Webmasters’ Guild and IT Accessibility Workgroups Friday, Feb 5, 2010 Welcome These presentation slides are available on the NYS Forum Web site at .

Webmasters’ Guild and IT Accessibility WorkgroupsFriday, Feb 5, 2010

Welcome

These presentation slides are available on the NYS Forum Web site at

www.nysforum.org

http://www.nysforum.org/committees/webmastersguild/resources.aspx


Agenda

Opening Remarks (15 mins)• Section 508 and the NYS accessibility policy• PDF Accessibility

Main Presentations (60-90 mins)• Accessibility for Web2.0/Social Media

Open Forum (30-60 mins)• Follow-up discussion on Section 508, PDFs, and other items of

interest from recent listserv topics or whatever


Opening Remarks


Section 508 and NYS Accessibility Policy (Status)

• The current NYS Standards are a hybrid of 508 and W3C standards.

• Work is ongoing to craft mutually acceptable language (to all agencies) in revised policy.

• The validation tool already tests for “Section 508,1194.22 - Web-based intranet and internet information and applications.” If CIO/OFT renews the license for this tool, we will still be able to use it to test for Section 508.


Section 508 and NYS Accessibility Policy (Status)

The IT Accessibility Work Group will be developing and delivering training to provide guidance on what changes will be necessary when the policy changes.

Since Section 508 is much broader in its applicability than current policy, they will be soliciting assistance from both the IT Accessibility listserv and Webmasters' Guild listserv members to provide information to all the affected groups.


Section 508 and PDFs

Section 508 simply states that all content must be made accessible. It does not get into specifics as to how that accessibility and equivalent access is to be achieved.

Section 508 requires that “all Web site content be equally accessible to people with disabilities”. But, there are no specifics in Section 508 as regards proprietary formats.


Section 508 and PDFs

Section 1194.22 Web-based intranet and internet information and applications states “A text-only page, with equivalent information or functionality, shall be provided to make a web site comply with the provisions of this part, when compliance cannot be accomplished in any other way. The content of the text-only page shall be updated whenever the primary page changes.”

The inherent obstacle here is in updating twice, unless you are using a content generation system. If you're strapped for time, one update may be all you can make.


Creating Accessible PDFs

Thursday, February 25, 2010

9:00am – 12:00pm (check in at 8:30am)

Empire State Plaza, Meeting Room 4, Albany, NY

Register at:

http://www.nysforum.org/events/itaccessibility_2_25_2010

Presented by the NYS Forum IT Accessibility Work Group


Five Questions about PDFs

1. If necessary can we post PDFs without alternatives, but with an accessibility link that tells users to download a free viewer or contact us for a different file format?

Each agency needs to provide a route for visitors seeking an alternative format if it’s not downloadable. However, alternative formats of documents should be provided on a Web site when feasible. Remember that "accessible PDFs" are only accessible when the user has up-to-date software with which to view them.



2. Are text equivalents for all PDF (or non-html) documents acceptable alternatives?

Yes, to a point. Some PDFs are of images (e.g., maps), and would be very difficult to describe purely in text. A best practice is to provide contact information for PDFs of strictly visual material so that the information can be explained to a non-visual user.



3. What does “equal accessibility” mean? Does an alternative format (plain text) satisfy that requirement? Does a phone number to request an alternative format satisfy it?

Equal would mean just that – accessible for 100% of the population. However, goals are designed for equivalent access, and perfection (100%) is not always possible. A phone number does satisfy accessibility requirements to a degree. (more >)



It also depends upon the material and the user. If the user is visually impaired and the document is simply formatted for PDF, then plain text will suffice. However, inherently visual material will probably need human intervention to become meaningful.



4. Is there “zero need” to provide text-only alternatives today when it’s easier to create accessible PDFs? That is, are accessible PDFs truly accessible for all or does it depend on their screen readers and other software?

Testing a document is the best way to determine if it’s truly accessible. Accessible PDFs have come a long way, but are not the perfect solution. (more >)



No matter what you do, you still have no control over what hardware/software the user has when they visit your site. Screen reading software is very expensive, and some visually impaired individuals may not be using current versions. Your PDF may not be accessible to them, no matter how well you marked it up.



5. The difficulty with accessible PDFs is the demand it places on time and resources. Accessible PDFs can be created using Adobe and other tools, but it does require work. And the more complex the document, the more work required.

No one said accessibility was easy. It does require effort, but with practice, making documents accessible becomes easier. Some documents cannot be made fully accessible. However, avoid posting scanned documents as much as possible. Such documents are not even searchable, and won’t work with screen readers.


Resources

• http://www.nysforum.org/accessibility/resources/ • http://www.webaim.org/ • http://www.hhs.gov/web/508/index.html • http://www.hhs.gov/od/508policy/508_policy.html • http://www.section508.gov/• http://usability.gov


Main Presentations


Accessibility for Web2.0/Social Media

• WEB 2.0 Defined

• WEB 2.0 in NYS Government

• AccessWEB2.0 Project

• Demonstrations


Web 2.0 Defined

White Paper focused on products that NYS agencies use or are considering for use.

• Social Networking products – Facebook, Govloop, Ning, IdeaScale,Twitter

• Social Media products– YouTube, Flickr

• Collaboration platforms such as GroupSite, wikis and online bulletin boards


Web2.0 in NYS Government

• July 10th 2009 – The 2009 NYSForum Strategic planning session

• August 2009 – Emerging Tech Work Group assumes leadership

• September 2009- Center For Technology in Government launches an exploratory initiative

• October 2009 – Webmasters Guild pilots NING• November 2009 – Gartner drafts Purpose Statement• December 2009 - January 2010 – Findings/

Recommendations solicited by various Work Groups: Accessibility, Guild, Security


AccessWEB2.0 Project• Fast tracked with call for volunteers issued

December 22nd

• Initiated with Kickoff meeting on January 4th

• Project Team consisted of 10 individuals with varying skills

• Scope Statement: – “Produce a report to NYS Forum Emerging

Technologies Work Group on recommendations for web designers and developers when incorporating social networking tools into an agency’s business model.”

• Targeted completion by January 11th


Team Members

• Responsibilities

– Research– Evaluate– Writers & Editors

The final report delivered to Emerging Technologies Work Group on January 22nd


Presentations

Jeff Bennett - NYS OFT – Screen Reader interfaces with Social Networking

products

Jason Cortes - NYS GOER– Demonstrating the benefits in using RSS

approach to updating Facebook and Twitter; discuss the use of API’s with various products


Q&A

Contact• IT Accessibility Work Group

– Estelle Council [email protected]– Joel Obuchowski [email protected]– Laura Edlund [email protected]

• Presenters

– Jeff Bennett [email protected]– Jason Cortes [email protected]– Jim Costello [email protected]


Open Forum


Other Recent Listserv Topics

• Link Management – Approaches and software

(Dreamweaver, Xenu, Siteimprove, Firefox Developer Kit)

• Credit Card Payment Processing– Home-grown solutions? Outsourcing? Paypal?

• Transition from state.ny.us to .gov – March 5 Webmasters’ Guild Meeting


Thank You

See you next month

Friday

March 5, 2010

9:00 am to Noon

NYS Museum

Huxley Theatre

Slides available at:

http://www.nysforum.org/committees/webmastersguild/resources.aspx

Webmasters’ Guild and IT Accessibility Workgroups Friday, Feb 5, 2010 Welcome These presentation slides are available on the NYS Forum Web site at .

Documents