Website Accessibility refers to the idea that people of all abilities and disabilities should be able to access online content. These disabilities can impair vision, hearing, and movement. Since the early days of the web, accessibility focus in the US has been on government run, and government funded websites. This can often include Nonprofits, but even if it is not required, making your website accessible better serves your audience. We will provide a high-level overview of website accessibility, how to think about website accessibility from an organizational perspective, and how to start a website accessibility initiative in your own organization.

1. Access Not Denied
Accessible Websites for All
November 28th
NC Center for Nonprofits
2018 Conference
Stephen Pashby @DH_Stephen
David Minton @DH_David

2. Overview
• Introduction
• What is accessibility/Disabilities
• Federal regulations & Court Cases
• Who,What, & When of Accessibility
• Beyond Website Accessibility
2

3. Introduction
3

4. Stephen
Pashby
Account Manager
@DH_Stephen
Over five years
industry experience

5. Stephen Pashby
Account Manager
5
David
Minton
Managing Partner
@DH_David
Over twenty years
industry experience

6. Disclaimer
Let’s get this out of the way first!
6

7. Disclaimer
• We are not lawyers
• Don’t take any of this as legal advice
• We won’t tell you how to fix your website
• But we will point you in the right direction
7

8. Scope
What we’ll cover and what we won’t.
8

9. What we will cover
• What is accessibility?
• Why should I bother?
• How should I approach making my site
accessible?
• What tools should I use to test my site?
9

10. What we won’t cover
• Legal responsibilities regarding accessibility
• The specifics of how to make a website
accessible
10

11. The what, where, and
when: web accessibility
11

12. What is accessibility?
It’s more than just screen readers.
12

13. International Symbol ofAccess
13

14. International Symbol ofAccess
14

15. More than one need for access
15

16. Many assistive technologies
16

17. What is accessibility?
“Web accessibility means that people with
disabilities can use the Web. More specifically,
Web accessibility means that people with
disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate,
and interact with the Web, and that they can
contribute to the Web.”
Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
WorldWideWeb Consortium (W3C)
17

18. Why accessibility?
Would you, could you, should you?
18

19. Why accessibility?
“The web is not a barrier to people with
disabilities, it is the solution.The web has the
potential to revolutionize the day-to-day lives
of millions of people with disabilities by
increasing their ability to independently access
information…and other aspects of life that
most people take for granted.”
Center for Persons with Disabilities
19

20. Why accessibility?
• Help others: it is the right thing to do
• Help ourselves: we are all getting older
• Attracts new/retains existing customers
• Generally leads to improved usability for all
• It’s the law (does it apply to you?)
20

21. Disabilities in detail
Vision
• ~8.1 million people have difficulty seeing
• Including ~2.0 million who are blind
Hearing
• ~7.6 million experience difficulty hearing
• including ~1.1 million with severe difficulty
21

22. Accessibility Principles
(POUR)
Accessibility is more than checking off boxes.
22

23. Accessibility Principles
• Perceivable
• Operable
• Understandable
• Robust
23

24. Perceivable
• Users need to be aware of web content
24

25. Operable
• Users need to be able to navigate, find, and
interact with web content
25

26. Understandable
• Users need to be able to comprehend all
navigation, interaction, and content
26

27. Robust
• Enable users to choose technologies to meet
their accessibility needs
27

28. Types of disabilities
We’re not all created equal.
28

29. Types of disabilities
• Visual
• Auditory
• Motor
• Cognitive
• Seizure
29

30. Visual disabilities
• Blindness
• Low vision
• Color-blindness
30

31. Auditory disabilities
• Deafness
• Hard of hearing
31

32. Motor impairments
• Inability to use a mouse
• Poor fine motor control
• Slow reaction time
32

33. Cognitive disabilities
• Learning disability
• ADD
33

34. Seizure Disorders
• Photoepileptic seizures
34

35. Web Content
Accessibility Guidelines
What exactly do I need to do?
35

36. 1. Perceivable
• Provide text alternatives for non-text content.
• Provide captions & other alts.for multimedia.
• Create content that can be presented in
different ways, including by assistive
technologies, without losing meaning.
• Make it easier for users to see and hear
content.
36

