Presentation given by Jonathan Hassell (Director of Hassell Inclusion and lead author of BS8878) at User Vision, Edinburgh for Word Usability Day 2011. Covers: why and how the BBC approach accessible; how BS8878 helps organisations understand the business case for accessibility; how it provides organisations with a framework to embed accessibility in their policies and web design processes; how hassell inclusion can help you move forwards in implementing BS8878 (read the blog at http://www.hassellinclusion.com/category/bs8878/ for more help)

1. The BBC‟s approach to accessibility
and how BS8878 enables other
organisations to embed accessibility
Prof Jonathan Hassell (@jonhassell)
Director, Hassell Inclusion ltd.
Chair, BSI IST/45
World Usability Day, User Vision, Edinburgh
10th November 2011
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2. 1
Why accessibility is
important – the business
case
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3. Who are your disabled audiences?
11 million adults (between 12-26% of UK population)
“Anyone with a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial
long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day to
day activities”
Disability Discrimination Act / Equality Act 2010
Sources: Experience and expectations of disabled people (ODI 2008), TGI,
Disabled for Life (DWP 2002), BBC Talking Disability Phase 3 research ©

4. What are they like?
• Older
– 47% over 65 compared to 20% of general population
• Less likely to be working
– 43% of working age compared to 74% of general population
• Heavy media consumers
– Particularly TV and radio
• Only half see themselves as „disabled‟
– This made little difference to attitudes to the media
Sources: Experience and expectations of disabled people (ODI 2008), TGI,
Disabled for Life (DWP 2002), BBC Talking Disability Phase 3 research ©

5. Breakdown into groups… breaking
stereotypes
Learning difficulties Down’s Syndrome - 0.03m
Mental health condition
Progressive cyclical or
fluctuating condition
Visual impairment Registered Blind 0.18m
Hearing impairment
Use sign language – 0.05m
Manual dexterity – 2.3m
Physical impairment
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Population/millions
Sources: ODI (2008), Base: 1,860, RNID, RNIB, DWP research report 173, Downs Syndrome Online.
Specific impairment numbers are approximated ©

6. In the future “they” are “we”
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7. And „their‟ numbers are growing rapidly
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8. Meet your audience
with thanks to BBC ©

9. Why they matter – the legal business case…
• if an organisation‟s web product is not accessible to a disabled
person, that person might have grounds for making a claim against
the organisation under:
• the Equality Act 2010
• the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA)
• yet there is currently very little case law…
Equality Act: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2010/pdf/ukpga_20100015_en.pdf
DDA: The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995. London: The Stationery Office. ©

10. The ethical business case…
• Ensuring disabled people are not excluded from the benefits of
modern digital technologies, see:
• DCMS Digital Britain report, 2009
• DCMS eAccessibility Action Plan, 2010
• Also UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled People
• many international nations have signed
Digital Britain report: http://interactive.bis.gov.uk/digitalbritain/final-report/
eAccessibility Action Plan: http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/business-sectors/digital-content/e-accessibility-forum
UN Convention: http://www.un.org/disabilities/convention/conventionfull.shtml ©

11. The commercial business case: minimising
complaints
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12. The commercial business case: maximising reach
11m 12m 7m
disabled older adults with low-
people people literacy levels
(of pension age) (<age 11)
Source: DFEE
©

13. OXO Good Grips
• Well-known pioneer of Inclusive Design
in the USA
• Sam Farber‟s wife, a keen cook, suffered from
arthritis
“Why do ordinary kitchen tools hurt your
hands?”
• First 15 products launched in 1990
• Sales growth over 35% per year from 1991 to
2002
• The line has now grown to over 500 products
• Over 100 design awards received
Centre for Business Innovation
“Connected Communities, helping you Do more with Less” - 13 - Engineering Design Centre
© 2011 Centre for Business Innovation Ltd

14. How we did it at the BBC
2
Centre for Business Innovation
“Connected Communities, helping you Do more with Less” - 14 - Engineering Design Centre
© 2011 Centre for Business Innovation Ltd

15. BBC view: what accessibility really should be…
• all about disabled people
• it‟s not about accessibility…
or even usability…
it‟s about a great user experience for disabled people
• whether they can get the right value out of what we create
• exactly like we aim for, for every other audience
• so that includes enjoyment and fun
BBC MMX

16. How we do accessibility at the BBC
• researching the user needs of disabled and
non-disabled people early…
• working out how homogeneous they are and
feed them into the production process…
• using standards (like WCAG 2.0) to do
accessible production…
• user-testing evolving product iterations
to see if they are meeting those needs
• making this „the way we work‟ for all products
BBC MMX

17. High level research example: Talking Disability 2008
• Objective:
– „to gain a deep understanding of how
audiences with disability are using different
media, gauge their perceptions of the key
media providers, and understand what role
media plays in their everyday lives in 2008‟
– commissioned by BBC and Channel4
• Participants/methodology:
– Desk research & analysis
– Qualitative:
• 74 participants
• workshops on HI, VI, Mobility/Manual dexterity
• in home depths on mental health, web 2.0 use
– Quantitative:
• 500 person random sample
BBC MMX

