ACCESS IS MORE THAN BRICK AND MORTAR:

THE BASICS OF WEB SITE ACCESSIBILITY

AGENDA

• Definitions• Web Barriers• Requirements• Benefits• Standards• Areas to Consider• Issues and Fixes• Accessible Systems Racing League

DEFINITIONS

• Accessibility• The quality of being accessible, or of

admitting approach; receptibility.

• Usability• The effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction

with which users can achieve tasks in a particular environment of a product.

DEFINITIONS

• Interoperability• The ability of software and hardware on

multiple machines from multiple vendors to communicate.

• Assistive Technology (AT)• A generic term that includes assistive,

adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities and includes the process used in selecting, locating, and using them.

WEB BARRIERS

• Individuals who are blind or visually impaired:• Complex science and math notation, images

and image maps• Multimedia (sound & video), frames, forms,

and tables• Navigation, Java scripts and programming

code

WEB BARRIERS

• AT for individuals who are blind or visually impaired:• Screen reader programs

and Braille displays• Screen magnification

programs and High (or different) contrast settings (e.g., yellow text on a black background)

WEB BARRIERS

• Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing:• Multimedia features including sound and

video clips• Error, or information, system or application

messages displayed through audible cues

WEB BARRIERS

• AT for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing:• Assistive technology

devices for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing (e.g., hearing aids) do not impact Web design significantly.

• Textual captioning and visual cues

WEB BARRIERS

• Individuals who have mobility disabilities:• Manipulation of input devices, including the

keyboard and mouse• Difficulty holding down multiple keyboard keys

simultaneously

WEB BARRIERS

• Individuals who have mobility disabilities:• Alternative and adaptive keyboards and mice• Breath control devices• Head pointing/tracking devices• On screen keyboards and mouse emulation

programs• Voice input/recognition

REQUIREMENTS:OVERVIEW

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)• No specific requirements

• Section 508 (Federal Agencies)• Access Board Standards and

Federal Acquisition Regulation

• Section 503 (Federal Contractors)• Office of Federal Contract

Compliance Programs (OFCCP)

REQUIREMENTS:OFCCP

• Contractors must ensure that qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans have an equal opportunity to apply and compete for jobs.

• This may include providing needed reasonable accommodations, unless doing so would cause undue hardship (significant difficulty or expense).

OFCCPCONTRACTOR ACTIONS

• Contractor Actions• Prominently display a notice of how to obtain

reasonable accommodations, including contact and process information.

• Incorporate “interoperable” technology into the online application system.

• Allow people who cannot use the online system because of a disability to apply for a job in an alternate way.

BASIC EMPLOYER BENEFITS

• Demonstrates commitment to diversity.• Increases ability to attract and retain qualified

employees:• Workers with disabilities• Older workers• Workers with English as a second language – both in

the U.S. and other countries

• Saves time by not having to build system workarounds for applicants.

• Avoids complaints from applicants.

COST BENEFITS

• Reduces or eliminates retrofitting to meet requirements

• Reduces cost to maintain once IT staff is trained• Decreases costs associated with debugging• Decreases amount of server capacity needed• Decreases cost of translating websites into other

languages

DESIGN BENEFITS

• Easier to navigate and find information • Captions on videos are useful• Information is not color dependent• Web accessibility guidelines are widely-

recognized international standards• Increases site consistency• Browser and mobile device compatibility• Decreases loading time and bandwidth use• Increases search engine rankings

• Section 508• www.section508.gov

• World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)• www.w3.org

STANDARDS

AREAS TO CONSIDER:RECRUITMENT SYSTEMS

Career SiteSearch

Applicant TrackingSystem

Hard Skills Tests

Soft SkillsTests

AREAS TO CONSIDER:OTHER

• Onboarding

• Training

• Performance Evaluation

• Time keeping

• Payroll

ISSUES AND FIXES

• Issue• Individuals with disabilities, in particular those

with cognitive disabilities may need more time to fill out forms and read content.

• Fix• Provide a notification of a pending time out

and the option to request additional time.

ISSUES AND FIXES

• Issue• Flickering elements may induce seizures for

users with photosensitive epilepsy. Any elements that flicker, blink or scroll may also be accessibility issues for users with low vision.

• Fix• Avoid blinking, marquee or other auto-

scrolling text.

ISSUES AND FIXES

• Issue• Repetitive navigation links are usually on

every page of a Website. For users who are unable to use a mouse, they must tab through each link in order to get to the main content. For screen reader users, they must listen to the repetitive information on each page.

• Fix• Provide a method to skip repetitive links.

ISSUES AND FIXES

• Issue• Users who are deaf or hard of hearing rely on

synchronized captions to understand the audible sounds and speech of multimedia content.

• Fix• Provide captioning for all video and audio

content.

ISSUES AND FIXES

• Issue• Users who are unable to use a mouse (due to

dexterity disabilities or other reasons) rely on the keyboard to navigate and control the computer.

• Fix• Ensure elements on a webpage are not only

mouse driven, but have keyboard equivalents.

ACCESSIBLE SYSTEMS RACING LEAGUE

ACCESSIBLE SYSTEMS RACING LEAGUE (ASRL)

• Developed by EARN in partnership with JAN and ODEP

• Provides a basic evaluation of career site

• Provides consultation through EARN and JAN in identifying resources

ASRL DIAGNOSTIC TOOL

• Assessment of 10 areas• Equal employment opportunity policy

statement (OFCCP)• Reasonable accommodation application

process (OFCCP)• Screen reader interoperability• Significant time out period• “Trigger text” (blinking, marquee or other

auto-scrolling)

ASRL DIAGNOSTIC TOOL

• Assessment of 10 areas, cont.• Repetitive navigation links• Captioning for multimedia • Text description• Accessibility without use of mouse• Accessibility of forms and documents

NEXT STEPS

• Request an assessment of your career site• Email earn@earnworks.com

CONTACT EARN

Website:www.earnworks.comASRL Information:www.earnworks.com/508Racing.aspPhone:866.327.6669Email: earn@earnworks.com