Presentation given at Baltimore Lean Startup meetup, July 24, 2012. See with additional content at prairieskydesigns.com.

1. ACCESSIBILITY FOR THE
WEB

2. MARYLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY
ACCESSIBILIT Y PROJECT
Goal: Make all public library websites in
Maryland fully compliant with
Section 508 Accessibility Standards.

3. WHAT IS SECTION 508?

4. SECTION 508
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act is a
federal law and set of standards.
It requires federal agencies to make their
electronic and information technology
accessible to people with disabilities.

5. SECTION 508
Includes:
 software applications and operating systems
web-based information or applications
 telecommunication products
 video and multimedia products
 self contained, closed products
(e.g., information kiosks, calculators, and fax
machines)
 desktop and portable computers

6. WCAG 2.0
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3) maintains
standards called WCAG 2.0 (Web Content
Accessibility Guidelines, implemented in 2008).
They are international standards .
Section 508 standards will soon be updated to refer
developers and site owners to to WCAG.

7. WHAT IS
ACCESSIBILITY?

8. WHO DOES IT SERVE?
Accessible web content is usable and meaningful for
people with ANY disability, including:
 Blindness
 Color blindness
 Poor sight
 Deafness
 Reduced motor skills, caused by conditions such as
arthritis or amputation
 Cognitive impairment

9. CONTENT MUST BE PERCEIVABLE
Provide text alternative to non-text content,
including images, tables, and forms.
Provide transcripts for audio content, or
closed captions for video content
Don’t use visual elements such as color or
font to communicate important information.

10. SITE MUST BE OPERABLE
All functions must be available from the
keyboard .
Give users enough time to read and use
content.
Do not use content that causes seizures .
Help users navigate and find content .

11. CONTENT MUST BE UNDERSTANDABLE
Make text readable and understandable by
using clear and concise writing
Make content appear and operate
in predictable ways by adhering to best
practice standards.
Clearly define forms and help users avoid
and correct mistakes .

12. SITE MUST BE ROBUST
Maximize compatibility with current and
future user tools, such as:
Screen readers
Disabling of CSS, Javascript, and/or images
Zooming tools
Mobile devices

13. WHY YOUR SITE SHOULD
BE ACCESSIBLE

14. WHY?
If your website is not accessible, you will lose
valuable market share .
Accessible websites are generally good
examples of web design best
practices , and will therefore last longer and
work better.
It’s not the law yet, but it will be.
There have already been successful suits filed
against businesses with inaccessible websites.

15. BECOMING ACCESSIBLE

16. TECHNICAL TRICKS
Understand how people with disabilities use the web.
Try:
 Activating your operating system’s built-in screen
reader and navigating your site blindfolded.
 Navigating your site using only the keyboard.
 Disabling CSS and Javascript, and see if your site is
still usable.

17. PROVIDE ALTERNATE CONTENT
Add alt tags to images
Provide transcripts for audio content
Provide closed captions for video content
Give descriptions to tables and forms

18. USE SEMANTIC MARKUP
HTML5 has tags for almost every kind of content.
Call your content what it is:
 Header (<h1>, <h2>) tags for headers and
subheaders
 Emphasis (<em>) rather than italic
(<i> is deprecated in HTML5)
 Ordered list (<ol>) for numbered lists

19. FOLLOW GOOD DESIGN PRINCIPLES
Use easy-to-read fonts
Use fluid layouts so the site displays properly
at any resolution
Leave ample white space to improve
readability
Use high-contrast colors

20. TOOLS & RESOURCES
 The W3 Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) website
has case studies of people with disabilities using
the web.
WAVE shows errors and warnings in context for
individual pages
 Use your operating system’s built-in text-to-voice
software for experiencing your site through a screen
reader.
For links to these tools and more, visit prairieskydesigns.com .

21. jessica keyes
@prairieskygal Thank You!
jessica.m.keyes@gmail.com
prairieskydesigns.com