Navigating Policy, Leadership, and Practices in Today's Web Accessibility Climate
- 1. N a v i g a t i n g Po l i c y, Leadership, & P r a c t i c e s i n To d a y ’s Climate WCET workshop October 21, 2009: Dr. Cyndi Rowland 1
- 2. Our Brief Time To d a y . . . Overview of the problem Legal landscape How you can help your campus engage in system-wide change 2
- 3. Campus Context We b i s u s e d f o r m o r e t h i n g s t h a n e ve r before in higher education . . . Recruitment Admission & financial aid Registration & payment Employment Courses, assignments, research Social aspects of campus 3
- 4. Campus Context 21st Century Learning Education technologies LMS / CMS Open source We b 2 . 0 Mobile Gaming and immersive environments Emerging markets Collaboration International 4
- 5. Does your campus assure web content is delivered to all, including those with disabilities? 5
- 6. If not, what are your thoughts? Th e s e s t u d e n t s & s t a f f d o n o t participate in online work Somebody else deals with these problems I never thought about it before I would not know how to change the situation 6
- 7. Students, staff, & faculty disabilities Almost 1 in 5 Americans report the presence of a disability 9% of incoming freshman register with a disability 8.5% of the general population have disabilities that affect computer & internet use 7
- 8. Individuals with Disabilities in an Online World 8
- 9. What is the user experience? Those who are BLIND, color blind, or have low vision: Article - www.webaim.org/articles/visual Kyle’s experience http://www.webaim.org/articles/visual/ blind.php Screen reader simulation - www.webaim.org/simulations/ screenreader.php 9
- 10. What is the user experience? Those who are blind, COLOR BLIND, or have low vision: The green mushrooms listed here are OK to eat. The red mushrooms will kill you. - Amanita -Chanterelle - Porcini - Shitake 10
- 11. What is the user experience? Those who are blind, COLOR BLIND, or have low vision: The green mushrooms listed here are OK to eat. The red mushrooms will kill you. - Amanita *Resource* Vischeck.com -Chanterelle - Porcini - Shitake 11
- 12. What is the user experience? Those who are blind, color blind, or have LOW VISION: Low vision simulation - www.webaim.org/simulations/lowvision.php 12
- 13. What is the user experience? Those who are deaf or hard of hearing: Article - www.webAIM.org/articles/auditory Curtis’ experience http://www.webaim.org/articles/auditory/culture.php 13
- 14. What is the user experience? Those who have difficulty with MOTOR SKILLS: Article - http://www.webaim.org/articles/motor/ Gordon’s experience Don’t rely on the use of keyboard or mouse 14
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- 17. What is the user experience? Those who have difficulty with COGNITIVE skills: Article - www.webaim.org/articles/cognitive Distractibility simulation http://www.webaim.org/simulations/distractability.php 17
- 18. Cognitive load vs Functionality 18
- 19. What is the user experience? Those who have difficulty with SEIZURES Those who have difficulty with AGE RELATED processes 19
- 20. Review of the Problem Th e n e e d h a s n e ve r b e e n g r e a t e r 8.5% of the population of students & employees in education Vi s i o n Hearing Fine Motor Cognitive Seizures Combinations 20
- 21. Legal Issues that Affect your Campus 21
- 22. Summary & Update Rehabilitation Act Section 504 (all federally funded programs) Section 508 (federal agencies) Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Other 22
- 23. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act “ no otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States… shall, solely by reason of his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. . .” (29 U.S.C. Section 794) 23
- 24. Rehabilitation Act Section 504 (all federally funded programs) Affirmative obligation to plan in advance Courts knocking down post-hoc accommodations 24
- 25. 504 Model for working with students may not fit Web Reactive, rather than proactive, model Native access can be achieved in many cases, yet the model reinforces “accommodation” Mindset of many is to go to DSO or SpEd and they’ll do it. They may not have the expertise or see the big picture. 25
