IMPROVING ACCESS TO …

                  IMPROVING ACCESS

                           TO

               GOVERNMENT WEB SITES

                          FOR

              PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES




 "The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by
everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect."
           - Tim Berners-Lee (W3C Director)
Improving Access To Government Web Sites



                                                Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................2

INTRODUCTION ­ "WHY WEB ACCESSIBILITY?"................................................3

WHAT IS ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY? ......................................................................5

WHAT OTHER ARE JURISDICTIONS DOING? .......................................................7

EVALUATION ..................................................................................................................8

ACTION .............................................................................................................................9

APPENDIX A: WEB ACCESSIBILITY AUDIT..........................................................11

APPENDIX B: RESOURCES ......................................................................................25




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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Web has created many opportunities for people with disabilities, enabling
them to participate independently in education, employment, entertainment,
shopping and banking. However, when websites are designed without this
population in mind, then these opportunities vanish and people with disabilities
are once again prevented from fully participating in society.

The Web can present barriers to people with different kinds of disabilities:
   · For individuals with visual disabilities, unlabeled graphics, un-narrated
     video and poorly marked-up tables or frames cause difficulty, particularly
     for those use screen readers.
   · For individuals with hearing disabilities, barriers include lack of captioning
     for audio.
   · For individuals with physical disabilities, small hyperlink areas and a lack
     of support for keyboard commands can cause extreme frustration.
   · And, for individuals with cognitive or neurological disabilities, barriers
     include a lack of consistent navigation structure, overly complex
     presentation or language, lack of illustrative non-text materials and
     flickering or strobing designs on pages.

All these barriers can be removed with proper design and correct coding of web
pages. As accessibility and usability are closely intertwined, designing with
accessibility in mind benefits everyone.

Numerous jurisdictions have taken a leadership role by adopting standards or
policies relating to web accessibility. They realize the importance of reaching all
members; the economic benefits of accessibility solutions; the legal requirements
from a perspective of human rights and public responsibility.

An extensive evaluation was conducted on a representative sample of BC
Government web pages. Those pages that follow the B.C. Government
Internet Standards had a slightly higher level of accessibility then those pages
that were non-compliant. However, there is room to improve accessibility on all
pages so that all British Columbians have access to the information on
Government web page, regardless of the technologies they use.

The 'Options for Action' of this report has been informed by the World Wide Web
Consortium's (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). Considered international
leaders in this area ­ the W3C is widely respected for developing trusted
guidelines regarding Internet accessibility. It is our recommendation that the B.C.
Government revise the B.C. Government Internet Standards so that they are
aligned with the W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.




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INTRODUCTION ­ "Why Web Accessibility?"

People with disabilities (PWDs) rely on the Web for the same things as others do
­ education, employment, entertainment, shopping and banking. In fact, it could
be argued that individuals with disabilities rely upon the Web more than others
because of circumstances related to the disability. The Web has opened many
doors for people with disabilities but bad design can slam the door shut again!

PWDs can use a range of assistive technology with their computers to help them
access information. However, when websites are not designed and coded
correctly, assistive technology does not perform effectively. These are some of
the obstacles PWDs face:

·   People with visual impairments and some types of learning disabilities often
    rely on text-to-speech screen readers that read aloud text appearing on the
    screen. These screen readers cannot read images, graphs, maps, etc, so
    when information is provided only in these formats it is not accessible to
    people utilizing screen reader technology.
·   Blinking and scrolling text can also cause problems for screen readers and
    flickering or flashing designs can cause seizures in people with certain
    neurological disorders.

·   Without captioning, people with hearing impairments cannot appreciate
    multimedia content such as on-line newscasts, movies, and lectures.

·   Without descriptive narration, people who are blind miss information
    portrayed visually.

·   For individuals with little or no hand control, using a mouse can be very
    difficult. Being required to 'click on' a tiny area to access information can be
    an obstacle.

·   Individuals with cognitive impairments find inconsistent page layout
    disorienting and confusing.

Good design is good design. As sidewalk curbcuts, which are intended for
people using wheelchairs, also benefit parents wheeling strollers and
individuals on roller blades, accessible web design benefits more than
people with disabilities:

    ·   alternate formats benefit both individuals with visual impairments and
        those who turn off images while using the Web due to low bandwidth;
    ·   captioning benefits people with hearing impairments, it also benefits those
        in noisy environments and people who ­ perhaps because their first
        language is not English ­ have difficulty understanding when English is
        spoken quickly.


