Transcript Fundamental Web Accessibility Techniques Are Not

Fundamental Web Accessibility
Techniques Are Not “Equal”
James White
Making Learning Accessible Conference
December 2, 2016
MSU Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center
This presentation does not represent MSU’s position or policy.
It represents the author’s hope for a more inclusive future.
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Before the Web Accessibility Initiative
• Unified Web Site Accessibility Guidelines
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January 20, 1998 (pulls together some 1994-1998 material)
• https://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/central.htm#REF.Ref
• Draft WebAccess Briefing Package
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February 3, 1997
• https://web.archive.org/web/19971015024105/http://www19.w3.org/Archives/
Public/web-access/msg00004.html (links to guidelines+)
• World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Launches
International Web Accessibility Initiative
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April 7, 1997
• https://www.w3.org/Press/WAI-Launch.html
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Overview of Pre WCAG Guidelines
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Use Style Sheets
Allow User Style Sheet Override
Avoid blink, marquee; Freeze
Heading Nesting
abbr w/title=
Lists as lists
Tables w/th, scope=
Table Summaries
Meaningful link text
Links obvious
Links large [size], consistent
accesskey=
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Client image map/duplicate text
Object alternatives
Video/audio descriptions
Text for video/audio
Clear visual indication of sound
<noframe> option
hr title=x section
No image map submit buttons
label for=“control”
Script not essential, OK if off
Liquid layout/user text size
Site map
Keyboard access/use
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Who Is Accessibility For?
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Low vision 8.1 MM/2 MM blind
USA 2012
Hearing issues 7.6 MM/1.1 MM severe
Cognitive/learning/neurological ~9 MM
Hand/arm motor limitations 19.9 MM
Color blindness 27 MM 8.5%
~2 MM debilitating hand/arm injuries/year
Disabled: 18-64 10.5%, 65+ 36%, 80+ 71%
In short Y-O-U could be disabled next!
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Web Accessibility in the Law
• Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
• Purpose:
• to provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the
elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities
• to provide clear, strong, consistent, enforceable standards addressing
discrimination against individuals with disabilities
• Subchapter IV [Title V in 1990]
• Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, nothing in this chapter
shall be construed to apply a lesser standard than the standards
applied under title V of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 790 et
seq.) or the regulations issued by Federal agencies pursuant to such
title.
[Aside from the one annotation above the text is as in the 1990 original]
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Web Accessibility in the Law (cont’d)
• Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as
amended
• (1) … Major Life Activities [1990 ADA Sec. 3(2)]
• [Then new as of 2008 ADAAA, expanding the 1990 term] For
purposes of paragraph (1), major life activities include, but
are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual
tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing,
lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading,
concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working.
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Web Accessibility in the Law (cont’d)
• Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended
• 794d - Electronic and information technology
• [Rehab Sec. 508 added in 1986 amendment]
• (a) Requirements for Federal departments and
agencies
• [update with heading added in 1998 amendment that also
moved responsibility to the Access Board]
[I believe (a) above was written in 1998 to expand, for Federal agencies’ accessibility
“central role,” “communication” outside of its prior narrow telephonic equipment
meaning. Then, with the human “life activity” “communication” (etc., additions) of the
2008 ADAAA, Congress expected obvious ADA application of 508 rules (not “lesser”),
just like architectural and transportation, for “consistent, enforceable standards.”]
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Key 508 Items
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Websites are communication
EIT “not limited to” enumerated items [pdf]
Alternatives substantially equivalent or >
Web pages are “applications” 1194.21 & .22
.21(b) shall not disrupt operating system or other
product accessibility features.
• .21(g) not override user’s display attributes
• .22(m) applets, etc. must comply with all .21
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What’s Gone Wrong??
• WCAG 2.0 AA(A) essentially ignores the 508
items noted on the prior slide
• “Consensus” of corporate staff with agendas not really
disabled centric (e.g., 2X not 5X text)
• Page/look designers seem to think in terms of
pixel count positioning à la print media
• Access Board politics appear to make disabled a
secondary concern re the web
• “Right thing to do”—slogan only/out of mind
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Solutions? Build for Inclusivity First
• Design Touchstone, Low Vision, not Blind
• Accessibility Requirements for People with Low Vision
W3C First Public Working Draft 17 March 2016
https://www.w3.org/TR/2016/WD-low-vision-needs20160317/
• Should disabled expect different usability?
• Let me be bold and say no, not if avoidable
• Transcripts/descriptions are inclusive of:
• Blind, Deaf, Google, You (print, quote, find, …)
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Build for Inclusivity First (cont’d)
• Floating text size (no base size, no px, etc.)
