This document discusses web accessibility and the Hong Kong government's efforts to promote inclusive digital services. It provides an overview of the Digital 21 strategy, what web accessibility is, why it is important, and major concerns from persons with disabilities. It also covers international web accessibility standards, practices in other governments, Hong Kong's web accessibility campaign and how to start a web accessibility project. The goal is to make digital services accessible to all, including those with disabilities.

1. Office of the Government Chief Information Officer
Web For All
Digital Inclusion Divison
March 2012

2. Agenda
• Digital 21 Strategy and Inclusive Society
• What is Web Accessibility?
• Why Web Accessibility?
• Major Concerns from Persons with Disabilities
with Recommendations
• International Standard
• International & Government practices
• Web Accessibility Campaign
• Start your Web Accessibility Project

3. Digital 21 Strategy & Inclusive Society
One of five key areas of 2008 Digital 21 Strategy
• Building an inclusive, knowledge-based society
• bring the benefit of ICT to disadvantaged groups
• enhance their quality of life
• strengthen their capacity in engaging with the
development of information society

4. What is Web Accessibility?
• Making website content available
for ALL
• Including persons with disabilities

5. What is Web Accessibility?
• An accessible website －
Is perceivable Can be used with Provides Reduces
assistive device additional impediments
descriptions
•Adjustable •Screen reader •Text •Some people
font size transcript for have
•Input devices
multi-media difficulties
•Sufficient for persons
contents using the
colour with disabilities
mouse
contrast
•Voice control
•Audio software
control

6. Why Web Accessibility?
• Equal opportunities
• for persons with disabilities, elderly, etc.
• Social responsibility
• Widest possible reach-out
• Lower costs in the long term

7. Major concerns from persons with
disabilities with recommendations
• Engage rehabilitation organisations
• Receive surveys from over 300 persons
with disabilities
• Understand major problems in accessing
websites

8. Major concerns from persons with
disabilities with recommendations
1. Unable to skip Adobe Flash and moving
objects

9. Major concerns from persons with
disabilities with recommendations
2. Small font sizes or insufficient colour
contrast

10. Major concerns from persons with
disabilities with recommendations
• Example 1 – Resize Text
 All text can be resized up to 200%
Cannot resize text Can resize text

11. Major concerns from persons with
disabilities with recommendations
• Example 2 – Colour Contrast
 Contrast ratio of at least 1: 4.5
Poor background contrast Easier to read with higher contrast

12. Major concerns from persons with
disabilities with recommendations
3. No alternatives for non-text information
• Descriptive text alternative
for image Web Accessibility
• Text transcripts for audio Management
Handbook
and video

13. Major concerns from persons with
disabilities with recommendations
• Example 3 – Avoid Non-text Content
 Text alternative for all content
Screen reader can not Description of the picture can
read the picture be read by screen reader

14. Major concerns from persons with
disabilities with recommendations
4. Complicated website structure
Complicated website structure Simpler and ordered website structure

15. Major concerns from persons with
disabilities with recommendations
5. Missing heading structure
• Provide appropriate heading structure for
screen readers
Missing heading structure Appropriate heading structure

16. Major concerns from persons with
disabilities with recommendations
6. Images of text
• Do NOT use images to display text as screen
readers cannot read text inside an image
An image of text heading Text heading

17. Major concerns from persons with
disabilities with recommendations
7. Content and functions inaccessible by
keyboard
• Ensure all content and functions can be
accessed via a keyboard, e.g. through Tab key
and the Enter key

18. Major concerns from persons with
disabilities with recommendations
8. Websites with background audio

19. Major concerns from persons with
disabilities with recommendations
9. Difficulties in accessing PDF documents
PDF documents not accessible Text-based accessible PDF

20. Major concerns from persons with
disabilities with recommendations
10. Outdated text versions
• Keep the text-only versions updated
• Prevent asymmetrical contents with the
graphical versions
• When graphical version is verified to be
accessible, text-only version may be considered
to remove

21. International Standard
• World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web
Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
• International widely adopted standard
• Latest version is 2.0

22. International Standard
• W3C WCAG 2.0 consist of four parts
4 Principles
12 Guidelines
61 Success Criteria
Many Techniques

23. Guidelines for Perceivable
1.1 Provide text alternatives for any non-text content so
that it can be changed into other forms people need.
1.2 Provide alternatives for time-based media.
1.3 Create content that can be presented in different ways
without losing information or structure.
1.4 Make it easier for users to see and hear content
including separating foreground from background.

24. Guidelines for Operable
2.1 Make all functionality available from a keyboard.
2.2 Provide users enough time to read and use content.
2.3 Do not design content in a way that is known to cause
seizures.
2.4 Provide ways to help users navigate, find content, and
determine where they are.

25. Guidelines for Understandable & Robust
3.1 Make text content readable and understandable.
3.2 Make Web pages appear and operate in predictable
ways.
3.3 Help users avoid and correct mistakes.
4.1 Maximize compatibility with current and future user
agents, including assistive technologies.

26. International and Government Practices
• Some governments are adopting W3C
WCAG 2.0 for public facing websites
Countries Standard Timeline to achieve standard
New Zealand WCAG 2.0 Level AA June 2010
United Kingdom WCAG 1.0 Level AA March 2011
Canada WCAG 2.0 Level AA July 2013
Singapore WCAG 1.0 and key December 2013
aspects of WCAG 2.0
Australia WCAG 2.0 Level A & Level December 2014
AA

27. International and Government Practices
• In latest version (Version 2.0) there are three Levels
of conformance -
Level A Level AA Level AAA
25 success criteria +13 success criteria +23 success criteria
Basic Recommended Ideal
Level AA Conformance

28. International and Government Practices
• HK Government has been implementing web
accessibility guidelines since 1999, based on a
version of W3C WCAG
• HK Government websites, except archive
materials, are required to conform to W3C
WCAG 2.0 Level AA by 2013
• Encourage quasi-government and public
service organisations to take corresponding
action

29. Web Accessibility Campaign
Launched in 2011 -
• Focus group discussion
• Survey with persons with disabilities
• Management handbook
• Portal with Illustration webpages
(www.webforall.gov.hk)
• Awareness building seminars

30. Web Accessibility Campaign
Upcoming events
• Experience sharing sessions &
Technical workshops
• Ethics building in tertiary education
institutions
• Recognition scheme

31. Start Your Web Accessibility Project
Assess the Whole Website
• Consider rearranging the structure
• Simplify content
• Use simple HTML code can help a lot
• Alternative text for image, alt=
• Keyboard input, onkeypass=
• Define language, lang=
• Testing

32. Testing Techniques
1. Code Scanning
• Many accessibility issues can be detected
automatically using specialist software and
tools.
Example Tools -
AChecker
WAVE
Web Accessibility Checker

33. Testing Techniques
2. Manual Screen Reader Testing
• Navigate your website and determine just
how much information you’re able to access
through the screen reading software.
Example Tools -
Jaws
VoiceOver
Window Light

34. Testing Techniques
3. Human Testing – preferably by persons with
disabilities
• Many organisations that support persons
with disabilities can help by providing free or
affordable human testing services.
• Website owners are encouraged to contact
these organisations for assistance.

35. Questions and Answers

36. Web For All
At the time building fast application
and using modern technology
Adopt accessibility design
Join hands to make Hong Kong a
caring and inclusive IT hub

37. Thank you