Presented by Andy Akhtar of Scottish Centre for Enabling Technolgies: http://www.ictthatworks.org for AmbITion Scotland Partner and Associate organisation networking event 02/11/10. http://getambition.com www.ictthatworks.org/drupal/accessibility

1. DDA COMPLIANCE
Web Accessibility
Presented by Andy Akhtar
Tuesday, 2 November 2010

2. LAW
• Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995
The act gives disabled people rights in the areas of:
•Employment
•Access to goods, facilities and services
•Buying or renting land or property
Tuesday, 2 November 2010

3. WEB COMPLIANCE
• Web Accessibility Initiative(WAI)
• Guidelines to developing accessible web pages
• Three Priority level check points
[Priority 1] A Web content developer must satisfy this checkpoint. Otherwise, one or more groups will find it
impossible to access information in the document. Satisfying this checkpoint is a basic requirement for some
groups to be able to use Web documents.
[Priority 2] A Web content developer should satisfy this checkpoint. Otherwise, one or more groups will find
it difficult to access information in the document. Satisfying this checkpoint will remove significant barriers to
accessing Web documents.
[Priority 3] A Web content developer may address this checkpoint. Otherwise, one or more groups will find it
somewhat difficult to access information in the document. Satisfying this checkpoint will improve access to Web
documents.
Source: Checklist of Checkpoints for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0: http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/full-checklist.html
Tuesday, 2 November 2010

4. BASIC GUIDE
• HTML is for structure
• CSS is for styling and formatting
• Javascript behaviour
• Content is placed within the HTML
(Text, Images, Flash, etc )
• Use tables for table-like content only
• Don’t use tables for layout
• Don’t use frames
• Use Alt text for images
• Make link meaningful
Tuesday, 2 November 2010

5. SCENARIOS
• Online shopper with colour blindness - user customized style sheets
• Online student who is deaf - captioned audio from multimedia
• Accountant who is blind - appropriate table markup and alternative text
• Retiree with age-related conditions managing personal finances - screen
magnification, stopping scrolling text, avoiding pop-up windows
Source:W3C Web Accessibility initiative: http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/people-use-web.php
Tuesday, 2 November 2010

6. HOWTO COMPLY
• Check your site - Use accessibility evaluation tools such as WAVE but don’t rely
on them.
• Test site against a colour blindness simulator such asVischeckURL.
• Provide alternative ways to view your site where appropriate. Examples:Text
Only, HTML Only, audio, subtitles for video.
• Provide accessibility helpers - An accessibility page stating accessibility features;
style changer for contrast; font changer(AAA).
• Provide a site map.
• Use clear language.
• Provide content as a download or offer print option where appropriate.
• Ensure colour contrast for text and its background is clear.
• Review site periodically.
• Don’t rely on Javascript for important functionality.
• A well designed page / site tend to be more accessible to start with.
Tuesday, 2 November 2010

7. ADDED BENEFITS
• Reach a wider audience - 10 million disabled people in the UK (Family
Resources Survey 2008)
• Easier for everyone to use - Clear navigation, content meaningful, fewer click to
goal
• Improves SEO - Google like well designed sites.
• Faster page loading - Well designed pages tend to load faster
• Improves cross browser compatibility
• Easier to manage the site and individual pages
• Reduce risk of being sued for discrimination.
Tuesday, 2 November 2010

8. AND FINALLY...
• Use your common sense.
• Don’t let full accessibility compliance hinder your creativity.
Tuesday, 2 November 2010

9. QUESTIONS
Tuesday, 2 November 2010

10. email: andrewa@ictthatworks.org
Further information and links to tools visit :
www.ictthatworks.org/drupal/accessibility
Thank you
Tuesday, 2 November 2010