37. 2. Operable
• Make all functionality available from keyboard.
• Give users enough time to read & use content.
• Do not use content that causes seizures.
• Help users navigate and find content.
37

38. 3. Understandable
• Make text readable and understandable.
• Make content appear and operate in
predictable ways.
• Help users avoid and correct mistakes.
38

39. 4. Robust
• Maximize compatibility with current and
future user tools.
39

40. Question Break #1
40

41. Regulations &
Guidelines:
Section 508,Title II,
Title III, and WCAG 2.0
41

42. What is Section 508?
• Amendment to Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• Approved 1998
• Compliance by 2001
• Revised to adopt WCAG 2.0 January 2017
• Comply with new standard by January 2018
42

43. Original Section 508
• Only 16 paragraphs specific to websites
• Has not been updated in years
• Some refer to obsolete techniques
• Some very specific, some vague
• Many open to interpretation
43

44. Current status of 508
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
(WCAG) 2.0
• New & revised content must be WCAG 2.0
• Legacy content ok with old Section 508
44

45. Section 508 Resources
• Section 508 Standards Guide
(http://www.section508.gov/section-508-standards-guide)
• About the 2017 ICT Refresh
(http://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/
communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh)
45

46. What is Title II?
• Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
• “No qualified individual with a disability shall,
on the basis of disability, be excluded from
participation in or be denied the benefits of
the services, programs, or activities
of a public entity (e.g. any department,
agency, or other instrumentality of a State or
States or local government).”
46

47. What is Title III?
• Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
• “No individual shall be discriminated against
on the basis of disability in the full and equal
enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities,
privileges, advantages, or accommodations
of any place of public accommodation
by any person who owns, leases (or leases
to), or operates a place of public
accommodation.”
47

48. Current status WCAG
• Currently a guideline
• Success based
• Does not require specific techniques
• Provides numerous scenarios with
acceptable solutions
48

49. What is WCAG 2.0?
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
• Developed by Web Accessibility Initiative
• Part of World Wide Web Consortium
• Published in 2008
• Replaced original Section 508 standards
49

50. WCAG 2.0
• Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
(http://www.w3.org/WAI/)
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0
(http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/)
• How to Meet WCAG 2.0
(http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref/)
50

51. What is WCAG 2.1?
• Published in June 2018
• Backward compatible with 2.0
• Primarily adds refinements for Mobile, Low
Vision, and Cognitive disabilities
51

52. WCAG 2.1
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1
(http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/)
• How to Meet WCAG 2.1
(https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/quickref/?versions=2.1)
52

53. Legislation,
legal settlements,
and court decisions
53

54. Enforcement options
• Legislative action
• Justice Department settlement agreements
• Court cases
54

55. Federal legislation
• Federal agency websites covered by
amendment to Rehabilitation Act 1973
• Most airline websites covered by
amendment to Air Carrier Access Act 1986
55

56. Federal Agencies
U. S. General Services Administration
• Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• Approved 1998
• Compliance by 2001
• Section 508 § 1194
56

57. Airline Industry
Department of Transportation
• Amendment to Air Carrier Access Act 1986
• Approved November 2013
• Compliance by December 2015
• WCAG 2.0 Levels A and AA
57

58. DOJ agreements
• Ahold USA Inc and Peapod LLC
• National Museum of Crime & Punishment
58

59. Ahold USA, Inc.
• Online grocery services
• For-profit, online only
• November 2014
• Penalties: $0
Must conform to WCAG 2.0 Level AA
59

60. National Museum of Crime
and Punishment
• Museum
• For-profit, physical place & online
• January 2015
• Penalties: $0
Must conform to WCAG 2.0 Level AA
60

61. Court cases
• National Federation of the Blind v. Scribd
• Melissa J Earll v. eBay
• Donald Cullen v. Netflix
• National Association of the Deaf v. Netflix
• US v. Miami University
61

62. National Fed. of the Blind v.
Scribd
• For-profit, online only
• Title III of Americans with Disabilities Act
• October 2015: US District Court for the
District ofVermont denies motion to dismiss
• October 2016: Parties settle
• Penalties: $0
(must conform to WCAG 2.0 Level AA
62