• Size w/%, scales mobile to 4K(+), motor limited
• Full Window/Screen Liquid Layout
• Mobile to 4K, Low Vision without tools (AT)
• Think SPECTACULAR Designs!!
• 2-3 responsive jumps only but default workable
• 508 “no style sheet” requirement, cognitive
• Gotcha is the continuing resolution race, it will end
• Eliminates constant zoomed left-right scrolling
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Build for Inclusivity First (cont’d)
• User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG)
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https://www.w3.org/TR/UAAG20/ full window+
• When you override its intent you blow it (& 508)
• Structural simplicity, all blocks liquid layout
• Eliminate dueling (“side-by-side”) scroll bars
• Image sizes balanced for zoom/bandwidth
• Generous contrast + other differentiation
• color blind, contrast impaired, low/bright light,
b/w/grayscale printouts
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Build for Inclusivity First (cont’d)
• Limit JavaScript (WCAG 1.0, work w/o JS)
• backend validate DB input regardless,
• AT accessibility supported, you are responsible
• w3.org/TR/WCAG20/#glossary
• When it matters, have a graceful fallback!
• Tag correctly—screen reader & computer
• Tables (a new “gotcha”), proper tagging +
• Below some screen size threshold set the table
width=“200%” or whatever is needed
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Build for Inclusivity First (cont’d)
• Proper titling — title= is for all
• Useful, supplemental/advisory, not redundant
• Proper CSS, minimize CSS classes, let the
cascade work (bandwidth, render, update)
• !important — for use by users, not design
• Not a specificity crutch, should be very rare
• tabindex= let the browser use natural order
• ARIA — best to design so it’s not needed
• The catch, use makes good sense only in HTML5
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Build for Inclusivity First (cont’d)
• Whitespace — here px is your friend
• em’s and %’s will waste precious real estate
• General rule: aesthetics be dammed, gi’mme info
• alt= (hint: ignore almost everything you read on
the internet, no simple answer)
• http://w3c.github.io/html/semantics-embedded-
content.html#elementdef-img
• Widely competing alternatives, different ones for
WENT blind vs. blind-from-birth (~3%)
• longdesc= # on page link best, conflicting link
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Compromise?
• All design contains compromise
• Why a #2 pencil?
• Cadillacs/Maseratis for everyone! ($$, etc.)
• But why compromise when inclusivity is
• Easier? Cheaper? The right thing to do!
• “Design” not for artistic glory but use by all
• Embrace the challenge of enhancing artistically
• Balance PLUS Benefits for All
• Think transcript/description/alt indexed win/win
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Conclusion
• ADA mandate: discrimination elimination
• No lesser standard than 790 et seq. standards
• Consistent & enforceable across .Gov, I, II, III
• WCAG 2.0 AA is (substantially) < 508 and (arguably)
does not meet the ADA purpose
• Inclusive FIRST (then equal) (then special technique)
• Compromise but think, “Why compromise?” first
• Touchstone, Low Vision not Blind (not since birth)
• And most of all, accessibility is for Y-O-U
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Questions?
?
James White
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[email protected]
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(517) 884-2142
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Appendix, Law Excerpts & 508 Rules
[annotations in brackets, bold italics added for emphasis, … for internal paragraph omissions]
https://www.ada.gov/pubs/adastatute08.htm
TITLE 42 - THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
CHAPTER 126 - EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES [origin: Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
(https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/history/35th/thelaw/ada.html)]
Sec. 12101. Findings and purpose [1990 Sec. 2]
(a) Findings
The Congress finds that
(7) the Nation's proper goals regarding individuals with disabilities are to assure equality of opportunity, full participation, … [1990 (8)]
(b) Purpose
It is the purpose of this chapter
(1) to provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities;
(2) to provide clear, strong, consistent, enforceable standards addressing discrimination against individuals with disabilities;
Sec. 12102. Definition of disability [1990 Sec. 3]
As used in this chapter:
(1) Disability [1990 (2)]
The term "disability" means, with respect to an individual
(A) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of such individual;
(2) Major Life Activities [New as of 2008 ADAAA, expanding the above 1990 term]
(A) In general
For purposes of paragraph (1), major life activities include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating,
sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working.
SUBCHAPTER IV - MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS [1990 TITLE V]
Sec. 12201. Construction [1990 Sec. 501]
(a) In general
Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, nothing in this chapter shall be construed to apply a lesser standard than the standards applied under title V
of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 790 et seq.) or the regulations issued by Federal agencies pursuant to such title.
