The document discusses building accessible websites from a practical perspective. It addresses how accessibility can fall by the wayside due to roadblocks from stakeholders, designers, and developers. It advocates keeping goals realistic and using progressive enhancement, where the basic accessible content and structure is provided first before other enhancements. An example project for the Blue Angels website is described where progressive enhancement was applied during the definition, design, and development phases while maintaining an audit trail.

2. A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO BUILDING THE ACCESSIBLE WEB
From the Trenches
Jon Reid | Senior Developer

3. A little about me:
Senior Developer at EffectiveUI
HTML, CSS, and Java Script Lead
• Agencies: EffectiveUI, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Texturemedia
• Business: Core Business Solutions, Western Union
• Science: Genomica, Joint Institute of Laboratory Astrophysics
From The Trenches | A practical approach to building the accessible web

4. Web Project Dynamics
From The Trenches | A practical approach to building the accessible web
Traditional Dynamic
Stakeholders1
2
3
Designers
Developers

5. How does accessibility fall by the wayside?
From The Trenches | A practical approach to building the accessible web
• Discussions become too abstract
• People start throwing up roadblocks

6. STAKEHOLDER ROADBLOCKS
How does accessibility fall by the wayside?
"It's too expensive"1
2
3
"We don't need to be accessible"
"That's not our audience"
From The Trenches | A practical approach to building the accessible web

7. DESIGNER ROADBLOCKS
How does accessibility fall by the wayside?
"It’s too limiting"1
2
3
"What about the least common denominator"
"It will be ugly"
4 "It will be boring"
From The Trenches | A practical approach to building the accessible web

8. DEVELOPER ROADBLOCKS
How does accessibility fall by the wayside?
"No technology support"1
2
3
"Restricts our implementation"
"It’s too hard and takes too long"
From The Trenches | A practical approach to building the accessible web

9. Bull.You CAN do it all.
From The Trenches | A practical approach to building the accessible web

10. Keep It Real
• Focus on requirements
• Create achievable goals
• Perfection is unnecessary
From The Trenches | A practical approach to building the accessible web

11. ADVANTAGES
Keeping it real
Defines the risks and returns1
2
3
Informs decisions
Provides transparency
helps the stakeholder
From The Trenches | A practical approach to building the accessible web

12. ADVANTAGES
Keeping it real
Defines creative scope1
2 Focuses the design process
helps the designer
From The Trenches | A practical approach to building the accessible web

13. ADVANTAGES
Keeping it real
Guides technological decisions1
2
3
Defines constraints
Creates tangible goals
helps the developer
From The Trenches | A practical approach to building the accessible web

14. Progressive Enhancement
From The Trenches | A practical approach to building the accessible web
A useful framework for implementing accessibility

15. Progressive Enhancement
Internet Explorer 8 | Microsoft
CSS3 example
From The Trenches | A practical approach to building the accessible web
Firefox | Mozilla Chrome | Google

16. Internet Explorer 8 | Detail Chrome | Detail

17. Progressive enhancement throughout a project
From The Trenches | A practical approach to building the accessible web
• Define requirements
• Create audit trail
• Focus on specifics

18. HERE’S HOW IT WOULD GO
Define accessibility requirements1
2
3
Create audit trail
Focus on technological requirements early in project
Progressive Enhancement during the definition phase
From The Trenches | A practical approach to building the accessible web
• Explains decisions
• Demonstrates efforts

19. HERE’S HOW IT WOULD GO
Maintain audit trail for relevant requirements1
2
3
Simple progressive enhancement notes
Don’t wireframe every progressive state
Progressive Enhancement during design
From The Trenches | A practical approach to building the accessible web

20. HERE’S HOW IT WOULD GO
Continue to maintain audit trail1
2
3
Implement accessibility requirements
Use audit trail as base for Quality Assurance testing
Progressive Enhancement during development
From The Trenches | A practical approach to building the accessible web

21. Real Life Example
From The Trenches | A practical approach to building the accessible web
Project Pensacola: a new website for the Blue Angels

22. Blue Angels | Vision Demo

23. Blue Angels | Home Page Example

24. Accessibility Structure | Home Page Example Blue Angels | Home Page Example

25. Blue Angels | Team Example

26. Accessibility Structure | Team Example Blue Angels | Team Example

27. Blue Angels | Media Example

28. Accessibility Structure | Media Example Blue Angels | Media Example

29. Blue Angels | Aircraft Example

30. Accessibility Structure | Home Page Example Blue Angels | Home Page Example

31. Blue Angels | Informational Example

32. Accessibility Structure | Informational Example Blue Angels | Informational Example

33. Thank You and Questions