Web accessibility-in-an-irish-context
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The document discusses web accessibility and universal design. It provides an overview of the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design, which aims to stimulate research, provide guidance on standards, and promote awareness and education around universal design. The centre works in several key areas, including the built environment, products and services, and information and communication technologies (ICT). For ICT specifically, the centre has developed national guidelines for digital TV, websites, and technologies used by older adults. It also discusses relevant legislation in Ireland around accessibility. Overall, the document advocates an approach of standards, education, and awareness to improve web accessibility through universal design principles.
Web accessibility-in-an-irish-context
- 2. Implementing web accessibility – a Universal Design approach EDF-NDA Seminar “Accessibility of Public Sector Websites – legislative and practical approaches” Donal Rice Senior Design Advisor, ICT
- 3. Contents • Who we are - remit of the Centre • What we do - areas of work • How we do it – education, awareness, standards • Why we do it – motivators; legal, business, social
- 5. Centre For Excellence in Universal Design (CEUD) Standards – Stimulate research – Participate in Standardisation work nationally and internationally – Provide advice to stakeholders – Encourage compliance Education and Professional Development – Incorporate UD content into design curriculum – Guidance on Universal Design for teaching, examinations and accreditation Awareness – Maintain a best practice database (website) – Promote awareness and understanding
- 6. Universal Design aims: to maximize the number of people who can readily use a product, building or service which may be achieved by: (i) designing products, services and environments that are readily usable by most users without any modification, (ii) by making products or services adaptable to different users (adapting user interfaces), and (iii) by having standardized interfaces to be compatible with special products for persons with disabilities. (Standards: ISO, CEN, NSAI)
- 7. Built environment Products & Services ICT 3
- 9. Shared Spaces, Shared Surfaces and Home Zones Research and Recommendations for Ireland Universal Design Buildings Guidelines Environment
- 10. 2. PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
- 11. Size Data for Universal Design in Ireland (Anthropometry Research,Penn State,USA)
- 13. 1)National Universal Design Guidelines for Digital TV Equipment and Services the Lived experience of people using public sector websites 2) Research and National guidelines on 3)Trialing Universal Design Assessment Tool for assessing use/nonuse of Technology by Older People Information Communication Technologies
- 14. Services: Customer engagement •Standard (SWiFT) on “Universal Design for Energy Suppliers” - 2012 •Standard – “Universal Design for Customer Engagement in Tourism Services” – in development •Toolkit for effective customer communications – in development
- 16. Universal Design 2nd Level “Designing our Tomorrow Ireland”
- 17. 3rd level - Meet the Normals
- 18. WEB ACCESSIBILITY - AN IRISH PERSPECTIVE
- 19. Legislation and policy - Ireland • Disability Act 2005 – Electronic communications to be accessible, as far as practicable – Code of Practice: Compliance with WCAG 2.0 (AA) • NDA Monitoring: 2008 – About half have had their website audited for accessibility – WCAG 2.0 - AA or AAA level (32.5% at Level AA and 17.0% at Level AAA). • Equality Acts, Education for Persons with Special Needs education Acts
- 20. Legislation and policy - Ireland • “Opportunities for users to provide feedback should be integrated into the design of new electronic systems to facilitate suggestions from those that use the systems with a view to ensuring continuous improvement.” – “eGovernment 2012 – 2015” Action no. 14
- 21. “Universality Is the Foundation” “Several principles are key to assuring that theWeb becomes ever more valuable.The primary design principle underlying theWeb’s usefulness and growth is universality.When you make a link, you can link to anything. That means people must be able to put anything on theWeb, no matter what computer they have, software they use or human language they speak and regardless of whether they have a wired or wireless Internet connection.TheWeb should be usable by people with disabilities. It must work with any form of information, be it a document or a point of data, and information of any quality—from a silly tweet to a scholarly paper. And it should be accessible from any kind of hardware that can connect to the Internet: stationary or mobile, small screen or large.” - Tim Berners-Lee,W3C Director and Inventor of theWorld WideWeb. Long Live theWeb
- 22. United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities • Universal Design: – Governments are:“to undertake or promote research and development of universally designed goods, services, equipment and facilities…” • Early Stage Accessibility Definitions: – “Promote the design, development, production and distribution of accessible information and communications technologies and systems at an early stage, so that these technologies and systems become accessible at minimum cost” (Art. 9)
