annex 4: questions from bidders (ref. paragraph 4.6) · 3.6 text placement 6 4. images, graphs and...

Annex 4: Questions from Bidders (Ref. Paragraph 4.6)

No. RFP Section

reference

Question

1 2.1 Overview and

current approach

Are there any specific (e.g., UN or WHO sanctioned) accessibility

requirements that the website should adhere to?

The deliverable is to propose and develop updated website content,

information resources and links, expected functionalities, based on

the consultation, IAP external evaluation recommendation, and linked

to the stakeholder engagement strategy. All publications should be

designed in accordance with the guidance on accessible publishing at

WHO, annexed to this document.

The proposal mentions the “EOSG review of global health and SDG

architecture and WHO consultations on operationalizing health and

SDG.” Has this review already been developed, and can it be shared

with us?

This stakeholder consultation would be situated in this broader

context and aligned with and contributing to the EOSG (executive

office of the Secretary-General) review of global health and SDG

(Sustainable Development Goals) architecture and WHO

consultations on operationalizing health and SDG accountability

requirements overall. This review will feed into these two broader on-

going processes.

2 3.3 Deliverable Can you please clarify the scope for stakeholder consultations? Is

there a full list of organizations that will be included in stakeholder

consultations? If not, is there a maximum number of stakeholders that

we will be expected to interview?

Several information gathering methods are expected to be used,

including web-based surveys, key informant interviews, document

reviews and other methods. For key stakeholders, mapping is being

done for this process, including stakeholders as outlined in section

3.3. under deliverable 1.

Can you clarify the expected outputs for Deliverable 2? From reading

the description, it seems that you are anticipating a report containing

website content and design. Can you confirm if you’re anticipating

website mock-ups, recommended content, or a live website with all

content and design implemented? The costing for each of these

outputs varies significantly, so having a clear understanding of this

point will help us ensure accurate costing.

Correct, deliverable 2 is to provide suggestions for updated IAP

website table of contents, information resources and links, expected

functionalities, design and any digital assess (technical back-end work

is not included. That will be carried out by other company).

How many stakeholder consultations is the bidder expected to

conduct?

In addition to on-line survey, the stakeholder consultations may

include 20-30 targeted key informant interviews.

Would IAP Secretariat put us in touch with key

informants/stakeholders for the interview?

Yes, the IAP Secretariat will put the bidder in touch with key

informants/stakeholders for the interviews.

Will the web-based surveys be developed in only English or are there

other languages that are being considered? Will interviews be

conducted in English or any other language as well?

In English.

Is it the bidder expected to update the website at the backend or only

suggest design and content updates?

The bidder is expected to only update the content and design, with

suggested functionalities, but not work on the website backend. The

technical/backend implementation will be done by other service

provider.

3 4.12.3 Information

about Bidders

What does the following phrase mean: “Service commitment to

customers and measurements used”? Could you provide more

context or instructions?

Indicate any tools used by your company for measuring customer

satisfaction, such as turnaround times, KPIs etc..

4 4.12.4 Proposed

Solution

Does the “N/A” in the “Proposed Solution” section mean that the

“Proposed Solution” section will not be included in our proposal?

Correct. Having said that, as per 4.12.5, please provide a description

of the approach with examples from successful past projects in line

with the deliverables (see section 3.3). Please also include a

description of the process and staffing capacity proposed as well as

any other resources or networks that could be drawn on during the

course of the contract to produce a high-quality consultation report

and website update. Please also refer to Annex 3.

5 Could you please expand on “requirements... for accountability? Will

we be primarily evaluating past accountability requirements/mandates

that have already been implemented worked well (or didn’t) and why;

or will we be surfacing specific information needs, reporting and

communication mechanisms, etc. for accountability mechanisms that

may or may not already be in place?

It would be to look at current accountability requirements/mechanisms

and what has worked/what’s not and what are the lessons. The

exercise though is forward looking (based on lessons).

6 Are the IAP communications and/or stakeholder engagement

strategies already developed, or would this report and analysis feed

into those? If they are already developed, could we have access to

them? That would help ensure our proposed methodology is aligned

appropriately.

The strategies are not developed yet. This analysis and report are

expected to feed into the IAP communications strategy as well as

stakeholder engagement strategy for the IAP and independent

accountability more broadly.

Accessible information at WHO

Contents

1. Introduction 3

2. Finalizing your manuscript 3

3. Design and layout 4

3.1 Font style and type 4

3.2 Font size and weight 4

3.3 Logical design and layout 5

3.4 Alignment 5

3.5 Spacing 6

3.6 Text placement 6

4. Images, graphs and tables 7

4.1 Image placement 7

4.2 Colour contrast and combinations 8

4.3 Captions and alt text 10

4.4 Tables and graphs 11

5. Printing 13

6. File production 13


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1. Introduction

According to WHO, there are about 285 million people worldwide living with visual impairments. This is a significant audience that has a right to access WHO health information products.