63. Earll v. eBay
• For-profit, online only
• Title III of Americans with Disabilities Act
• April 2015: US Ninth Circuit “Because eBay’s
services are not connected to any ‘actual,
physical place,’ eBay is not subject to the
ADA.”
• Penalties: $0 (dismissal upheld)
63

64. Cullen v. Netflix
• For-profit, online only
• Title III of Americans with Disabilities Act
• April 2015: US Ninth Circuit “Because
Netflix’s services are not connected to any
‘actual, physical place,’ Netflix is not subject
to the ADA.”
• Penalties: $0 (dismissal upheld)
64

65. National Assoc. of the Deaf
v. Netflix
• For-profit, online only
• Title III of Americans with Disabilities Act
• Oct. 2012: US District Court for
Massachusetts rules that the ADA applies to
web-only businesses
• Penalties: ~$800,000
65

66. Dudley v. Miami University
• Public University, physical and online
• Title II of Americans with Disabilities Act
• January 2016: US District Court for the
Southern District of Ohio, parties settle
• Penalties: $260,000 to plaintiff + make
systems accessible
66

67. Dudley v. Miami University
“Education is said to be the great equalizer of
American society, and educational technologies
hold great promise to make this a reality.
However, students with disabilities continue to
encounter an impenetrable glass ceiling of
opportunity when schools fail to comply with
the ADA.”
Vanita Gupta
Principal Deputy Asst.Attorney General
Civil Rights Division, Department of Justice
67

68. Robles v. Dominos Pizza LLC
• For-profit, physical place & online
• Title III of Americans with Disabilities Act
• March 2017: US District Court for the
Central District of California: Dismissed on
grounds of Due Process
• Status: on appeal to Ninth Circuit
68

69. DOJ update Sept. 2018
“Absent the adoption of specific technical
requirements for websites through rulemaking,
public accommodations have flexibility in how
to comply with the ADA’s general
requirements of nondiscrimination and
effective communication. Accordingly,
noncompliance with a voluntary technical standard
for website accessibility does not necessarily
indicate noncompliance with the ADA.”
Stephen E. Boyd
Assistant Attorney General
69

70. Courts split on rulings
• Are web-only businesses places of “public
accommodation” under Title III of Americans
with Disabilities Act?
• Is the website a “public accommodation”
only as an extension of businesses with
actual, physical places?
• Does Title III even apply to websites at all?
70

71. Schedule for regulations
• Expect Title II regulations in 2017
• Expect Title III regulations in 2018
71

72. But wait!
Is there a giant elephant in the room?
72

73. November 2016
73

74. 74

75. Why we need regulations
• Current situation provides uncertainty
(Business hates uncertainty)
• Wave of “nuisance” suits is increasing
• Regulations could/would curtail lawsuits
75

76. Rule on Accessibility of
Airline Web Sites
“U.S. and foreign air carriers that operate at
least one aircraft having a seating capacity
of more than 60 passengers, and own or
control a primary Web site that markets air
transportation to consumers in the United
States … must make their web pages
providing core travel information and services
accessible to persons with disabilities.”
14 CFR Part 382
US Department ofTransportation
76

77. Airline regulations a model?
• Tiered system based on size or industry?
• Reduced requirements for small business?
• Excuse small business entirely?
• Consider factors such as annual revenue?
77

78. Question Break #2
78

79. Compliance:Who,
What, & When
79

80. Accessibility Compliance
• Accessibility is a process that encompasses
website design and development and content
creation
• Your process will vary based on your
website lifecycle stage, but all website
content will need to be reviewed
80

81. Who is in charge?
• As with any large project, someone needs to
be responsible to make sure everything gets
done
• Before you begin, appoint an Accessibility
Czar
81

82. Accessibility Czar
• Manage the review and compliance process
• Plan for weeks to months to become
compliance
• Set up appropriate processes to maintain
compliance (e.g. workflows, training, etc.)
82

83. Compliance by Website
Stage
• Initial website development/website redesign
• Compliance for existing website
• Maintaining compliance
83

84. Initial Build/Redesign
• Planning
• Design
• Development
• Content
• Testing
84

85. Planning
• Identify accessibility requirements and
accessibility standard
• Schedule adequate time: content creation/
review & appropriate accessibility testing
85