- 23. Our approach to web accessibility 1. Standards 2. Education 1. Awareness
- 24. 1.Standards - Public procurement • Standardisation – Mandate 376
- 25. 2.Education • E.g. Events • “Universal Design for Digital Document Creation and Publication”
- 26. 3.Awareness • Networks • Research – “Lived Experience of people in Ireland using public sector websites”
- 27. Key findings 1 • 48% of people surveyed do not use public services online • 80% satisfaction – but when questioned - the level of difficulty would appear to be greater • Persons with disabilities are 3 times more likely to encounter a difficulty
- 28. Key findings 2 • Main obstacles include the • ‘finadability’ • ‘readability’ of information
- 29. Key finding 3 • Challenge to provide content that is both comprehensive, and easy to read and use. • Disparity between perception of level of accessibility of their websites and what this and other studies found to be the actual case. – web accessibility considered a ‘once off’ versus quality assurance. • significant cost benefits – Servicing queries via the website takes staff no time as it's self-service, compared with: • 4 minutes over the phone • 11 minutes face to face • 15 minutes by email”
- 30. New research! “Measures to improve accessibility of public websites in Europe” • 3 questions • 5 - 8 Member States Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
- 31. The questions: 1. What is the current state of web accessibility in Ireland and other Member States? 2. What is being done to improve web accessibility? 3. What more needs to be done?
- 32. Recommendations • on the most effective monitoring and reporting mechanisms to public sector bodies in the context of the draft Directive • constructive suggestions that may assist with its review in the Parliament and Council and transposition by Member States. • costs likely to be incurred and the benefits to be generated by bringing the samples sites up to the requisite standard
- 33. We need your help! Questionnaires, interviews, suggesting indicative websites
- 34. What does it all mean... “If anybody asks me what the Internet means to me, I will tell him without hesitation:To me (a quadriplegic) the Internet occupies the most important part in my life. It is my feet that can take me to any part of the world; it is my hands which help me to accomplish my work; it is my best friend - it gives my life meaning.” Dr ZhangXu
Editor's Notes
- #10: 3 examples in the Built Environment field
- #14: Sample of 3 Resources developed and available on the centre’s website that have direct relevance to peoples lives
- #15: Example of Resource for variety of stakeholders
- #20: NDA's 2008 “Monitoring Report on the implementation of the NDA’s Code of Practice on Accessibility of Public Services and Information provided by Public Bodies”, a significant number of survey respondents (49.5%) reported having had their websites audited for accessibility and that they had achieved confirmation of compliance with the Web Accessibility Initiative at AA or AAA level (32.5% at Level AA and 17.0% at Level AAA). Questions: 6i Does your organisation have its own website? Yes / No If no, proceed to Question 7a 6j If yes, please indicate whether your website has been audited for accessibility Yes / No 6k If yes, please indicate your organisation's website's level of conformance with the Web Accessibility Initiative's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (see http://w3.org/WAI) Conformance Level A Conformance Level AA Conformance Level AAA Other, please specify: ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________
- #22: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=long-live-the-web
- #23: “To undertake or promote research and development of universally designed goods, services, equipment and facilities, as defined in article 2 of the present Convention, which should require the minimum possible adaptation and the least cost to meet the specific needs of a person with disabilities, to promote their availability and use, and to promote universal design in the development of standards and guidelines” (Art. 4, f) To undertake or promote research and development of, and to promote the availability and use of new technologies, including information and communications technologies, mobility aids, devices and assistive technologies, suitable for persons with disabilities, giving priority to technologies at an affordable cost; (Art. 4, g)
- #29: Public sector web managers face significant challenges in providing content and services online that are both comprehensive, and easy to read and use. Disparity between how public sector bodies perceive the level of accessibility of their websites and what this and other studies found to be the actual case. This may be as a result of web accessibility being considered a ‘once off’ activity rather than a matter of ongoing quality assurance. There would appear to be significant cost benefits to the public sector by interacting with citizens online versus other channels such as over the phone, in person, via email etc.