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https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/29/chapter-16/subchapter-V
29 U.S. Code Subchapter V - RIGHTS AND ADVOCACY
§ 790 - Repealed. Pub. L. 102–569, title V, § 502(a), Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4424
§ 791 - Employment of individuals with disabilities
§ 792 - Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board …
§ 794d - Electronic and information technology
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/29/792
29 U.S. Code § 792 - Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board [origin under Title V of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973]
(b) FUNCTIONS It shall be the function of the Access Board to—
(2) develop advisory information for, and provide appropriate technical assistance to, individuals or entities with rights or duties under regulations
prescribed pursuant to this subchapter or titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12131 et seq. and 12181 et seq.) with
respect to overcoming architectural, transportation, and communication barriers [PL 95-602, Nov. 6, 1978
(http://uscode.house.gov/statviewer.htm?volume=92&page=2979#) added “communication” re “telecommunication devices” (in what is now (b)(5)) but then
the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1992 (https://www.congress.gov/bill/102nd-congress/house-bill/5482/text) set “communications” out separately
(above(b)(2)) but also kept them related in (b)(5) (not quoted)];
(3) establish and maintain— [(3) in the form adopted in 1992 which added (D)]
(B) minimum guidelines and requirements for the standards issued pursuant to titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990;
(D) standards for accessible electronic and information technology under section 794d of this title [794d was “Sec. 508. Electronic equipment accessibility.”
which was added by PL 99-506, Oct. 21, 1986 (http://uscode.house.gov/statviewer.htm?volume=100&page=1830#)];
(4) promote accessibility throughout all segments of society;
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/29/794d
29 U.S. Code § 794d - Electronic and information technology [origin: Section 508 as added to Rehabilitation Act of 1973 in a 1986 amendment
(http://uscode.house.gov/statviewer.htm?volume=100&page=1830) and further strengthened by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998
(http://uscode.house.gov/statviewer.htm?volume=112&page=1203#) assigning standards development to the Access Board from which the Section 508
Standards for Electronic and Information Technology (https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-section508-standards/section-508-standards) arose]
(a) REQUIREMENTS FOR FEDERAL DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES [text from current law essentially as set forth in 1998, this Federal specific heading added at
that time ensuring a Federal central role re information technology when architectural and transportation barriers were the ADA focus]
(1) ACCESSIBILITY
(A) Development, procurement, maintenance, or use of electronic and information technology
(i) individuals with disabilities who are Federal employees …
(ii) individuals with disabilities who are members of the public seeking information or services from a Federal department or agency to have access to and
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use of the information and data by such members of the public who are not individuals with disabilities.
(B)Alternative means efforts
When development, procurement, maintenance, or use of electronic and information technology … would impose an undue burden, the Federal department
or agency shall provide individuals with disabilities covered by paragraph (1) with the information and data involved by an alternative means of access that
allows the individual to use the information and data.
(2) ELECTRONIC AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS
(A) In general Not later than 18 months after August 7, 1998, the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (referred to in this section as
the “Access Board”), … after consultation with the electronic and information technology industry and appropriate public or nonprofit agencies or
organizations, including organizations representing individuals with disabilities, shall issue and publish standards setting forth—
(i) for purposes of this section, a definition of electronic and information technology that is consistent with the definition of information technology specified
in section 11101(6) of title 40; and
(ii) the technical and functional performance criteria necessary to implement the requirements set forth in paragraph (1).
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/40/11101
40 U.S. Code § 11101 - Definitions
In this subtitle, the following definitions apply:
(3) INFORMATION RESOURCES.—
The term “information resources” has the meaning given that term in section 3502 of title 44.
(5) INFORMATION SYSTEM.—
The term “information system” has the meaning given that term in section 3502 of title 44.
(6) INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.—The term “information technology”—
(A) … means any equipment or interconnected system or subsystem of equipment, used in the automatic acquisition, storage, analysis, evaluation,
manipulation, management, movement, control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, or reception of data or information …
(B) includes computers, ancillary equipment (including imaging peripherals, input, output, and storage devices necessary for security and surveillance),
peripheral equipment designed to be controlled by the central processing unit of a computer, software, firmware and similar procedures, services (including
support services), and related resources;
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/44/3502
44 U.S. Code § 3502 - Definitions
As used in this subchapter—
(6) the term “information resources” means information and related resources, such as personnel, equipment, funds, and information technology;
(8) the term “information system” means a discrete set of information resources organized for the collection, processing, maintenance, use, sharing,
dissemination, or disposition of information;
(9) the term “information technology” has the meaning given that term in section 11101 of title 40 [quoted above] …;
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https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-section-508-standards/section-508-standards
Section 508 Standards for Electronic and Information Technology (Abridged)
§ 1194.4 Definitions.