86. Design
• Navigation
• No information communicated solely visually
(including color or ‘*’)
• Contrast
• Font sizing
• Image selection
86

87. Development
• All functionality must be accessible:
• Navigation
• Forms
87

88. Content
• All content must be accessible:
• Text
• Images
• Audio
• Video
88

89. Testing
• Review of all functionality and page
templates:
• Automated tester
• Keyboard only
• Screen reader
89

90. Compliance for Existing
Websites
• Planning
• Platform audit
• Content audit
• Platform remediation (if necessary)
• Content updates
90

91. Planning
• Identify accessibility requirements and
accessibility standard
• Creative inventory of all content (pages,
audio, video), templates, and functionality
(e.g. forms, etc.)
• Prioritize inventories based upon
importance and website traffic
91

92. Platform Audit
• Test:
• Templates
• Forms
• Other functionality
• Identify any required remediations
92

93. Content Audit
• Review:
• Text
• Images
• Audio
• Videos
• Create schedule for remediation
93

94. Platform Remediation
• Prioritize based on traffic and importance:
• Navigation
• Homepage
• Required forms
• Templates of most important content
94

95. Content Updates
• Prioritize based on importance and traffic:
• Homepage
• Most important content first
• Schedule for updating all remaining content
95

96. Maintaining Compliance
• Content creation/editing
• Compliance audits/monitoring
96

97. Content Creation/Editing
• Accessibility must be maintained through
every content change or addition
• Train your content creators/editors on
accessibility
• Include accessibility review in your content
creation/editing/approval process
97

98. Compliance Audits/
Monitoring
• To make sure no content changes/new
functionality unexpectedly breaks
accessibility compliance:
• Periodic manual spot audits
• Automated monitoring solutions
98

99. Manual Spot Audits
• Recommended for most important pages
• Scheduled based on frequency of revisions
• Include both automated tester and manual
review
99

100. Automated Monitoring
Solutions
• Conduct full automated review of all content
or freshly published content
• Automated solutions are inherently
insufficient for accessibility compliance
100

101. Automated accessibility
compliance testing
101

102. Automated testing
“Accessibility testers are like spelling and
grammar checkers, for your website. If you are a
competent writer they can help you find errors
and make improvements. If you run one on
foreign language text, you’ll clear all of the
errors, but will likely wind up with gibberish.”
David Minton
DesignHammer
102

103. Testing expectations
What the testers will tell you, and what they won’t.
103

104. Testing expectations
• Pass
• Conditional Pass (manual check)
• Fail
• False positives and negatives
104

105. WCAG 2.0 1.1.1
“All non-text content that is presented to the
user has a text alternative that serves the
equivalent purpose, except for the situations
listed below. (Level A)”
How to Meet WCAG 2.0
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group
105

106. WCAG 2.0 1.1.1
A. If a short description can serve the same
purpose and present the same information as
the non-text content.
B. If a short description can not serve the same
purpose and present the same information as
the non-text content (e.g., a chart or
diagram):
106

107. WCAG 2.0 1.1.1
C. If non-text content is a control or accepts
user input:
D. If non-text content is time-based media
(including live video-only and live audio-only);
a test or exercise that would be invalid if
presented in text; or primarily intended to
create a specific sensory experience:
107

108. WCAG 2.0 1.1.1
E. If non-text content is a CAPTCHA:
F. If the non-text content should be ignored by
assistive technology:
108

109. WCAG 2.0 1.1.1
109

110. WCAG 2.0 1.1.1
110

111. Adequate image alt text?
• <img src="img/stop.png">
• Tester: Fail
• Compliance: Fail F65
111

112. Adequate image alt text?
112

113. Adequate image alt text?
• <img src="img/stop.png" alt="">
• Tester: Fail
• Compliance: Fail F65
113

114. Adequate image alt text?
114

115. Adequate image alt text?
• <img src="img/stop.png" alt="Stop">
• Tester: Conditional Pass
• Compliance: Pass
115

116. Adequate image alt text?
116

117. Adequate image alt text?
• <img src="img/stop.png" alt="placeholder">
• Tester: Conditional Pass
• Compliance: Fail F30
117

118. Adequate image alt text?
118

119. Adequate image alt text?
• <img src="img/stop.png" alt="Go">
• Tester: Conditional Pass
• Compliance: Fail F20
119

120. Adequate image alt text?
120

121. 121
• <img src="img/curl.png" alt="curl">
• Tester: Conditional Pass
• Compliance: Fail F39
Adequate image alt text?

