Transcript Accessibility and Web-Delivered Training

Debi Orton, Co-Chair
NYS Forum IT Accessibility Committee
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Review of how people with disabilities access
the web
History and review of NYS technology policies
on web accessibility
Discussion of what to consider when planning
web-delivered training
Tips for meeting everyone’s needs
Questions
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Types of disabilities with impact on webdelivered training:
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Blindness / Low vision
Deafness / Hearing impairments
Mobility impairments
Cognitive impairments
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Types of web-delivered training to consider
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Webinars
WebEx sessions
Traditional elearning content
HTML elearning content
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People who are blind access the web via:
◦ Screen reading software
◦ Refreshable Braille displays
◦ CANNOT use pointing devices
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People with low vision may use those tools or:
◦ Screen magnification software
◦ External (larger) displays
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Visual acuity also a factor for:
◦ People using mobile devices
◦ People using older equipment (smaller monitors,
lower resolutions)
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Visuals need to be described using “alt text”
Videos or presentations containing
instruction needs to be audibly described
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Cataracts
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Glaucoma
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Macular Degeneration
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Retinopathy
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Difficult to magnify graphical text without
distortion
Map of Hurricane Isabel (with color)
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Map of Hurricane Isabel (simulating red/green
color blindness)
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Subway maps
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Video or presentation content with audio
must be captioned
Elearning content cannot rely on audio cues
People whose computers do not support
sound
Can be an issue for mobile device users
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Cannot use mouse for navigation
Interaction through keyboard only
May have difficulty with timed responses
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Images are helpful for many with cognitive
impairments
Avoid “Wall o’ Text”
Use headlines and bullets
Attention to “fog index”
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Began in 1998 with call to action
Developed and released first accessibility
policy in September, 1999 – aligned with
W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines,
version 1 (WCAG 1)
Major policy shift in 2004, to “hybrid”
standard
Minor changes in 2006, 2008
Major change for 2010
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Will mirror federal Section 508
Allows NYS to leverage work vendors have
already done to become Section 508
compliant
Expands tools available for our use
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Covers all web content and applications on
both Internet and intranet sites
Intranet allowed more latitude because
agency can ensure end user platform
Requires that 14 guidelines be met
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Requires text equivalents for non-text
content
Don’t use color to convey information
Requires proper document structure
Requirements for “skip navigation” and
home page links
Avoid flickering and blinking elements
Allow user to reprogram timed responses
Data tables must be properly marked up
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Frame titles must provide context and
orientation information
Image maps must provide redundant text
links
Information shall not be conveyed via audio
only
Multimedia must be captioned and
described
Elements and information provided via
scripting must be accessible to A. T.
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Label elements must be used for all form
controls
Agencies can post proprietary formats so
long as an accessible alternative is made
available
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Given the scope of the policy, anything that
requires a browser to access can be
considered “web”:
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Webinars
Webcasts
HTML
Elearning delivered via browser
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When planning training, do not rely on one
sense alone
◦ If using videos in your training, be sure:
1. Videos are captioned and you provide instructions
about how to access captions
2. Any video demonstration (for example, showing how
to tie a knot) is described in such a way that
someone unable to see the video can follow it
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When planning a webinar:
◦ Keep in mind that people using screen readers can
interact with only one window at a time
◦ Make sure your presenter knows to describe any
substantive images he or she uses
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When planning a webcast:
◦ Ensure that you have arranged for captioning
services
◦ Note on the announcement if the webcast will be
captioned live or if a captioned version will be
available at a later date
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Audio content (e.g., podcasts):
◦ Provide a transcript, and put a link to the transcript
adjacent to the link to the podcast
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When posting a presentation:
◦ If the presentation will be posted long-term,
provide a Braillable text description of the
presentation
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If using online learning authoring tools, be
sure you can create accessible content with it
◦ Keep graphical text to a minimum
◦ Make sure navigation is consistent and adequately
labeled
◦ If using Flash animations, make them accessible