The Forest and the Trees: Scaling for Enterprise-Level Digital Accessibility
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In this webinar, Kathryn Weber-Hottleman will discuss global accessibility standards and broad and narrow applications of digital accessibility. You will also learn how to draft a plan for universal institutional accessibility, and understand how institutional accessibility impacts areas like procurement and standalone digital products.
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The Forest and the Trees: Scaling for Enterprise-Level Digital Accessibility
- 1. Kathryn E. Weber-Hottleman IT Accessibility Coordinator University of Connecticut Scaling for Enterprise-Level Digital Accessibility The Forest and the Trees 1
- 2. • Introduction • Background • Designing an ICT accessibility plan – Accessibility testing – Stakeholders • Takeaways Agenda 2
- 3. • Increased technology in daily life necessitates accessibility regulations • WCAG 2.0 • Dear Colleague Letters (DCLs) and case precedent Introduction 3
- 4. • Proactive plan – Evaluating current accessibility levels – Remediating issues – Positioning for future ICT accessibility Introduction 2 4
- 5. Internal Guidance: Policy Evaluating Current Accessibility Issues 5
- 6. • Enforceable • Achievable • Supported – Best practices – Tutorials – Similar specific supports • Defined – WCAG 2.0 AA • Integrated – Other policies – Other organizational best practices Policies 6
- 8. • Areas for Testing – Newly created websites • Resources to guide through development – Existing websites • Variety of standards • Freedom to modify templates • Many websites – Non-website ICT • Often third-party vendor Assessment 8
- 9. • Prioritization – Number of users – Audience direction – Transactional nature – Traffic from students with disabilities • Accessibility testing schedule refreshes frequently Assessment 2 9
- 10. Rule of thumb: Design sites in such a way that someone using a public computer and a free screen reader for the first time can easily navigate the site. • Automated checkers – WAVE by WebAIM – Chrome plugins • Manual testing methods – Trusted Tester Program – WebAIM’s accessibility training – DRES IT Accessibility Badging Program (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) • Some screen readers – NVDA, JAWS Assessment Tools 10
- 11. • Trusted Tester Method – Web Accessibility Toolbar or Accessible Name and Description Inspector (ANDI) – Jim Thatcher’s favelets – Java Ferret or Access Bridge Explorer for Java – AI Inspect – Contrast Checker, Color Contrast Pal Assessment Method 11
- 12. • Test a website’s pages, applications, content • Generate report: Trusted Tester template • Summary report: UConn template • Optional: Condensed report • Distribute report • Meet with relevant staff Assessment Process 12
- 13. Training and Stakeholders Remediating Compliance Issues 13
- 14. • Qualifications – Caveat: Much is learned on the job – Trained in accessibility testing – Thorough understanding of ADA, Sections 504 and 508, state accessibility laws, WCAG 2.0 – Experience applying laws • Preferably in disability services office (DSO) or compliance office – Familiarity with web development and design – Strong sense of collaboration – High level of independence IT Accessibility Coordinator 14
- 15. • Responsibilities – Draft and implement action plan – Set priorities – Determine remediation responsibilities – Develop system for monitoring accessibility: Sustainable and scalable – Develop and maintain central resource for accessibility information: Website and training – Create global sense of teamwork: Accessibility culture IT Accessibility Coordinator 2 15
- 16. • Many areas where could be situated • Flexibility required from organization leadership and from IT accessibility coordinator IT Accessibility Coordinator 3 16
- 17. Visionaries Realizers • ICT accessibility requires support from top-level leadership – Shows priorities – Infuses into organization’s culture • 2 groups of stakeholders – Visionaries: Shape organization’s direction – Realizers: Hands-on problem solvers Stakeholders 17
- 18. Working together, visionaries and realizers can promote institutional mindset where accessibility is a standard initial consideration for any ICT. • Visionaries and realizers must work together – Achieve accessibility culture • Visionaries: Official sanction for accessibility changes • Realizers: Concrete solutions Stakeholders 2 18
- 19. • Average content author – Non-technical – Focuses on quick, easy fixes – Can be applied to learning management system or web content • IT – Highly technical – Focuses on code and template development • Upcoming: Procurement, Events Management Training 19
- 20. • Prioritization – “Heat map”: Cost and number of users – Student or public use – Essential for class or work – Transactional • Similar to how websites are prioritized for testing Procurement 20
- 21. • Stakeholders – Procurement – IT – Compliance office – Disability services office – Department purchasing ICT Procurement 2 21
- 22. • Why involve accessibility in the procurement process? – Alleviates stress of remediating – Financially responsible – Sensitive to time – Furthers accessibility culture Procurement 3 22