- 26. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act S ect i on 5 0 8 o f t h e R e h a b i lit a t io n Act of 1997 p r ov i d es t h e l e g i s l a t ive language f or a cc e s s ib le e l e c t r o n i c i n fo rm at io n techno l o gy, i n c l u d i n g t h e I nt ern et 26
- 27. Section 508 Federal agencies All the buzz years ago, lost it’s luster Used to define floor of access (16 standards) Emerging in federal RFP’s and contracts, emerging as procurement language VPAT’s continue to be problematic Monitoring is poor, (benign neglect?) “Access” still means different things (e.g., FAFSA) 27
- 28. ADA of 1990 Civil Rights Legislation Word “Internet” not in ADA Employment discrimination Title II: effective communication Title III: place of public accommodation Sample court cases MARTA, Southwest, CSU Fullerton, UC Berkeley, Target, AOL, B&N Current draft of ADAAG guidelines do not include any mention of electronic information (other than ATM’s and Kiosks) 28
- 29. ADA may help us think about electronic access Right to access entire building Rights to independence Back doors problematic Could not go around ADA by “renting” inaccessible buildings Remodel “springs” law into place Legacy pages Written transition plan necessary Regulations began to inform professions (e.g., architects, engineers, building inspectors) 29
- 30. A public entity violates its obligations under t h e A DA w h e n i t o n l y r e s p o n d s o n a n a d - h o c basis to individual requests for a c c o m m o d a t i o n . Th e r e i s a n a f f i r m a t ive d u t y to develop a comprehensive policy in advance of any request for auxiliary aids or services A F F I R M A T I V E O B L I G A T I O N 30
- 31. . . .the subsequent substantial expense of providing access is not generally regarded as an undue burden when such cost could have been significantly reduced by considering the issue of accessibility at the time of the initial selection. 31
- 32. Other States 26 with laws that cover Web 8 with policies Most using 508 or hybrid Vendors nightmare Many do not include education Education Lots of models & good work being done Postsecondary policies all over (See WebAIM and GOALS) 32
- 33. D o n ’t Fo r g e t International Laws To o 33
- 34. Questions? Comments? 34
- 35. System-wide change for your campus 35
- 36. Campus Change Information and help for accessibility is widely available Standards since 1996 Many excellent free resources Many consultant groups Po s t s e c o n d a r y e d u c a t i o n models for system reform are widely available 36
- 37. Campus Change Motivations exist in education for system reform Economic (collaboration with other states and international entities) Te c h n o l o g i c Legal Unfortunately many rely on reactive rather than proactive measures 37
- 38. Campus Change Mission related Return on Investment Student and employee outcomes Efficiencies and cost controls Recruitment/retention of a diverse group Some funding entities now require it Enhanced collaboration potential in the US and abroad PR & development Champions vs. the enterprise 38
- 39. Campus Change Many report there is no real institutional commitment to changing the status quo Leadership Resources Ongoing process 39
- 40. One Solution Leverage the existing process of continuous improvement along with accreditor endorsement: A process for self-study and analysis Institutional leadership Institutional commitment 40
- 41. W h er e t o g o f ro m he re ? one bite at a time 41
- 42. Mater ials that hold prom ise to improve the situation GOALS 42
- 43. GOALS Consortium: 43
- 44. Gain ing O n l i n e A cc e s s i b l e Learni ng t h r o u g h S e l f - s t u dy A seri e s o f Ac t i o n P a p e r s t h at c a n h e lp estab l i sh th e n e e d f o r e n t e rp ris e wid e we b accessi bi l i t y a c r o s s k e y s t a ke h o ld e rs . Ins tituti on al I n d i c a t o r s t o a s s is t in assessm ent a n d s t r a t e g i c p la n n in g . A we b- b a s e d Au d i t To o l t o f ac ilit a t e conti nu o u s q u a l i t y i m p r o v e me n t a n d ente r p r i se-wi d e w e b a c c e s s ib ilit y p la n n in g . 44