This guidance on accessible information is aimed at making WHO reports, manuals, brochures, posters, presentations and other information products more accessible to people with visual impairments. It is intended for WHO staff who are responsible for producing information products, and external contractors (such as freelance graphic designers) who have been commissioned to do this work.

The guidance includes tips to improve the design and layout, imagery, printing and production of WHO information products, with the goal of improving accessibility for all audiences.

Planning is a key part of producing accessible information. Please share this guidance widely with technical and administrative staff at the outset of a project. We would also recommend discussing this guidance with your external graphic designers – and referring to it in their terms of reference. For more information, see the WHO e-learning course on accessible information, available on ilearn.

2. Finalizing your manuscript

There are some simple steps you can take to maximize accessibility as you finalize your document and prepare to send it to a graphic designer.

Structure the document consistently using the “Styles” toolbar in Microsoft Word to format the different heading levels.

A consistent structure makes the document more accessible to screen readers, and allows them to navigate coherently. You can also add alt text to images in Microsoft Word, which can be read by screen readers (see section 4.3).

It’s important to keep an updated copy of the final manuscript in Microsoft Word (known as the source version). If any last-minute changes are made to the document after it is already with the designer or printer, make sure that these changes are duly reflected in the source version. Having a source version means that you could provide it, upon request, to users with visual impairments, who may find it easier to read a plain-text Microsoft Word document (see section 6).


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3. Design and layout

3.1 Font style and type

Choose clear, simple and familiar font styles1 with characters that can be easily recognized. Most people read by remembering the shapes of words, so avoid using decorative and ornate fonts, which may distort the shapes of letters.

Use bold type to create emphasis, rather than capitals, italics and underlined text. Long blocks of capitals, italics and underlined text can distort the shapes of letters and make them difficult to read.

3.2 Font size and weight

Using normal-weight or heavy-weight font makes it easier to recognize letters. Light-weight text can appear faint and difficult to distinguish on the page. Try squinting at a block of text first in a light-weight font and then again in a normal or heavy-weight font to see the differences in legibility.

The type size should be at least 12 points. According to the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), reading speed increases as the size of text increases, with a “30% increase in the likelihood of fluent reading for every increase of 1 point beyond 10 points”.


Clear typefaces, such as Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, Verdana, Garamond and Calibri are generally easier to read.

Complicated and decorative styles are difficult to read and should be avoided.

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.



HEALTH IS A STATE OF COMPLETE PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING AND NOT MERELY THE ABSENCE OF DISEASE OR INFIRMITY.

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3.3 Logical design and layout

Ensure that your publication follows a clear and logical design and layout. This means keeping the page uncluttered and ensuring that headings, page numbers and other navigational features always appear in the same location, in a consistent format, on the page and throughout the document.

3.4 Alignment

Left-aligned text (for all WHO languages other than Arabic) creates a logical reading pattern and makes it easier for readers to find the starting point of the paragraph or next line.

Justified paragraphs can crowd words together or leave large gaps between words.

Right-aligned or centred paragraphs are difficult to follow for partially sighted readers, because they often start and end in different places on the page.

This text is light weight and 9 point in size.


This text is normal weight and 14 point in size.

Progress has been made in establishing a mechanism for setting translation priorities. The Regional Offices for the Eastern Mediterranean and the Western Pacific have begun consultations with some Member States to establish a clear and effective strategy for setting translation priorities, and to identify priority topics and titles.

Progress has been made in establishing a mechanism for setting translation priorities. The Regional Offices for the Eastern Mediterranean and the Western Pacific have begun consultations with some Member States to establish a clear and effective strategy for setting translation priorities, and to identify priority topics and titles.

Progress has been made in establishing a mechanism for setting translation priorities. The Regional Offices for the Eastern Mediterranean and the Western Pacific have begun

consultations with some Member States to establish a clear and effective strategy for setting translation priorities, and to identify priority topics and titles.

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3.5 Spacing

Leading

The amount of space between lines in a paragraph – known as leading – is very important. Leaving adequate leading space enhances the ease and speed of reading.

Margins and gutters

Ensure that the gutter space (i.e. the space between columns) is at least 1 point. Columns spaced tightly together can look like one solid block of text to people with visual impairments.

White space on the page is also important and allows the text “room to breathe”. Avoid shortening the margins to fit in more text.

3.6 Text placement Horizontally placed text is preferable in all printed materials. While this may seem self-explanatory, some of WHO’s information products have titles or headings that appear vertically or diagonally, which can be very hard for a partially sighted person to follow and locate on a page. The spine text of a book is an exception, since readers can position the book as they wish to read the text. Any text that does not appear in a straight line can also pose a problem. Imagine how difficult it would be to read the curved sentence below if you could only see a few words on the page at one time.


Food safety encompasses actions aimed at ensuring that all food is as safe as possible. Food safety policies and actions need to cover the entire food chain, from production to consumption.

Food safety encompasses actions aimed at ensuring that all food is as safe as possible. Food safety policies and actions need to cover the entire food chain, from production to consumption.

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4. Images, graphs and tables

4.1 Image placement

Images should be positioned near the text to which they correspond. The text should also make clear reference to the image. Every box, table and figure should be numbered and bear a legend (caption). They should also always be mentioned in the text.