18. Example finding:
How‟s our current channel (broadcast) doing?
BBC MMX

19. Blind people‟s current user journey on TV
Find the
programme you Enjoy the
Buy the device Watch the
want to watch programme
to watch TV on programme
✔ ✗
only a few,
✔ ✔
most digital it‟s TV, this just AD allows you
expensive to enjoy without
boxes include works
digital boxes sight
AD
include TTS (but only on 12%-20% of
progs are)
EPGs
BBC MMX

20. Could iPlayer be a game
changer for this
audience?
BBC MMX

21. Blind people‟s user journey on iPlayer
Find the
programme you Watch the
Buy the device Enjoy the
want to watch programme
to watch TV on programme
✔ ✔most iPlayer
✔
had to work hard
✔
most blind people AD allows you
devices either but transport
already own at to enjoy without
include TTS or controls work just
least one iPlayer
can have it from keyboard sight
compatible device (but only on 12%-20% of
installed for free, progs are)
so EPG speaks
BBC MMX

22. No simple, or inexpensive task…
Tools to Accessible
Reliable
translate from media player
workflows for
broadcast to on all iPlayer
translation
online devices
BBC MMX

23. Use of diary-study research to suggest answers to tricky
questions…
• if you were designing a way of navigating through a 30min - 4hour
programme, just using two buttons, how would you do it…?
• is there a best (simplest and most efficient) way…?
• is that the same for everyone…?
• does it depend on the programmes the users would want to watch…?
BBC MMX

24. The feedback is good…
I have just watched all this weeks episodes with audio
description and I am impressed…
I find it very accessible and easy to work and I am very
pleased with it.
Only problem, it has made me start watching Eastenders
again!
BBC MMX

25. Resulting benefits
• Reach:
– enabled us to get more return on existing
investment in broadcast audio description
• Awards:
– won the BIMA for Best Usability &
Accessibility 2009
– and the Access-IT@Home award 2009 for
„best ICT based project, product or service
that advances independent
living for people with disabilities
or who are elderly in Europe‟
• Reputation:
– now other UK, EU, global broadcasters further developing their video-on-demand
services, aiming for similar levels of accessibility
BBC MMX

26. Strategic research example: Disability Panel 2009-10
• Objective:
– „To discover how well we are catering for our
disabled audiences across web, mobile, IPTV to
inform strategy/prioritisation‟
– What are doing well?
– What could we do more of?
– What should we stop doing?
• Participants:
– 28 disabled people
– 16 to 60yrs old; 13 male, 15 female
– Mild to severe vision, hearing, motor & cognitive
impairments
• Methodology:
– Diary study of media use & review of BBC sites
– Focus group discussion of diaries
BBC MMX

27. Example finding: the need for personalisation
• findings from the panel &
BBC iPlayer disability focus group (2009)
• Vision impaired / dyslexic
• “I like the black – it‟s cool”
• “I hate it – I find it really tiring”
• Low literacy
• “can it just talk or something?”
• Aging / learning difficulties
• “it was just too overwhelming”
• so different user groups can have
conflicting needs
• inclusive design doesn‟t handle
diversity of needs well at the moment
• hence the need for personalisation
BBC MMX

28. Example finding: inclusive design also expects too
much from many disabled people
• the assumption that we can rely on disabled
people always having the Assistive Technology
they need to help them is often wrong
• that expects web users to:
a. be aware that an Assistive Technology exists for their need
• (even with sites like BBC My Web My Way
to point the way) most are not
b. are able to afford that technology
• most are C2DE so have difficulty affording expensive techs
c. are able to work out how to install it
• most are not technical
d. are able to work out how to use it
• most are unconfident
e. are able to use it to access online content
• thus… many never get this far, even if the site is WCAG AAA
BBC MMX

29. Explains why use of Assistive Technologies is low…
6-8% Of web users use an
Assistive Technology
(screenreader, adapted
mouse or similar)
to access the Internet
Source: EEDP (2008)
BBC MMX

30. When the benefits should be useful to most users…
57% Of computer users
(aged 18-64)
are likely or very likely to
benefit from the use of
Assistive Technology
Source: Microsoft/Forrester Research study 2003, USA
BBC MMX

31. Provided the genesis for a new product – MyDisplay
• a website tool…
• which enables users to
get BBC desktop and
mobile sites
the way they want…
• whatever device they
want it on…
BBC MMX

32. Three clicks… and the rest of BBC Online & BBC Mobile
uses their preferences…
BBC MMX

33. MyDisplay iterative production process:
Do initial
audience
research Research and
testing partner:
If more Develop
improvement minimal,
justified, flexible
cycle… next version
User test to
get better
audience
research
BBC MMX

