EXPLORING MICROSOFT SHAREPOINTStreamlining AltText Processes while Investigating Accessibility
PattiLou Lester ([email protected]) & KimBoo York ([email protected] / [email protected])
Florida State University
SHAREPOINT – WHAT IS IT?
“Microsoft SharePoint is a web application platform. First launched in 2001, SharePoint is typically associated with web content management and document management systems, but it is actually a much broader platform of web technologies, capable of being configured to suit a wide range of solution areas.”~ Wikipedia (emphasis added)
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What it offers Scalability Centralization of data Automation of certain tasks Security Collaboration
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Considerations: Accessibility and Learning Curve
For students For administrators/staff For development team
Security designed for people working in groups, not to service
individual students AD group set up Specialized permission levels
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Obstacles Learning curve (that concern was valid)
System is not intuitive Very powerful but very confusing Very customizable if you know what you’re doing
Lack of accessibility reviews Few comprehensive overviews of accessibility issues Few discussions in regards to accessibility issues for
site administrators/owners/creators (step by step how-to
Time/Staff investment Initial set up – time – investment heavy Scheduling training
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Components to site design/use: Security Services
Sign up and requests Resources Text download/reading
Libraries Form libraries Document libraries Tasks
Workflows (macros) FSU SDRC Manual for users/developers:
http://www.disabilitycenter.fsu.edu/SharepointManual2010.html
SHAREPOINT – WHAT DO YOU NEED?
Server space to house Sharepoint Server (SPS) and necessary infrastructure
A SharePoint 2010 site SharePoint Designer – Free download
Microsoft InfoPath 2007 or 2010 – Form Creation)
Resources – text, web resources, and IT SharePoint support
LOTS OF PATIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE!
THE CRITICAL ISSUES:
Functionality: how can we…? Security: what it offers, and what it doesn’t Accessibility: 508, W3C – WCAG compliant? Usability: Universal Design – are we there
yet?
FUNCTIONALITY
Functionality comes first; decide what you need and how you will use it.
Four major components: Documents Forms Tasks Users
How do these elements fit together? Which documents are needed by which users? What are forms being used for? By whom? Are tasks tied to documents, forms, users, or all
three?
SECURITY & PERMISSIONS
Levels of permissions Very granular: possible to control what any user
can access and use Adapting SharePoint features for security
Moving forms from initial, public library to secure library via automatic workflow
Active directory student “group” to hide students from each other while giving access to site
EVALUATING ACCESSIBILITY:
Standards: SP 2010 was built targeting 508 and WCAG 2, and
relies on WIA ARIA to implement accessibility What does that mean? Standards test script for evaluation
Accessibility Kit for SharePoint (AKS) HI Software Compliance Sheriff – intended to scan for
accessibility and repair issues with SharePoint, includes an accessible Rich Text Editor.
ACCESSIBILITY:SharePoint Elements to Consider: Accessibility Mode – what exactly does this do?Accessing it – where you can find itEach page instance has to be enabled. Ugh! Web Parts versus Wiki Pages Calendar view in SharePoint versus syncing
with Outlook Issues with creating libraries using browser
features versus SharePoint Designer.
ACCESSIBILITY:
Tweaking the Monster• What does that mean? A powerful tool with a lot of
options is never what you need “out of the box”; tweaking means fine-tuning elements to your needs. SharePoint does not always make this easy.
• Tools to use – Firefox: FANG and Firebug
• Functional limitations – SharePoint is not kind to site developers
• Cheat sheets – finding help online by looking at the solutions others have come up with.
ACCESSIBILITY:
Editing the CSS• Accessing it – learn your master pages• Examples of code hacks:
Commenting out code that shows “page has been altered” bar
Changing code to hide ribbon bar from student users.
ACCESSIBILITY
Alternative ways to Navigate:Mapping SharePoint as a Network Drive
Easy to do on Windows 7 An alternative way to negotiate/manage site and move and copy
data around. Displays file structure of all the list and documents, all the libraries….
Can use this to manage data between parent and sub sites Functional limitations-
Mobile Device Mode• How to set it up
• Functional Limitations
ACCESSIBILITY: An example of what can be done
Screen shot of OTAP site Oregon Technology Access Program:
http://www.otap-oregon.org/Pages/Default.aspx
ACCESSIBILITY: An example of what can be done
Screen shot of CNIB site Canada National Institute for the Blind: http://www.cnib.ca/en/
USABIILTY ISSUES
For Student using the site• Learning curve adjusting to SP features/layout• Default layout not friendly• Features (some) not accessible, not usable
For Staff developing the site• Application not friendly• Steep learning curve
For Staff using the site• Documents other than MS have to be edited
outside SharePoint (proprietary issues-i.e. PDF)• Learning curve
WRAP UP
Functionality: SharePoint 2010 is a very powerful and flexible program, but those very aspects also make it complex and confusing. Trying to customize it without coders and web designers on staff is not advised. Designed to be used in a collaborative environment, it needs tweaking in order to maintain privacy standards. Once everything is set up, though, it should keep chugging along efficiently for as long as you need it.
Accessibility: Unfortunately, Microsoft is not there yet. While not completely accessible out of the box, the SharePoint site instances can be customized using web guidelines/standards, validation tools and re-coding. A lot is accessible; however, there are major flaws in other areas. Fixing those flaws is doable, but requires the expertise of a programmer.
ACCESSIBILITY RESOURCES Blogs and Websites
http://alastairc.ac/2009/11/sharepoint-2010-accessibility-event/ Alastair Campbell- SharePoint Accessibility Event
http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/Blogs/GetThePoint/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=517- Building an accessible site
http://www.aiim.org/community/blogs/expert/SharePoint-2010-Web-Standards-Accessibility-and-Usability-Quick-Reference-Guide -SharePoint 2010 Web Standards, Accessibility, and Usability Quick Reference Guide
http://www.slideshare.net/mavention/sharepoint-2010-web-standards-accessibility -Web Standards and Accessibility -Mavention
http://www.brucelawson.co.uk/2008/sharepoint-and-web-accessibility/
FANG- Firefox Add on https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/fangs-screen-reader-emulator/
Third Party Addon/Plugins http://www.hisoftware.com/solutions/SharePoint-Solutions/hisoftware-policy-sheriff-for-
SharePoint/accessibility-compliance/accessibility-foundation-module.aspx HiSoftware Compliance Sheriff® SP Accessibility Foundation Module (AFM)