Slides from the talk by One Further's Chris Unitt at the Arts Marketing Association's Beyond Digital 2019. With more and more emphasis being put on making sure our buildings and offerings can be experienced by the widest group of people, it’s important that our digital content is also up to scratch. This session went through the four principles of digital accessibility and covered the tools and checks you can use to meet the relevant guidelines. In case you're wondering, the black bar along the bottom was left so there would be space for subtitling.

1. Accessibility
Guidelines
What you need to know

2. Oct 2012: £5,000
Feb 2019: £5,000

3. 167,000 / year

4. 167,000 / year

5. There are 13.9 million disabled
people in the UK.
Data: Scope Family Resources Survey 2016/17

6. In 2019, the number of disabled
adults who were recent internet
users reached over 10 million for
the first time.
Data: ONS Internet users, UK: 2019

7. The total spending power of
families with at least one
disabled person is estimated at
£249 billion a year.
Data: Scope Family Resources Survey 2016/17

8. Accessibility / Usability / SEO

13. Public Sector Bodies (Websites
and Mobile Applications) (No. 2)
Accessibility Regulations 2018

14. 1. Meet the international WCAG
2.1 AA accessibility standard
2. Publish an accessibility
statement

15. What does WCAG
2.1 AA mean?

16. Web Content Accessibility
Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1

17. Principles and
guidelines

18. Content must be perceivable,
operable, understandable, and
robust.

19. Content must be perceivable,
operable, understandable, and
robust.

20. Content must be perceivable,
operable, understandable, and
robust.

21. Content must be perceivable,
operable, understandable, and
robust.

22. There are thirteen Guidelines,
each with Success Criteria.
These have different levels of
conformance (A, AA, and AAA)

24. Doing an
accessibility audit

25. 1. Detailed check (DIY)
2. Detailed check (third party)
3. Basic check

26. Choose a sample of your pages:
• 50 most visited
• Represent each page type
• Login pages
• Access info pages
Plus any PDFs

27. Test with a mix of automated
tools and manual checks

28. web.dev

30. Zoom in
400%

34. Things for you
to get right

35. Text
Images
Video
PDFs
Social
Use headings (h1, h2, etc)
Use descriptive link text
Don’t align justified
No unexplained jargon
Don’t open links in new tabs

36. Text
Images
Video
PDFs
Social
Alt text for non-decorative
images
Don’t put lots of text in images

37. Text
Images
Video
PDFs
Social
Add captions (review
automated ones)
Add audio descriptions if
needed
Add transcripts

38. Text
Images
Video
PDFs
Social
Use meaningful titles
Use headings (h1, h2, etc)
Use alt text for images

39. Text
Images
Video
PDFs
Social
Use #CamelCase hashtags
Don’t overuse emoji
Add alt text to images
Add captions to videos

41. Things for your
web agency to get right

42. Skip to main content
Show keyboard focus areas
Close pop-ups with the escape key
Use ARIA landmarks for page sections
Use proper colour contrast and fonts
Make form inputs accessible

45. Make a plan for improvement and
work with accessibility in mind.

46. You access info
matters too

47. Euan’sGuideTheAccessSurvey2018
5
86%
Have found disabled
access information on
a venue’s website to be
misleading.
94%
Try to find disabled
access information about
somewhere before visiting
for the first time.88%
Are more likely to visit
somewhere new if they can
find access information
about it beforehand.
Key Findings

48. Euan’sGuideTheAccessSurvey2018
7
When visiting a new place, do you try
to find disabled access information
about it beforehand?
If you have used a venue’s website to
check disabled access before visiting,
have you ever found the information
to be misleading, confusing or
inaccurate?
Have you ever experienced a
disappointing trip or had to change
your plans last minute because of
poor accessibility?
We asked...
94% 6%
86%
87%
14%
13%
Yes No

49. State of Theatre
Access 2019
Matthew Cock
Matthew Pountney
Melanie Sharpe
Nicky Taylor
Jess Thom
VOCALEYES
®
8 State of Theatre Access 2019
Checklist for theatres
The key information that a theatre should provide on their website
access information page.
Access
information
Notes
Welcome
message
Use direct and inclusive language
throughout, addressed directly to the visitor
Access contact
details
Email and telephone number for people with
additional access enquiries or requesting
personal support
Getting to the
theatre
For arrival on foot, by public transport or
car. Provide additional detail to the address,
such as descriptive directions
Accessible
parking
Location, alternative if main one is full; cost
and how to pay or book; distance to main
entrance
Venue images Exterior and interior
Concessions /
proof
Should include details of what proof is
required, if relevant
Physical access Areas of venue without step-free access;
alternative routes, including lifts and ramps
Accessible
toilets
Location and information (include
photographs); nearest Changing Places
Toilet
Alternative
formats
Large Print / Braille copies of Programme
Hearing
induction loops
Instructions and coverage in auditorium

50. Some good
examples

52. Homepage Event page
Sheffield Theatres 100 98
National Museum of the Royal Navy 97 97
Imperial War Museums 99 95
Opera North 97 97
Science Museum 95 95
Ikon Gallery 94 95
Royal & Derngate 93 93
Barbican Centre 93 93
Sadler's Wells 93 90
Sage Gateshead 88 95

54. Homepage Event page
Theatre 62 58
Orchestra 46 72
Museum 57 60
Visual Arts Org 65 47
Festival 60 48
Gallery 60 48
Theatre 29 78
Multi-Arts Venue 51 51
Museum 48 52
Orchestra 38 40

55. Thank you!
@chrisunitt
Slides and notes at
onefurther.com/ama2019