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Section 508 Compliance: Website Accessibility | Talking PDF

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Is Your Website Accessible to People with Disabilities?

Pos ted on May 3, 2012 by V irginia Gavin in Compliance, T alking PDF, Us er A cces s ibility

Ju st a s ph y sica l a ccessibilit y t o st or es, offices a n d pu blic bu ildin g s is n ow com m on pla ce, so sh ou ld a ccess t o in for m a t ion in docu m en t s a n d on w ebsit es. How ev er , ex per t s sa y t h a t s t h e la st t h in g on m a n y w eb dev eloper s m in ds. It is disa ppoin t in g t o m e t h a t w e h a v e seen lot s of m a in st r ea m t ech n olog y g et ea sier a n d m or e a t t r a ct iv e, bu t t h e t ools for a ccessibilit y h a v e n ot k ept pa ce, sa y s Br u ce Ba iley , A ccessibilit y IT Specia list a t t h e U.S. A ccess Boa r d. It a lso seem s t h a t com m er cia l pr ofession a l w eb dev eloper s w h o a r e n ew t o a ccessibilit y u n der est im a t e t h e lev el of effor t r equ ir ed, a n d ov er est im a t e t h eir a bilit y t o g et u p t o speed on a ccessibilit y . Ma n y st ill do n ot pa y a t t en t ion t o a ccessibilit y u n less t h e cu st om er br in g s a ccessibilit y u p a s a r equ ir em en t a t t h e beg in n in g of a pr oject . In t oda y s w or ld of t h e in for m a t ion su per h ig h w a y bein g u sed for ev er y t h in g fr om sh oppin g t o job h u n t in g t o r esea r ch in g a n d m or e, pict u r e n ot bein g a ble t o u se it effect iv ely or a t a ll. A n d w h a t if t h e in for m a t ion y ou a r e seek in g is v it a l t o y ou r h ea lt h ? In depen den t a ccess t o h ea lt h in for m a t ion ca n h a v e ex t r a or din a r ily ser iou s con sequ en ces if it ca n n ot be a ccessed or if it is pr esen t ed in cor r ect ly , sa y s Br a d Hodg es, a ccess t ech n olog y con su lt a n t . A ccess t o t h e com plex fin a n cia l con sider a t ion s pr esen t ed by in su r er s ca n a lso br in g cr it ica lly im por t a n t con sequ en ces if n ot w ell u n der st ood by a n in div idu a l. A n d it doesn t en d t h er e. Im a g in e n ot bein g a ble t o r ea d t h e ser v ices cov er ed u n der y ou r h ea lt h pla n beca u se t h e dow n loa da ble docu m en t is n ot a ccessible. T h e r ig h t t o a ccessibilit y ex t en ds t o elect r on ic docu m en t s in for m a t s, su ch a s PDF, t h a t w or k w it h a ssist iv e t ech n olog ies. PDF docu m en t s t h a t h a v e been t a g g ed cor r ect ly ca n been ea sily r ea d by scr een r ea din g soft w a r e, a s t h is a r t icle ex pla in s. Gen er a lly , t h r ee g r ou pin g s of disa bilit ies sh ou ld be con sider ed: sen sor y disa bilit ies (blin dn ess, low v ision a n d h ea r in g loss); m ot or disa bilit ies t h a t im pa ir ph y sica l in t er a ct ion w it h a com pu t er ; a n d cog n it iv e disa bilit y (dy slex ia , for ex a m ple). I believ e it is sa fe t o sa y t h a t ba sed on t h e m et r ic of im por t a n ce a n d g iv en fu t u r e h ea lt h policy in t h e U.S., in cr ea sed scr u t in y of h ea lt h in su r er sit es is a g iv en , sa y s Hodg es. If t h ese sit es a r e fou n d t o be in a ccessible t h a n in cr ea sed r eg u la t ion is equ a lly lik ely . How ev er , r a t h er t h a n desig n in g or r edesig n in g a w ebsit e t o m eet t h e n eeds of u ser s w it h specific disa bilit ies, a bet t er a ppr oa ch is t o follow a ccessibilit y st a n da r ds. In t h e Un it ed St a t es, Sect ion 5 0 8 of t h e Reh a bilit a t ion A ct of 1 9 7 3 , a s a m en ded by t h e W or k for ce In v est m en t A ct of 1 9 9 8 , r equ ir es t h a t w h en Feder a l a g en cies pr ocu r e, dev elop, m a in t a in , or u se elect r on ic in for m a t ion t ech n olog y , t h ey en su r e t h a t em ploy ees a n d m em ber s of t h e pu blic w it h disa bilit ies h a v e a ccess t o a n d u se of in for m a t ion a n d da t a t h a t is com pa r a ble t o t h e a ccess t o a n d u se of in for m a t ion a n d da t a t h a t is a v a ila ble t o in div idu a ls w it h ou t disa bilit ies. (CMS Policy for Sect ion 5 0 8 Com plia n ce) In k eepin g w it h t h a t policy , t h e Cen t er s for Medica r e & Medica id Ser v ices (CMS) h a s com m it t ed t o m a k in g it s w ebsit es a n d a ll of it s elect r on ic a n d in for m a t ion t ech n olog y a ccessible t o t h e w idest
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Section 508 Compliance: Website Accessibility | Talking PDF