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   ·   captioned text is also searchable
   ·   good colour contrast aids people with colour blindness, as well as those
       using monochrome monitors and those who prefer read from printed
       pages; and
   ·   keyboard commands assist people with limited hand function, as well as
       those working in confined spaces with no room to operate mice (ie. on
       planes, trains and automobiles).

The list goes on. Obviously, accessibility and usability are intertwined, and are
equally important.

As the BC Government puts more services and information on to Web, it may be
excluding segments of the population by not adhering to web accessibility
principles. British Columbians with disabilities may have legitimate complaints
under the B.C. Human Rights Code if they are excluded from receiving equitable
service compared with other British Columbians.

Accessible web design levels the playing field for people with disabilities,
enabling them to access information and to fully participate in society.




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WHAT IS ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY?

Typically, using a computer means being able to type on a keyboard, see and
read the screen, control and hear auditory signals. However, not everyone is
able to perform these tasks for various reasons. People with limited hand
function and control, visual impairments and blindness, hearing impairments and
deafness, and learning disabilities, all require accommodation to access
information of the Internet.
Assistive (or adaptive) technology is specialized computer hardware and
software applications that enable these individuals to use a computer.
Understanding what technologies are being used by PWDs helps web designers
make decisions when developing their sites that will enhance accessibility.
Broad categories of assistive technology are briefly described here:

Screen Reader
Disability used    Visual impairment or learning disability
for
How it works       Interprets what is displayed on screen and directs it to either
                   speech synthesis for audio output or refreshable Braille for
                   tactile output
Strengths          Enables PWDs to use computers independently
Weaknesses         Older screen readers use the rendered version of a
                   document, so the document order or structure may be lost
                   (ie. when tables are used for layout) and their output may be
                   confusing. Cannot interpret images or graphs. The
                   synthesized speech is not always clear and often
                   mispronounces words.
Cost               ie. JAWS for Windows $1,300; JAWS for NT $1,900

Refreshable Braille Displays
Disability used    Blindness
for
How it works       Pins raise and lower to display Braille, a tactile system using
                   raised dots to represent letters and numbers
Strengths          Enables PWDs to use computers independently
Weaknesses         Users must be proficient at Braille. Cannot interpret images
                   or graphs.
Cost               ie. PowerBraille $7,000 - $17,000




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Screen Magnifiers
Disability used   Individuals with low vision
for
How it works      Software that magnifies a portion of the screen for easier
                  viewing
Strengths         Users control features (ie. text & background colours) to
                  enhance readability
Weaknesses        Reduces the area of the document being viewed, removing
                  surrounding context. Can be confusing and disorienting.
                  May distort text depending on magnification.
Cost              ie. ZoomText $500 - $1,300

Voice Recognition Applications
Disability used   People with limited or no hand function, or with learning
for               disabilities
How it works      Enables user to input using voice for data entry and limited
                  software commands
Strengths         Price of software applications is decreasing. Recognition
                  rates are improving.
Weaknesses        Applications must have full keyboard support. Can be
                  cumbersome when using the Web. Requires intensive
                  training and practice. Requires high-speed systems with
                  substantive memory (RAM).
Cost              ie. Dragon products $100 - $1,000

Scanning Software
Disability used   Some physical or cognitive disabilities
for
How it works      Highlights selection choices (ie. letters, to menu items, links,
                  phrases) one at a time. User selects desired item by hitting a
                  switch when the desired item is highlighted or announced.
Strengths         Can be used with minimum mobility and with a variety of
                  switches
Weaknesses        Can be extremely time consuming. Intended for limited
                  functions like data entry.
Cost              EZ Keys $1,000 - $3,500




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WHAT OTHER ARE JURISDICTIONS DOING?

Realizing that accessible web design benefits everyone, numerous jurisdictions
have taken a leadership role by adopting standards or policies relating to web
accessibility. These governments realize the importance of reaching all
members; the economic benefits of accessibility solutions; the legal requirements
from a perspective of human rights and public responsibility.

Government of Canada
Under its Common Look and Feel policy, the Government of Canada has
adopted the W3C Web Accessibility Guidelines Priority 1 and Priority 2
checkpoints "to ensure sites can be easily accessed by the widest possible
audience." It has also created the Web Site Accessibility Testing Service
(WATS), which provides web developers with an evaluation of their sites
(http://www.cio-dpi.gc.ca/clf-upe/1/1_e.asp).

