WCAG

Web Accessibility Evaluation Methodology

Submitted by mgifford on

I just got word that the Web Accessibility Initiative's is starting up a WCAG 2.0 Evaluation Methodology Task Force to provide more comprehensive guidance on evaluating web accessibility.  This is great, not only because the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (published in December 2008) aren't written for the average developer, but also because it should make it easier to build sites with fewer barriers for users. If the projected timelines are accurate, the first draft of the Evaluation Methodology will be developed at about the same time that all new Government of Ontario websites will need to be WCAG 2.0 AA compliant. It won't be 3 to 9 months after that however before the final drafts are available for public review.  

I have a lot of respect for the process of developing standards and know I don't have the patience for it.  I'd like to have the time to participate in the WAI Interest Group, but although the discussions are public and searchable, it isn't as easy to get involved as it is with the Drupal community where it is possible to follow specific issues over time. There are a lot of interesting people who have contributed a lot of time to shaping the W3C's standards, I do find that the focus is now too much on evaluating individual sites and not enough on leveraging the ecosystems that are used to build them. There also isn't enough discussion of free online tools that can do so much to improve a site's accessibility. 

Acknowledge What Already Exists

Most websites are built today with libraries of code that very much shape their accessibility.  Problems within a CMS or javascript library will affect the accessibility of the sites that use them. If the communities behind these projects are actively working for improved accessibility, many problems can be avoided.  We've made some great enhancements to Drupal 7's accessibility, and although it's true that each of those could be reverted in a particular site's implementation, it's unlikely that a developer would take the time to do this.  Evaluating a Drupal 7 site's accessibility should be fundimetaly different than a custom built website, because the framework that is actively being reviewed for accessibility improvements.  

Accessibility Tips for Management

Submitted by mgifford on

FAE evaluation of website

Most accessibility articles are written for either developers or designers who need guidance on how to implement accessibility fixes.  There's a lot more to write on this subject, but I was looking for articles written for the communications professionals who are overseeing web project. In most large organizations the people directing the sites development are not the same people as those who are coding it.  

Common Look and Feel 2.0 and Drupal Collaboration

Submitted by Everett Zufelt on

Image of the Drupal CLF 2.0 ThemeRecognizing the need to unify the presentation of governmental information on the web, the Government of Canada has developed CLF 2.0 (Common Look and Feel for the Internet 2.0). Part 2 of CLF 2.0 is the Standard on the Accessibility, Interoperability and Usability of Web Sites. The context for the CLF accessibility standard is that:

Canadians have the right to obtain information and services from Government of Canada Web sites regardless of the technologies they use. The key to effective implementation of universal accessibility lies in designing sites to serve the widest possible audience and the broadest possible range of hardware and software platforms, from adaptive technologies to emerging technologies. (CLF 2.0 Part 2)

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