possible a u dien ce, in clu din g in div idu a ls w it h disa bilit ies. It m a y sou n d da u n t in g , bu t a ccessibilit y n eed n ot be ex pen siv e. A ddin g ca pt ion s t o v ideo a n d A LT t ex t t o in for m a t iv e im a g es ca n h elp a n d t a k es on ly m om en t s. On ly slig h t ly m or e cost ly is a ddin g t r a n scr ipt ion for a n y v ideo offer ed. If a w ebsit e h a s n ot been desig n ed w it h best pr a ct ices in m in d, a ccessibilit y w ill n ot h a ppen by a cciden t , sa y s Ba iley . If a per son is blin d a n d a lt er n a t iv e t ex t is m issin g fr om a n im a g e t h a t con v ey s in for m a t ion , it does n ot m a t t er w h a t soft w a r e t h ey h a v e n or h ow sk illed t h ey a r e. In ex pen siv e or fr ee t est in g t ools ca n u n cov er per v a siv e issu es, for ex a m ple, a r ecu r r in g u n la beled Su bm it bu t t on . Hodg es r ecom m en ds t est in g w it h a scr een r ea der a n d scr een m a g n ifica t ion . Fr ee scr een r ea der s in clu de Sy st em A ccess 2 Go a n d NV DA for W in dow s a n d V oiceOv er for OSX (pr ess Com m a n d F5 on a n y OSX m a ch in e). A ccessible in for m a t ion a lso ben efit s t h ose w it h ou t disa bilit ies; a fu lly sig h t ed per son u sin g a w ebsit e u n der poor lig h t in g con dit ion s or on a com pr om ised displa y w ill v a lu e t h e a v a ila bilit y of a ppr opr ia t e con t r a st a n d sizes of desig n elem en t s. A n d y ou don t h a v e t o t a ck le y ou r ex ist in g w ebsit e a ll a t on ce. Ex per t s r ecom m en d, if a n or g a n iza t ion is ju st com in g u p t o speed w it h a ccessibilit y , t a k in g a t r ia g ed a ppr oa ch by pr ior it izin g a n d r em edia t in g t h e pa r t s of y ou r w ebsit e t h a t a r e t h e m ost popu la r a n d t h a t t y pica l cu st om er s fin d t h e m ost im por t a n t . T o a v oid com pou n din g y ou r pr oblem s, set a da t e by w h ich a ll n ew m a t er ia l w ill be fu lly a ccessible. Y ou ca n t h en m a k e a pla n t o fix or r em ov e old con t en t . If n ew con t en t is n ot im por t a n t en ou g h t o m a k e a ccessible, it is n ot im por t a n t en ou g h t o w a r r a n t post in g , sa y s Hodg es. If n ew con t en t is im por t a n t en ou g h t o post , it is im por t a n t en ou g h t o fin d t h e r esou r ces t o m a k e it a ccessible. T h is m a y m ea n post in g less, bu t it m ea n s t h a t w h a t does g et post ed is of h ig h qu a lit y . So-ca lled fea t u r es t h a t a r e pa r t icu la r ly pr oblem a t ic for u ser s w it h disa bilit ies in clu de in a ccessible con t r ols t h a t ca n n ot be iden t ified by a scr een r ea der a n d a ct iv a t ed by t h e en t er k ey ; a CA PT CHA w it h n o a u dio opt ion is a lso a pot en t ia l ba r r ier for t h ose u sin g scr een r ea der s. Ba iley sa y s h e oft en h ea r s: Non e of ou r cu st om er s h a v e disa bilit ies. W ebsit e ow n er s a ppea r t o believ e t h is is a u t om a t ica lly t h e ca se if t h ey h a v en t h ea r d ot h er w ise. How ev er , it is per fect ly r ea son a ble t o a ssu m e t h a t cu st om er s of t h e h ea lt h ca r e in du st r y h a v e disa bilit ies t h a t a r e in pr opor t ion t o or ev en ex ceed t h e g en er a l popu la t ion . Su ch a n a t t it u de a lm ost a lw a y s t en ds t o be a m y t h , a n d t h ose of u s in t h e field lik e t o dr a w a pa r a llel t o t h e A m er ica n s w it h Disa bilit ies A ct a n d t h e r equ ir em en t for cu r bcu t s a n d r a m ps, sa y s t h e U.S. A ccess Boa r ds Ba iley . Bu sin esses com pla in ed, Bu t n on e of ou r cu st om er s u se w h eelch a ir s! Befor e cu r bcu t s a n d r a m ps, h ow cou ld t h ey ? A ccessibilit y , on t h e w eb or on t h e st r eet , is a civ il r ig h t s issu e! By Shaw na McAlearney Fu r t h er In for m a t i on Pr ocedu r e: Det er m in in g Sect ion 5 0 8 Com plia n ce [PDF file on Cen t er s for Medica r e & Medica id Ser v ices w ebsit e] CMS EIT A ccessibilit y Policy St a t em en t [PDF file on Cen t er s for Medica r e & Medica id Ser v ices w ebsit e] How t h e disa bled u se t h e w eb: h t t p://w w w .w 3 .or g /W A I/in t r o/people-u se-w eb/st or ies.h t m l
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W CA G 2 .0 : h t t p://w w w .w 3 .or g /T R/W CA G2 0 / W CA G 2 .0 bu llet poin t s: h t t p://w w w .w 3 .or g /W A I/W CA G2 0 /g la n ce/ W CA G 2 .0 for A ccessible Dig it a l Office Docu m en t (A DOD) Pr oject : h t t p://a dod.idr c.oca d.ca / Help cr ea t in g Sect ion 5 0 8 -com plia n t docu m en t s: h t t p://w w w .a pplig en t .com /ser v ices/pdfa ccessibilit y -ser v ices/ A ssist iv e T ech n olog y , Com plia n ce, Sect ion 5 0 8 , Un iv er sa l A ccessibilit y

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