Overview of the Web Accessibility Initiative

Daniel Dardailler - Oct 2014

Based on old WAI Overview

This presentation covers:

• What is Web accessibility?
  
• Why is Web accessibility important for people with and without disabilities?
• What is the World Wide Web Consortium doing to address Web accessibility?
• What resources are available to help make Web sites and Web applications accessible?
• What actions are useful in promoting Web accessibility?

What is Web Accessibility?

• Web sites and applications
  • that people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with;
• Web browsers and media players
  • that can be used effectively by people with disabilities, and
  • that work well with assistive technologies that some people with disabilities use to access the Web;
• Web authoring tools, and evolving Web technologies
  • that support production of accessible Web content and Web sites, and
  • that can be used effectively by people with disabilities.

Technical overview

Why is Web Accessibility an Issue?

There are several reasons why Web accessibility is important:

• use of the Web has spread into all areas of society;
• there are barriers on the Web for many types of disabilities;
• millions of people have disabilities that affect access to the Web;
• some Web sites are required to be accessible;
• Web accessibility also has carry-over benefits for other users.

The next slides explore these reasons in more detail.

Impact of the Web on People with Disabilities

• The Web has become a key resource for:
  • news, information, commerce, entertainment,
  • classroom education, distance learning,
  • job searching, workplace interaction,
  • civic participation, government services.
• It is displacing traditional sources of information and interaction --
  • schools, libraries, print materials, discourse of the workplace;
  • some of the traditional resources were accessible; some not.
• An accessible Web means unprecedented access to information for people with disabilities.

Web Accessibility is a Cross-Disability Issue

Examples of design requirements for people with different kinds of disabilities include:

• Visual:
  • described graphics or video;
  • well marked-up tables or frames;
  • keyboard support, screen reader compatibility;
• Hearing:
  • captioning for audio, supplemental illustration;
• Physical, Speech:
  • keyboard or single-switch support;
  • alternatives for speech input on voice portals;
• Cognitive, Neurological:
  • consistent navigation, appropriate language level;
  • illustration; no flickering or strobing designs.

Web Accessibility is a Marketplace Issue

• At least 10% of the population in most countries has disabilities;
  • visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, and neurological disabilities can all affect access to the Web
• Average age of population in many countries is increasing;
  • aging sometimes results in combinations of accessibility issues;
  • vision & hearing changes, changes in dexterity & memory.
• Few organizations can afford to deliberately miss this market sector.

Accessibility Contributes to Universal Design

Accessible Web design contributes to better design for other users:

• Multi-modality (support for visual, auditory, tactile access) benefits users of:
  • mobile phones with small display screens, Web-TV, kiosks.
• Multi-modality increases usability of Web sites in different situations:
  • low bandwidth (images are slow to download);
  • noisy environments (difficult to hear the audio);
  • screen-glare (difficult to see the screen);
  • driving (eyes and hands are "busy").
• Redundant text/audio/video can support:
  • different learning styles; low literacy levels; second-language access.
• Style sheets can support:
  • more efficient page transmission and site maintenance.
• Captioning of audio files supports:
  • better machine indexing of content; faster searching of content.

Web Accessibility is Sometimes a Requirement

A number of governments require accessibility of specific kinds of Web sites.

• often required for government Web sites first; 
• sometimes for educational or commercial sites;
• provinces, states, municipalities may have requirements;
• corporations and non-governmental organizations sometimes set own requirements.
  

Information on requirements in different countries is available in Policies Relating to Web Accessibility

W3C Plays Leading Role in Development of Web Technologies

• The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
  • is an international, vendor-neutral consortium, with over 400 Members
  • it promotes evolution & interoperability of the Web
  • and has a strong focus on the universality of the Web.
• W3C operates from four host sites:
  • MIT  for North America, ERCIM for Europe, Keio University for Asia, Beihang University, Beijing.
  • has outreach offices in more than 20 countries
  • and has five "domains":
    • InfoKnow, Interaction, Technology and Society, Ubiquitous Web, Web Accessibility Initiative.

W3C Hosts the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)

• The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI):
  • coordinates with all the other domains of the W3C;
  • operates internationally in all three host sites of W3C.
• WAI is sponsored by a variety of government and industry supporters of accessibility:

• Many organizations from around the world participate in WAI work, including:
  • industry, disability organizations, accessibility research centers, government, schools and universities,
  • and more.
    
• WAI enables representatives from these different constituencies to: 
  • work together at the design stage of key Web technologies
  • develop accessibility solutions by consensus under W3C Process. 
• This process includes:
  • collaborative development in W3C working groups;
  • extensive opportunities for public comment.

Ensuring that Web Technologies Support Accessibility

The Protocols and Formats Working Group:

• Ensures that W3C technologies support Web accessibility
• Reviews W3C specifications
  • at or before Last Call Working Draft stage
  • many technical experts from W3C working groups participate
• Produces requirements statements and review comments
• Is developing WAI-ARIA

Developing Guidelines for Accessibility

• how to create accessible Web content
• how to design software that supports production of accessible Web sites
• how to design accessible browsers, and authoring tools

• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0) also ISO/IEC 40500
• Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (ATAG 2.0) in CR
• User Agent Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (UAAG 1.0), 2.0 in dev

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0

• were developed by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (WCAG WG)
• became a W3C Recommendation 2008
• explain how to make accessible Web sites
• contain general guidelines
• have extensive supporting resources (see WCAG overview, WCAG 2.0 FAQ)
• WCAG2 summary

Participation Opportunities in WAI

• WAI Working Groups & Interest Groups operate under W3C process.
• Work takes place via e-mail lists, the Web, telephone, and face-to-face meetings.
• Working Groups and Interest Groups include representatives from all sectors
• Participation requirements, including expertise and commitment level, vary.
• Most WAI groups have publicly viewable mailing lists.
• All WAI groups welcome comments on draft documents.
• General discussion about Web accessibility
  • takes place in the WAI Interest Group.

Action Steps to Consider

• Visit the WAI home page and the annotated listing of WAI Resources.
• Conduct a Preliminary Review of your Web site.
• Use Getting Started: Making Your Web Site Accessible.
• Consider Selecting and using authoring tools for Web accessibility.
• Comment on Working Drafts of WAI documents.
  
• Participate in WAI interest groups and working groups.
• Evaluate your Web site and then use the WCAG logos on your site.
• Link to the WAI home page.
• Sponsor WAI activities.