122. Adequate image alt text?
122

123. 123
• <img src="img/curl.png">
• Tester: Fail
• Compliance: Fail F38
Adequate image alt text?

124. Adequate image alt text?
124

125. 125
• <img src="img/curl.png" alt="">
• Tester: Conditional Pass/Fail?
• Compliance: Pass
Adequate image alt text?

126. Adequate image alt text?
126

127. Types of testing software
• SaaS hosted
• Browser plug-in
• Desktop application
127

128. Samples
• SaaS hosted: Cynthia Says
http://www.cynthiasays.com
• Browser plug-in:WAVE for Firefox/Chrome
(https://wave.webaim.org/extension/)
• Desktop application:TotalValidator
(https://www.totalvalidator.com)
• Compliance: Siteimprove
(https://siteimprove.com)
128

129. Cynthia Says
129

130. Cynthia Says
Pros
• Provides feedback by requirement
• Can test Section 508,WACG 2.0 A,WACG
2.0 AA, and WACG 2.0 AAA compliance
130

131. Cynthia Says
Cons
• Tests one page a time
• Cannot test password protected
environments
131

132. WAVE plugin
132

133. WAVE plugin
Pros
• Free basic version
• Displays webpage with embedded icons
• Can test password protected websites
133

134. WAVE plugin
Cons
• Tests one page a time
• Tests based on both Section 508 and
WACG, can’t test for full 508 or WACG
compliance
134

135. TotalValidator
135

136. TotalValidator
Pros
• Free basic version
• Provides line-by-line analysis of code
• Can test Section 508,WACG 2.0 A,WACG
2.0 AA, and WACG 2.0 AAA compliance
• Can crawl multiple pages on a site
136

137. TotalValidator
Cons
• Basic only tests one page a time
• Assumes user understands code
137

138. Siteimprove
138

139. Siteimprove
Pros
• Constant or scheduled compliance testing
• Provides feedback by requirement
• Can test Section 508,WACG 2.0 A,WACG
2.0 AA, and WACG 2.0 AAA compliance
139

140. Siteimprove
Cons
• Complex
• Expensive
140

141. Which one for me?
• Do I need to test password protected site?
• Do I need to test more than one page?
• Do I need to test code, or only content?
• Do I need to maintain compliance or build a
new site/fix an existing site?
141

142. Where should I start?
Try the free WAVE extension for Chrome.
142

143. WAVE extension
• Summary and list of errors
• Error popup and code viewer
• Documentation of individual errors
• Outline view
• No style sheet view
• Contrast check, and desaturated view
143

144. Download & Install
144

145. WAVE summary
145

146. WAVE details
146

147. WAVE error popup
147

148. WAVE code view
148

149. WAVE popup & code
149

150. WAVE documentation
150

151. WAVE outline
151

152. WAVE no style
152

153. WAVE contrast
153

154. WAVE desaturate
154

155. Question Break #3
155

156. Beyond Website
Accessibility
156

157. Beyond Website Accessibility
• Usability
• Search Engine Optimization
• Voice Search
157

158. Usability
• Accessibility improves the usability of:
• Navigation
• Content
• Interactivity
158

159. Search Engine Optimization
• Accessibility compliance improves Search
Engine Optimization:
• Text content
• Image alt text
• Anchor text
159

160. Voice Search
• Thinking beyond the website, optimizing for
voice search can help you reach audiences
with disabilities more easily:
• Answer specific questions
• Conversational keywords
• Schema tagging
160

161. Conclusion and
resources
161

162. Conclusion
• No silver bullet to make sites accessible
• Accessibility is a never-ending process
• It’s still the right thing to do
162

163. Resources
• https://designhammer.com/blog/website-
accessibility-its-not-just-good-idea-its-law
or
• http://bit.ly/dhaccess
163

164. Thank You!
164

165. 165
Thank You!
More questions?
Stop by Booth 25

166. 166
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