The following definitions apply to this part:
Electronic and information technology. Includes information technology and any equipment or interconnected system or subsystem of equipment, that is
used in the creation, conversion, or duplication of data or information. The term electronic and information technology includes, but is not limited to,
telecommunications products (such as telephones), information kiosks and transaction machines, World Wide Web sites, multimedia, and office equipment
such as copiers and fax machines.
§ 1194.5 Equivalent facilitation.
Nothing in this part is intended to prevent the use of designs or technologies as alternatives to those prescribed in this part provided they result in
substantially equivalent or greater access to and use of a product for people with disabilities.
Subpart B — Technical Standards
§ 1194.21 Software applications and operating systems.
(a) When software is designed to run on a system that has a keyboard, product functions shall be executable from a keyboard where the function itself or the
result of performing a function can be discerned textually.
(b) Applications shall not disrupt or disable activated features of other products that are identified as accessibility features… Applications also shall not
disrupt or disable activated features of any operating system that are identified as accessibility features...
(c) A well-defined on-screen indication of the current focus shall be provided …
(d) Sufficient information about a user interface element including the identity, operation and state of the element shall be available to assistive technology.
When an image represents a program element, the information conveyed by the image must also be available in text.
(e) When bitmap images are used to identify controls, status indicators, or other programmatic elements, the meaning assigned to those images shall be
consistent throughout an application’s performance.
(f) Textual information shall be provided through operating system functions for displaying text. The minimum information that shall be made available is
text content, text input caret location, and text attributes.
(g) Applications shall not override user selected contrast and color selections and other individual display attributes.
(h) When animation is displayed, the information shall be displayable in at least one non-animated presentation mode at the option of the user.
(i) Color coding shall not be used as the only means of conveying information, indicating an action, prompting a response, or distinguishing a visual element.
(j) When a product permits a user to adjust color and contrast settings, a variety of color selections capable of producing a range of contrast levels shall be
provided.
(k) Software shall not use flashing or blinking text, objects, or other elements having a flash or blink frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz.
(l) When electronic forms are used, the form shall allow people using assistive technology to access the information, field elements, and functionality
required for completion and submission of the form, including all directions and cues.
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§ 1194.22 Web-based intranet and internet information and applications.
(a) A text equivalent for every non-text element shall be provided (e.g., via “alt”, “longdesc”, or in element content).
(b) Equivalent alternatives for any multimedia presentation shall be synchronized with the presentation.
(c) Web pages shall be designed so that all information conveyed with color is also available without color, for example from context or markup.
(d) Documents shall be organized so they are readable without requiring an associated style sheet.
(e) Redundant text links shall be provided for each active region of a server-side image map.
(f) Client-side image maps shall be provided instead of server-side image maps except where the regions cannot be defined with an available geometric shape.
(g) Row and column headers shall be identified for data tables.
(h) Markup shall be used to associate data cells and header cells for data tables that have two or more logical levels of row or column headers.
(i) Frames shall be titled with text that facilitates frame identification and navigation.
(j) Pages shall be designed to avoid causing the screen to flicker with a frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz.
(k) 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.
(l) When pages utilize scripting languages to display content, or to create interface elements, the information provided by the script shall be identified with
functional text that can be read by assistive technology.
(m) When a web page requires that an applet, plug-in or other application be present on the client system to interpret page content, the page must provide a link
to a plug-in or applet that complies with §1194.21(a) through (l).
(n) When electronic forms are designed to be completed on-line, the form shall allow people using assistive technology to access the information, field elements, and
functionality required for completion and submission of the form, including all directions and cues.
(o) A method shall be provided that permits users to skip repetitive navigation links.
(p) When a timed response is required, the user shall be alerted and given sufficient time to indicate more time is required.
Subpart C — Functional Performance Criteria
§ 1194.31 Functional performance criteria.
(a) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require user vision shall be provided, or support for assistive technology used by people
who are blind or visually impaired shall be provided.
(b) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require visual acuity greater than 20/70 shall be provided in audio and enlarged print
output working together or independently, or support for assistive technology used by people who are visually impaired shall be provided.
(c) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require user hearing shall be provided, or support for assistive technology used by people
who are deaf or hard of hearing shall be provided.
(d) Where audio information is important for the use of a product, at least one mode of operation and information retrieval shall be provided in an enhanced auditory
fashion, or support for assistive hearing devices shall be provided.
(e) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require user speech shall be provided, or support for assistive technology used by people
with disabilities shall be provided.
(f) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require fine motor control or simultaneous actions and that is operable with limited reach
and strength shall be provided.
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