accessibility in government w s g nov 2007
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Implementing accessibility in Government:
a holistic approachRuth Ellison
Canberra Web Standards Group21 November 2007
What is accessibility?
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/563188608/
Accessibility - the definition
The degree to which a system is usable by as many people as
possible, including…
Visual
blindness, low vision, colour blindness
Cognitivedyslexia, ADD
Physical/motortemporary or permanent
Hearing
Situational disabilities
Technology/infrastructure limited
Aging population
People from culturally / linguistic diverse backgrounds
ABS survey in 2003….
20% of Australians have a disability
15% accident or injury
14% disease, illness or heredity
11% working conditions, work or over-work
Understanding accessibility
Impact or severity is varied
Invisible disabilities
Temporary impairments
Permanent impairmentsBorn with a disabilityDevelop it over time
Accessibility is not a stand alone process
Think about accessibility earlier…
Holistic and multi-disciplinary approach
Usability AND accessibility together and part of the overall
user experience
Considerations
ORGANISATIONAL
An ad hoc approach
Many organisations take an ad hoc or as-needed approach to accessibility
Issues include:– Expensive retrofitting exercises – Accessibility information based in a
small team, which can disappear
Accessibility approach
Accessibility teamAuthority and responsibility to
implement changeRaise awarenessSet standardsQuality assurance including testing
Management
Find a sponsor / championGet management support
Funding
Consideration of a centralised accessibility fund to fund
accessibility design, support and testing
Show ROI
Reduced compensation claimsReduced maintenanceReduce possibility of litigation
Purchasing decisions
Customised versus off-the-shelfConsideration of accessibility &
usability requirements in tender processes
Need to factor enough time for:
User researchIterative design
Standards based development Testing
Timeframes
Build relationships
Occupational Health & SafetyHuman Resources
AT user groupsBusiness areas
Media teamIT
Training
Focused training to provide good
grounding of technical aspects & laws
Other considerations
Disability Action Plan / Diversity Plans
Central registry of Assistive Technology users
FRAMEWORK AND TOOLS
Standards and guidelines should have accessibility built into it
Distribution method
Keep it updated
Standards & guidelines
Assistive technologies
JAWS, Dragon, ZoomText
Other types of assistive technologies
ZoomText keyboard
Braille refreshable display
Tools
Which Assistive Technologies to support?
Have consistent versionsFactor in upgrade costs
EvaluationsShould be done early and oftenMore than compliance
– Still need to do automated testing and testing requiring human judgement
Usability testing with real people
PEOPLE
ResearchWho are the users?
People with disabilities should be one of your key personas
What tools are they using?How well do they know their tools?
Project Managers’ understanding of accessibility
Developers’ understanding of accessibility
Business owners’ understanding of accessibility
Designers’ understanding of accessibility
DesignVisual – size of text, colours, typography
Cognitive – white spacing, progress indicators
Physical – fly out menus, size of elements
Hearing – captions, use of sound
Situational – environmental factors
UsersGet them involvedHelp increase their knowledge of Assistive
TechnologiesTest early, test oftenKnowledge sharing forum
Get passionate people on board!
Expertise is essentialGet the right staff With the right skillsWith the right attitude
Get involvedConferences Web Standards Group Community of Practice
Read/comment in Blogs
Remember…
Accessibility is not a stand alone process
Holistic and multi-disciplinary
Early consideration
Be passionate
Questions?
Need more info?
Ruth EllisonEmail: ruthe@stamfordinteractive.com.auPhone: 02 6280 7834Mobile: 0423 763 314Web: www.stamfordinteractive.com.au
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