Transcript The Accessibility experience in the Netherland

The experience
in the Netherlands
Bartimeus Accessibility Foundation
Best-practice in the Netherlands…
Eric Velleman
The experience
in the Netherlands
1. About Accessibility
2. Drempels Weg Project
3. Expert Review
4. Design4all evaluation
5. Drempels Weg Training
6. Quality Mark project
7. And more …
Eric Velleman: [email protected]
2/18
What is web
accessibility
• Web accessibility means that everyone
can use the functions of the internet
– Regardless of disability or the use of
assistive technology
– Regardless of the used OS or user agent
(Browser, PDA, TV etc)
• "The power of the Web is in its universality.
Access by everyone regardless of disability is an
essential aspect." Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director
and inventor of the World Wide Web
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Why it is important
• use of the Web is spreading rapidly 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. (source W3C)
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Impact of the Web
• The Web is (becoming) a key resource for:
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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.
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Drempels Weg Project
Funded by Dutch government…otherwise
Objectives:
• Convince companies and organizations
to make accessible websites.
• Show people with a disability and their
environment the advantages of the
internet.
– Video tot 2.20 – time code
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Drempels Weg method
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Investigation
Visualization
Information
Discussion
Instruction
The 4 Drempels Weg
ambassadors
7/18
campaign success
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The 4 ambassadors
Positive approach / message
> 200 letters of intent (tv)
> 100 expert reviews of websites
Online tools for evaluation of website
Thematic approach
Free publicity
Free technical helpdesk
Ongoing funding by Dutch government and
Setup of ongoing evaluation scheme
8/18
Themes
Every month research theme and publicity:
• Finance (May)
• News and media (June)
• Travel and holiday (July)
• Work and education (August)
• Government and politics (September)
• Search and find (October)
• Shopping (November)
• Sports (December)
• Party (January)
• Health (February)
All free publicity
Video from 4.40>>
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Technical helpdesk
• Expert Review report of the site (73 sites)
- General information on accessibility
- WCAG1.0 checklist priority 1
- Extra checkpoints from p2 and p3
- Screenshots and proposed solutions
• In-company presentation of report and
accessibility tools
• Telephone and e-mail helpdesk
• Support sites: www.drempelsweg.nl and
www.accessibility.nl
• All for free…
10/18
Drempels Weg
on the move
• Regionalisation of campaign
– Regional ambassadors
– Regional letters of intent
– Regional press conference
• Other forms of help
• Questions about interpretation of
guidelines
11/18
Design4all evaluation
• Ongoing evaluation of website 2x year
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines p1 plus
user friendliness, browser tests, etc.
• Follows W3C documents for evaluation
methodology and reporting
• Online report, help brochure, helpdesk
• Short term re-check option
• www.design4all.org (English version)
12/18
Training for
certification
The Drempels Weg certified web design
companies list ‘who can help you’. All
companies want to be on the list:
• Hands-on 2 day Training
• Following W3C EOWG training documents
• Harmonisation by ‘one training only’ approach
• Coming changes….
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Quality Mark
• Netherlands – ready in 2003
• Relation with EuroAccessibility project
• Phase 1 - The Drempels Weg Mark. Not for free
Available at: www.design4all.org;
• Phase 2 – Accredited Quality Mark and
certification project together with government,
industry, representative orgs and disabilities
organisations. Products:
– Large Feasability Study
– WCAG criteria enhancement
– Common methodology (and tool)
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Setup User Testing
Protocols for Accessibility
• Extensive research and development of 3 user
testing protocols for users with disabilities
• User testing with disabled and non-disabled users
• Usability and accessibility testing possibility
• WCAG / ATAG and a-usability report
• Involvement of disability orgs., industry, government,
non-profit, ICT companies (for CMS testing),
University of Twente etc.
• Pilot with large Dutch bank
15/18
Netherlands, more…
• Development of ‘Impact analysis’ via
partnerships
• National Center for accessible digital media
(Curriculum development)
• Games and educational software development:
Drive, Curbgame, Dark, Powerchords (and
research)
• Development of Accessible Multimodal Location
Based Game
• Curriculum for web accessibility for universities
• Sound navigation research project
• User profile research for digital atlas
16/18
Conclusion
• No laws, stimuleringsbeleid…
• All government sites signed declaration
• 150/120 largest companies sign, regional
approach
• Enormous publicity
• Many web design companies follow training
• First implementation delay, now start to finish
• Drempels Weg Mark
• Government, disability orgs and private
enterprise working together on extensive
quality mark and certification
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Websites
www.drempelsweg.nl
www.accessibility.nl
www.design4all.org
www.euroaccessibility.org
And …. don’t do anything without
checking: www.w3.org/wai/
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