Expanded Implementation Plan for Web Accessibility
intro - responsibilities - assessment - policy - software - training - monitoring - collapse all
After an organization makes a commitment to make its Web site accessible, it is important to plan the process for implementing accessibility. This page lists detailed considerations for the planning process. Actual implementation plans will vary from organization to organization, and optimal order of the steps below will also vary.
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- Identify high-level champion for Web accessibility
- champions can reinforce organizational commitment as implementation progresses
- accessibility champions are most effective if at the level of upper administration
- Assign lead coordinator
- for small organizations, it may be sufficient to designate a "point person" for Web accessibility
- Identify representatives from key departments
- departments might include marketing, Web development, technical support, usability, etc.
- in decentralized organizations, include representatives from each jurisdiction
- designate a team member to track new techniques for accessibility
- Establish coordination team with communication plan
- coordination may need to be flexible when Web development is decentralized
- Conduct initial assessment of organization's Web site, using Preliminary Review method
- a quick review of the Web site can provide information about the potential extent of the problems
- Assess current awareness of need for Web accessibility by survey or interviews within organization
- in large organizations, survey individuals in departments with different roles relating to the Web site
- Assess expertise of organization's Web developers on accessible Web design
- self-reporting can be adequate for initial assessment
- Assess suitability of current software to support development of accessible Web sites
- organizations with decentralized software procurement practices will need to review more products
- Estimate resources required to address needs identified in initial assessment
- include software replacement, staff training, retrofitting of site, monitoring of site, etc., as needed
Key resource: Evaluating Web Sites for Accessibility
- Find out whether organization is subject to external requirements regarding Web accessibility
- check requirements early in the process, particularly for government and commercial sites
- Find out whether organization has existing policy on Web site design and technologies
- in large organizations, note whether some department is already developing a general policy for Web site management, and if so what their timeline is
- Establish organizational policy on Web accessibility
- address issues such as conformance level, scope of site, use of proprietary formats, milestones, etc.
- organizational policy should reflect at least the minimum accessibility requirements mandated by the government, particularly for government and commercial sites
- a concise high-level statement of commitment, plus a comprehensive implementation-oriented statement, may both be useful, particularly in large organizations
- Develop initial and ongoing promotion plans to increase awareness of organization's policy, internally and externally
- plan for ongoing internal promotion as staff and responsibilities change over time
- Conduct briefings on new organizational policy
- large organizations may need to provide executive briefings
Key resources:
- Select authoring software most conformant to Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (ATAG 1.0)
- organizations with decentralized software procurement practices may need guidance on the selection process rather than centralized purchase of software
- if current authoring software does not support production of accessible sites, ask vendors when it will
- Install with recommendations for configurations supporting production of accessible content
- Develop and distribute accessible templates usable with new authoring software
- templates for a variety of authoring tools may be particularly helpful in achieving a consistent level of accessibility, particularly for decentralized organizations
- Select software for evaluating and repairing Web accessibility
- a centralized evaluation resource page may be useful, particularly for decentralized organizations
Key Resources:
- Plan range of training options to meet needs of people with different roles in organization
- conduct training sessions for Web masters and Web content developers in different departments
- publicize training and reference resources to Web masters
- develop an internal Web site with accessibility information and resources
- provide online resources to address technical questions
- if in-house training is not feasible, look for outside training resources
- for Web design businesses, training should include business case talking points for clients as well as technical training
- Offer repeated training options as staff and responsibilities change
Key resource: Planning Web Accessibility Training
- Specify Web site evaluation process to be used, and ensure quality of process
- Conduct ongoing monitoring of organization's Web site
- if using accessibility logos, monitoring should include verification of logo use
- decentralized organizations may need some kind of centralized accountability or enforcement
- Invite and respond to user feedback on organization's Web site
- Periodically review all aspects of implementation plan for effectiveness
- escalate to champion and/or reinforcing organizational policy as needed
Key resources:
Last updated 29 October 2001 by Judy Brewer with assistance from Members of the Education and Outreach Working Group.
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