- 23. • How? – Others must be able to evaluate product accessibility on high level • VPAT training • Accessibility questions to ask vendor – Critical thinking about accessibility – Recognizing needs of users with disabilities Procurement 4 23
- 24. • Limitations – Amount of time to thoroughly test a product • Bottleneck – If test after purchase, could be found inaccessible • How do we work with vendors of inaccessible products? • What do we do if a product is inaccessible but is still the most accessible option? Procurement 5 24
- 25. Takeaways and Trajectory Positioning for the Future 25
- 26. Given tools, the organization is moving swiftly to a place where all users can experience UConn. • As an institution, shifting towards accessibility culture • Importance of central resource for accessibility information: IT Accessibility Website • https://accessibility.its.uconn.edu/ Takeaways 26
- 27. Contact Information: Email k.weberhottleman@uconn.edu Phone 860.486.9193 Website accessibility.its.uconn.edu Questions? 27
Editor's Notes
- Looking at both the narrow, practical how-tos and the broad, organizational plan
- Story about getting started with making this plan
- Increased technology in daily life necessitates accessibility regulations Civil rights laws: ADA, Section 504, Section 508 January 2018 Section 508 refresh: WCAG 2.0 Applies to federal agencies and offices Dear Colleague Letters (DCLs) and case precedent Apply to other organizations, like higher education institutions DCL from DOJ and OCR in 2010, DCL from OCR in 2011 UC Berkeley (2016), Harvard (2016), MIT (2016), Miami University of Ohio (2016) OCR complaints with resolution agreements ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act as Amended (amended 2008) Sections 504 and 508: of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 originally for returning veterans from the Vietnam War DOJ: Department of Justice OCR: Office of Civil Rights, under the Department of Education
- Key Idea: Proactive plan Evaluating current accessibility levels Remediating issues Positioning for future ICT accessibility: Wrapping into Procurement process Word of mouth: Getting the word out about ICT accessibility ICT sub-committee Working closely with template designers so out-of-the-box templates are accessible Working with different departments' designers and developers on remediation Accessibility is getting wrapped into their redesign processes
- UConn policies: Universal Website Accessibility Policy Providing Information in Alternative Formats Policy Policy Against Discrimination, Harassment, and Related Interpersonal Violence UConn best practices: Marketing, Social Media (adapted from Ward & Ashe 2017) Good example is University of Missouri (Mizzou): IT accessibility policy and guidelines
- Newly created websites: Go live form with questions specifically about accessibility Reminds developers about Universal Website Accessibility Policy Aurora, UConn’s instance of WordPress, features: greyed out images with no alt text clearly marks as inaccessible Criteria establish site’s priority for testing Examples: Number of users: high traffic, like UConn’s Athletics site Audience direction: high traffic from outside UConn community, like Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts Transactional site: patrons contract business, like CRT Used regularly by SWD: My Access portal for CSD Schedule refreshes regularly: New site meeting multiple criteria trumps old site meeting 1 criterion Reviewing during the update process, like with CSD’s site Non-website ICT: Campus-wide product must have accessibility considered during RFP process, while program used by 1-2 individuals should consider accessibility Will discuss procurement later in the presentation
- High priority site: uconnhuskies.com (Athletics) Thousands of views Transactional High priority site: CSD.uconn.edu Used by students with disabilities Low priority site: a site set up for one semester by a graduate student Unlikely to be highly trafficked Will not be maintained after semester These sites are tier 3: Will eventually be assessed but not a pressing need Can recommend that site is set to "Private" after the semester Training is available to all developers and designers of these sites If a specific site is brought to attention, becomes higher priority Scaling the assessment process: Training others on accessibility audit methodology: others can do a high-level review Checklists for faculty, staff Checklists for student workers As time allows, I can do a more in-depth review Discussing global changes with developers and designers Accessibility changes are implemented from the top down: Affect all templated sites Discussing site accessibility with developers and designers Content is remediated, made accessible going forward
- Automated checkers unearth general issues on a site: Touch the surface of compliance testing, must be supplemented by manual testing DRES-IT: Disability Resources & Educational Services IT Accessibility Badging Program Screen readers: Some, like JAWS, are structured in a way that they rework code into its most accessible format. This means that they can frequently reconfigure digital content that is not accessible by design and read it as though it was accessible. Because of this feature, they are not accurate indicators of a site’s accessibility.