Place larger images at the top or bottom of the page. This ensures that the reader doesn’t accidently skip over text.

When wrapping text around an image (as in the image above), place the image to the right side of the page and wrap the text around the left side. This will ensure that the text is still left-aligned and avoid disrupting the reading flow.

Avoid placing text over photographs or textured backgrounds. The competing images and text can be distracting and decrease legibility. Readers do not expect to find text within images or photographs and may miss the information.


HIV testing and counselling

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Overlapping one image over another can also be confusing as it is often unclear where one image ends and another begins. Try to separate groups of images with borders and white space.

4.2 Colour contrast and combinations

A sharp contrast between background and text colour enhances legibility. Very dark colours should be contrasted with very pale colours. If you are using white type on a dark background, a heavy-weight font can make the text stand out clearly.

People with colour blindness have difficulty distinguishing between certain colour combinations. Red-green colour blindness – the most common form of the condition – makes it difficult to tell red and green apart, so avoid using these colours together in maps, graphs and other figures.


This text is easier to read because it is written in white and contrasted with a deep blue colour.

The contrast between these two colours is less stark, making the text harder to read.

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The maps below illustrate the importance of colour combinations. The red and green sections of the map below would be indistinguishable to someone with red-green colour blindness.

To a person with red-green colour blindness, the red and green map may appear as varying shades of brown.

If colour coding cannot be avoided, consider also using an arrow or other marker to identify different sections or values with text. The most important thing is to avoid using colour as the only means of communicating information.


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4.3 Captions and alt text

Captions

Most images and figures (aside from those that are purely decorative) should be accompanied by a caption used to complement or contextualize the image.

Bike safety is a key part of school safety education programmes for children in Viet Nam.

Alt text

Alt text describes or explains images and figures to people with visual impairments. Alt text appears when users hover their cursor over an image; this text can also be read out loud by a screen reader.

Alt text is frequently used on websites and can be added to images and figures in electronic documents (including those in Microsoft Word and PDF formats). Graphic designers should add alt text to the design file (e.g. using InDesign) and ensure it carries over when the document is converted to PDF.

Alt text should be written for all images and figures. For images, alt text should describe the image and its purpose or meaning. For graphs, alt text should convey the visual layout and highlight a key trend.


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Consider the following image. Then read the suggested alt text and caption below.

Alt text Caption

A mother holds her newborn baby as a nurse administers the hepatitis B vaccine at the Philippines General Hospital in Manila

In countries where the risk of mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B infection is high, WHO recommends a dose of hepatitis B vaccine as soon after birth as possible.

There are two main considerations for using alt text: (i) authoring the alt text, which requires specific writing skills; and (ii) integrating the text into the electronic versions of your publication, which requires planning. Alt text should ideally be written by the author or editor during the manuscript authoring process, and should be provided to the designer for inclusion in the electronic version of the information product.

To add alt text to a Microsoft Word document, right-click on the image and select Format picture. From the left-hand pane, select Alt text and add a meaningful description.

4.4 Tables and graphs

Tables can display large amounts of data in a clear and structured way; however, there are some key design factors to bear in mind.

Accessible tables have the following features.

• Values are aligned on the decimal point and placed in the centre of the cell.• Column and row headings are clearly labelled and repeated when the table continues

on a second page.


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• En rules (—) or abbreviations (such as NA for “not applicable” or “not available”, or ND for “not determined”) are used to indicate where data are missing.

• No cells are split.

Graphs should be clearly labelled with a heading and caption where applicable. Provide data labels to avoid using colour as the only means of communicating information (see Fig. 1.0 below). Choose contrasting colours and avoid problematic colour combinations, such as red and green (see section 4.2).

Fig. 1.0 Under-five mortality rate doubly disaggregated by place of residence and economic status in Benin

Descriptive information for tables and figures should be provided in the electronic version using alt text (see section 4.3).

Wherever possible, the designer should include headings and labels as text (rather than as part of the image file) to ensure that they can be accessed by screen readers.


Deaths per 10 000 live births

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5. Printing

Select matt (rather than glossy or laminated) paper to avoid glare and reflection. Make sure the paper is thick enough to minimize the amount of show-through from the other side.

6. File production

To enhance the accessibility of electronic files, graphic designers should tag the document structure (e.g. heading levels) and the reading order of paragraphs and ensure the tags are carried over when the document is converted to PDF. Alt text should be inserted in the design file for all images and figures (see http://www.adobe.com/accessibility/products/indesign/alt-text.html).

The electronic file should not have any security restrictions. The risks of pirating are slim and locking the file can make it inaccessible to screen readers. Those intent on pirating the document will find a way around the restrictions anyway.

Graphic designers may also be able to export a plain text-only version of the final document is also accessible to screen readers (e.g. in .docx or .rtf). This text version is often preferred by people with visual impairments and is also screen readers. Once this accessible version is available, a note can be added to the relevant department’s website, inviting people with visual impairments to contact WHO if they wish to receive it.


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