US legislative history 1964: The Civil Rights Act (CRA) 1973: The Rehabilitation Act (RA) 1986: Section 508 added to the RA 1998: The new Section 508. Whoops, teh Internets!

1964: The Civil Rights Act (CRA)

1973: The Rehabilitation Act (RA)

1986: Section 508 added to the RA

1998: The new Section 508. Whoops, teh Internets!

European legislation on accessibility EU: The European Union Framework for Accessibility UK: Disability Discrimination Act of 1995 DDA supported by the PAS 78 : Guide to good practice in commissioning accessible websites Germany: Barrierefreie Informationstechnik-Verordnung (BITV) Italy: Legge Stanca Et cetera....

EU: The European Union Framework for Accessibility

UK: Disability Discrimination Act of 1995 DDA supported by the PAS 78 : Guide to good practice in commissioning accessible websites

Germany: Barrierefreie Informationstechnik-Verordnung (BITV)

Italy: Legge Stanca

Et cetera....

When does one consider accessibility Government money = Government laws Consequences Litigation: National Federation of the Blind vs Target User base

Government money = Government laws

Consequences

Litigation: National Federation of the Blind vs Target

User base

Adaptive technologies Most popularly known assistive technologies (AT) are for the blind. Software: Screen readers JAWS Emacspeak FireVox Hardware: Refreshable Braille display

Most popularly known assistive technologies (AT) are for the blind.

Software: Screen readers

JAWS

Emacspeak

FireVox

Hardware: Refreshable Braille display

AT: Not just for the blind Head mouse Foot mouse Eye tracking hardware & software Sip-and-puff

Head mouse

Foot mouse

Eye tracking hardware & software

Sip-and-puff

The specifications & guidelines The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)'s Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) User Agent Accessibility Guidelines ( UAAG ) Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines ( ATAG ) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines ( WCAG ) Accessible Rich Internet Applications ( ARIA )

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)'s Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)

User Agent Accessibility Guidelines ( UAAG )

Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines ( ATAG )

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines ( WCAG )

Accessible Rich Internet Applications ( ARIA )

Best practices for accessibility in Drupal It is professional responsibility to ensure that web content is accessible Dos for Themers and developers Standards Semantic HTML Forms Labels Submits & Buttons Images The alt attribute is still very important Skippy links get it. own it.

It is professional responsibility to ensure that web content is accessible

Dos for Themers and developers

Standards

Semantic HTML

Forms

Labels

Submits & Buttons

Images

The alt attribute is still very important

Skippy links

get it. own it.

Best practices for accessibility in Drupal

Testing accessibility in Drupal Dos for the whole team Run through LYNX Run it through a mobile device Run it through a screen reader Find a local Web Access Group

Dos for the whole team

Run through LYNX

Run it through a mobile device

Run it through a screen reader

Find a local Web Access Group

Thank you! (cc) Creative Commons http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

(cc) Creative Commons

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Credits & Resources Drupal Accessibility Group Joe Clark : “ Accessibility puts the multi in media” Patrick Lauke Martin Kliehm Bruce Lawson Gez Lemon Mark Pilgrim Opera

Drupal Accessibility Group

Joe Clark : “ Accessibility puts the multi in media”

Patrick Lauke

Martin Kliehm

Bruce Lawson

Gez Lemon

Mark Pilgrim

Opera