- These tools are selected because they are free: Available to all Also, recommended by the Trusted Tester Program Definitely a learning curve with these tools: Not necessarily easy to use Currently working to provide resources so others can undertake the initial accessibility assessment I will still do final review
- Test a website’s pages, applications, content Representative selection vs. entire website Categorizing the report results helps determine what remediation can be effected in-house and what remediation must be addressed by web development and design staff Sorted based on responsibility 3 categories: Template, site-specific, content author Solutions and rationales At UConn, web development and design is typically handled by Information Technology Services (ITS) or by designated staff in a given department Many individuals may contribute content to a site Because many departments use Aurora templates, not all remediation can be done by individuals or departments but is instead referred to ITS Templates are often customized: Site-specific theme issues may need to be directed to ITS Content issues are the responsibility of the content author Optional: Condensed report Target “low-hanging fruit” Meet with relevant staff Tailor solutions to site in question
- ICT accessibility is a constantly evolving field Trained through a recognized program like the Trusted Tester Program Familiarity with web development and design is helpful for proposing solutions and discussing accessibility standards with IT teams The IT Accessibility Coordinator is likely to intersect with many departments but to primarily work on his own Independence to strategically build relationships and form his own “team.”
- Accessibility culture: Working less from a standpoint of compliance ("you must do this") and more from a place of general accessibility ("spreading info to the largest possible audience") Giving people tools that work with their current skillsets Trusting people to come up with solutions Providing practical suggestions to get the ball rolling, but deferring to dev/design's expertise Trusting people to make necessary changes Offering reevaluations during remediation process Establishing the idea that we're on the same team, working to promote UConn Positive reinforcement: it doesn't take much time to remediate, and accessibility habits will form quickly Recognizing the work and accessibility considerations already built in Recognizing collaborations publicly: On ITA site Recognizing accessibility pioneers: SFA, inCHIP (maybe), [squared labs] Asking them for feedback: Creating a process out of the pioneers' experiences
- Many areas where could be situated: Disability Services Office, IT, compliance office At UConn, the ITAC is housed in ITS Pros: The ITAC has a universal role, and this is clearly demonstrated because UConn’s ITS serves the entire institution Minimizes preconceived ideas about the ITAC’s role, which might not be the case if he was situated in the disability services office or the office of institutional equity Affords the ITAC many resources, departmentally and in the form of professional development opportunities The ITAC can focus solely on ICT accessibility, without the responsibility of a caseload Challenges: Currently works on own Steep learning curve, both for the ITAC about ITS and vice versa Because the ITAC is a new position for the University, flexibility is required from University leadership and from the ITAC Flexibility required from organization leadership and from IT accessibility coordinator Frequent input from leadership and stakeholders shapes priorities, timeline, expectations IT accessibility coordinator incorporates priorities and adjusts timing as needed
- Visionaries: Shape organization’s direction Responsible for top-down decisions Govern policies Realizers: Hands-on problem solvers Enact remediation changes Carry out policies Work with IT Accessibility Coordinator on daily basis
- Buy-in from visionaries Support from realizers
- Accessibility training can build on preexisting training UConn: Training for Blackboard and Aurora has accessibility training included Adapt and customize existing third party training, with permission: WebAIM, W3C, the Section 508 playbook, and vendors like 3Play Media and Blackboard Training can happen prior to web or content design or during remediation process IT: Discussions include checking third party widgets and plugins for accessibility and potentially includes a discussion around involving the vendor with remediation strategies UConn has historically submitted tickets to vendors Procurement In-depth Focuses on questions to ask vendors and contractors Includes discussion of timing for introducing accessibility into conversation with vendors
- “Heat map”: Cost and number of users Enterprise-level products top priority Student or public use Necessary for a student or community member to engage with UConn top priority Essential for class or work Transactional Ticketing systems like those used by IT, Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, and Athletics are prioritized over non-transactional sites
- Process prior to purchase Request a VPAT or similar accessibility information Conduct high-level accessibility assessment on website: If website is accessible, likely product was designed with accessibility in mind Trial of product: Test accessibility Case-by-case assessment: If product is not accessible and is the one product that best fits the University's needs, plan for equivalent access Policies: Currently working to update Universal Website Accessibility Policy May broaden scope to include Procurement
- As an institution, shifting towards accessibility culture Thinking proactively about accessibility Adding accessibility into current processes Importance of accessibility toolkit Non-compliance typically result of not knowing Set expectations: Standardized testing process Tool and solution repositories