34. 3
How BS8878 can
help you do it too
Centre for Business Innovation
“Connected Communities, helping you Do more with Less” - 34 - Engineering Design Centre
© 2011 Centre for Business Innovation Ltd

35. How does BS8878 help?
– presents the business-case for accessibility and digital inclusion
– gives advice for how to embed accessibility strategically within an organisation
– shows a process which identifies the key decisions
which are taken in a web product‟s lifecycle which impact accessibility
– recommends an informed way of making these decisions…
– and a way of documenting all of this to ensure best practice
Organizational Web Web
Web Product Product
Accessibility Accessibility Accessibility
Policy Policy Statement
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36. The accessibility of your web products
is in all these people‟s hands…
Snr Mgrs
Finance Legal Marketing Strategy
Project Mgrs Product Mgrs
Developers Designers Writers Research & Testers
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37. Embedding motivation
• Need to motivate each
group…
• Or just use a business Snr Mgrs
case for the top level and
set policy top to bottom…
– check out OneVoice business
cases…
Finance Legal Marketing Strategy
Project Mgrs Product Mgrs
Developers Designers Writers Research & Testers
©

38. Embedding responsibility
• Work out whose
responsibility accessibility
should ultimately be… Snr Mgrs
• Make sure they delegate
(and monitor results) well
• Make sure those delegated
to are trained in their Finance Legal Marketing Strategy
responsibilities
Project Mgrs Product Mgrs
Developers Designers Writers Research & Testers
©

39. Embedding through
strategic policies
Snr Mgrs
Finance Legal Marketing Strategy
• create an Organizational Web Accessibility Policy to strategically embed accessibility
into the organization‟s business as usual
• include where accessibility is embedded in:
Project Mgrs Product Mgrs
• web procurement policy
• web technology policy
• marketing guidelines
• web production standards
Developers Designers
(e.g. compliance with WCAG, browser support, AT support) Writers Testers
©

40. Harmonising accessibility
with user-centred/inclusive design processes
• relating web accessibility to wider human- • and bringing in concepts of
centred and inclusive design practices user-personalised
approaches…
From:
ISO/FDIS 9241-210
Human-centred design for
interactive systems
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41. An informed way of making good decisions
• every decision taken could affect
whether the product will include or
exclude disabled and elderly people
• so every decision should be:
– recognised as a decision
– have all options and implications
considered
– made based on justifiable reasoning
– noted in the Web Product’s
Accessibility Policy for transparency
• at every step of the process
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42. 1st stage: 1. Purpose
The right 2. Target audiences
research
& thought 3. Audience needs
before you 4. Preferences & restrictions
start
5. Relationship
6. User goals
BS8878 Product process
- 1st stage: doing the right research & thought before you
start…
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43. 2nd stage: 7. Degree of UX
Making
8. Inclusive cf. personalised
strategic
choices 9. Delivery platforms
based on 10. Target browsers, OSes, ATs
that
research 11. Create/procure, in-house/contract
12. Web technologies
BS8878 Product process
- 2nd stage: making strategic choices based on that
research
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44. 3rd stage: 13. Web guidelines
Production,
14. Assuring accessibility
launch,
update 15. Launch information
cycle
16. Post-launch plans
BS8878 Product process
- 3rd stage: production, launch and maintenance
(lifecycle)
©

45. Summary: in a team/organisation that follows BS8878
• you‟ll be expected to take accessibility seriously & strategically
• you‟ll have teams where each member knows what accessibility expects from them
• you‟ll follow a user-centred design process
• you‟ll use real-world user-research to help good decision making
• you‟ll be empowered to make decisions re accessibility, as long as you can justify them,
and write them down
• you‟ll have the freedom to create product variations where users‟ needs diverge
• you‟ll have a place to find best practice for accessible web production incl. mobile & IPTV
• you‟ll test products for accessibility, alongside usability, to the level the budget will allow
(and you‟ll be aware of the limited benefits of cheaper options)
• you‟ll be freed from the impossibility of doing everything you could possibly do for v1.0,
as long as you tell your audience why and when they‟ll get what they need
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46. If you need support & training – I‟m happy to help...
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47. Training & Innovation
support for
BS8878
Standards
Strategy &
research
www.hassellinclusion.com
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48. Get latest news, tools, blogs, training:
www.hassellinclusion.com/bs8878/
Join the community:
www.meetup.com/bs8878-web-accessibility/
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49. You‟ll be in good company…
Created by accessibility experts Reviewed publicly worldwide by: Training already delivered to:
from: • 328 accessibility experts
worldwide
• incl: experts in
personalisation, aging, mobile
accessibility, IPTV, inclusive
design, usability, user-
research and testing,
disability evangelism
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50. Standards for the next generation of
accessibility - BS8878
Jonathan Hassell
Chair, BSI IST/45 e: jonathan@hassellinclusion.com
Head of Usability & Accessibility, BBC Future Media
BTAT Technical Swapshop
t: @jonhassell
11th February 2011 w: www.hassellinclusion.com
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