- 45. Action Pape r for Higher Educ ation Administrators www.ncdae.org/goals/actio npaper.cfm 45
- 46. Best Practice Indicators for Web Accessibility in Higher Education www.ncdae.org/goals/ind icators.cfm 46
- 47. Indicators at a Glance Resources and Support Budget Sufficient to Meet Stated Plan Sufficient Time and Effort Allocated to personnel Institutional Commitment Procurement, Development, and Use of Administrative Commitment Technologies that will Result in Accessible Web Content Relevant Stakeholder Participation Training and Technical Support Focus on Personnel Planning and Implementation Inclusion of Key Personnel Assessment Comprehensive Written Accessibility Plan Evaluation of Progress of Process Comprehensive Accessibility Policy Evaluation of Accessibility Outcomes Implementation of Written Plan Assessment Results Are Used To Improve Institutional Accessibility Institutional Accessibility: Is determined by Indicators Is expressed through a series of Benchmarks Can be evaluated by looking at the strength of institutional Evidence 47
- 48. Se lf-study sample ev i d e n c e Indicator #1: Institutional vision & leadership Benchmar k A : C ommitment o f A d m i n i s t r a t i v e L e a d e r s h i p E vi denc e ma y i n c l u d e A statement of V I S I O N o r c o m m i t m e n t The creation and m a i n t e n a n c e o f a n a c c e s s i b i l i t y t a s k f o rc e o r i ns t itu tio n -w id e a c c e s s ib ility g r o u p The creation of a n i n s t i t u t i o n a l P O L I C Y o n w e b a c c e s s i b i l i t y The creation of a n e n t e r p r i s e - w i d e a c c e s s i b i l i t y a c t i o n P L A N Resources are ava i l a b l e f o r w e b a c c e s s i b i l i t y e f f o r t s Visibility, promo t i o n , a n d c o m m u n i c a t i o n o f w e b a c c e s s i b i l i t y ef f orts 48
- 49. Se lf-study sample ev i d e n c e Indicator #1: Institutional vision & leadership Benchmar k B : R eleva nt Sta k e h o l d e r Pa rt i c ip a t io n E vi denc e ma y i n c l u d e The Array Of Accessibility Stakeholders Who Participate In Planning And Continuous Improvement Personnel Who Engage In Professional Development Faculty, Staff And Students That Have Responsibility For Web Accessibility Within Their Purview Systems For Stakeholders To Provide Feedback On Implementation And Accessibility Outcomes 49
- 50. Se lf-study sample ev i d e n c e Indicator #2: Planning and Implementation Benchmark A: Comprehensive Accessibility Policy Evidence may include Effective Date(s) The Scope Of The Policy A Defined Technical Standard A Provision For Procurement Consequences For Non-Conformance To The Policy Are Stated Mechanism For Ongoing Review 50
- 51. Web-based Audit Tool for self-study and strategic planning Currently in Development 51
- 52. G OA L S Benchmarking & P l a n n i n g To o l 52
- 53. W h a t C a n Yo u Do Now? Understand your accessibility and advocate improvements At a MICRO level How accessible are you? Do you have an institutional policy? Is accessibility included in training & supports for faculty/staff? procurement process? required skills for new technology hires? 53
- 54. W h a t C a n Yo u Do Now? Understand your accessibility issues and advocate leadership At a MACRO level If no enterprise-wide efforts, advocate for strategic planning If one is in process, advocate continuous improvement through self-study 54
- 55. Resources Knowing your accessibility: Va l i d a t o r s Wave . w e b a i m . o r g ( f r e e ) Others (See webaim.org/articles/ freetools/ ) Simulate user experiences Tu r n o f f a l l i m a g e s & s t y l e s Linearize content Use only keyboard Place sound on mute 55
- 56. Resources Fo r t e ch n i c a l s t a f f We b A I M . o r g Articles / newsletter Fo r u m / B l o g / R S S W CAG 2 . 0 Institutional resources (3 examples) wac.ohio-state.edu calstate.edu/accessibility/ c e w. w i s c . e d u / a c c e s s i b i l i t y / 56
- 57. Questions Comments ? 57