The Equity and Diversity Directorate of the Public Service Commission was the
first government of any country to create a series of Web accessibility guidelines
used to evaluate Web pages (http://www.psc-cfp.gc.ca/eepmp-
pmpee/program_overview/eeerc_2_e.htm).

National Library of Canada
June 2000, the National Library of Canada announced the formation of a task
force to address the need for inclusive public policy in providing access to
information to Canadians with disabilities (http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/accessinfo/).

Government of New Brunswick
The Government of New Brunswick is currently planning a thorough review and
revamp of its site.

United States of America
In addition to the American with Disabilities Act, which makes accessibility to
people with disabilities legally mandatory, the recently released Section 508 of
the Rehabilitation Act requires federal agencies and to ensure that government
Information Technology systems and electronic information meet accessibility
standards.

Australia
Australia's Commonwealth departments and agencies are obliged by the
Disability Discrimination Act 1992 to ensure that online information and services
are accessible by people with disabilities. The New South Wales Attorney
General`s Department`s Guidelines for Web Accessibility comprises the set of
guidelines and standards applicable to government agencies.




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EVALUATION

There is no consensus among technology/design 'experts' nor the disabled
community on what constitutes 'accessibility'. As technology evolves, so do
standards for accessibility. Therefore, any work done to enhance web
accessibility must be reviewed and evaluated on a regular basis to ensure it
keeps pace with the needs of the community.

While there is no universally accepted standard for what makes a website
accessible, the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Web Accessibility
Initiative's (WAI's) are generally considered to be the most thorough and
comprehensive The evaluation in this report was based primarily on the WAI's
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0, May 1999 Version.

In general, the BC Government Internet Standards ­ including the required use
of Web page templates (the common 'look & feel' used across government) ­
have resulted in a government web site that promotes ease of use and limited
accessibility. However, there is still room for improvement ­ particularly as it
relates to users with disabilities.

A review and evaluation of selected Government of BC web pages (see
Appendix A) has revealed some practices that present barriers to people with
disabilities. Those sites that complied with the BC Government Internet
Standards generally were more accessible. Here is a summary of the most
prominent barriers:
   1. Web pages exist where there is little or no equivalent information for non-
        text content. (ex., TV ads presented with no captioning)
   2. Instances where a single textlink was used repeatedly on the same page ­
        pointed to different URLs. (i.e., the same title or phrase is used to link to
        different pages or items).
   3. Images (icons or pictures) are used without any text description.
   4. No general site map (a type of 'table of contents' for a website) was
        provided to assist users in finding what they are looking for. (For an
        example of a sitemap, see Federal site map at
        http://canada.gc.ca/search/sitemap_e.html)
   5. ABBR and ACRONYM elements (i.e.,special coding that enables assistive
        technologies to interpret abbreviations and acronyms) were seldom used.
   6. Documents were not universally marked up with the proper structural
        elements, a sign that presentation is being controlled with presentation
        elements and attributes (behind the scenes coding) rather than with style
        sheets (a type of template).
   7. The content on many government sites is not written for ease of
        comprehension. The variety of writing styles used and the lack of a
        consistent presentation further impedes access to the information the site
        contains.



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ACTION:
              Approved by consensus of the Corporate Internet Steering
              Committee, Tuesday April 10th, 2001.

The following action will require an ongoing commitment of time and resources
and will require a strong lead by BC Communication Division and Ministry
Communication Directors. Also, the work of ensuring compliance is an ongoing
issue, which will require support and leadership from the Information Science and
Technology Agency.

Direct the Web Manager's Working Group to evaluate and revise the B.C.
Government Internet Standards to be in alignment with the W3C Web
Content Accessibility Guidelines [complying with Priority 1 and
considering Priority 2 checkpoints ] so as to better address issues and
mitigate barriers on government websites.

Ensure compliance to the Standards through ISTA's Information Resource
Management Planning process (IRMP) and through an audit process, to be
undertaken by Ministry Communications Branches on a regular basis at the
direction of BCCD and BCIS.

Examples of the kinds of rewrites necessary ­ as identified through a sample
audit of a representative sample of current sites ­ include:
1. Rewrite Point 6 of the Standards to require the use of equivalent alternatives
   for auditory and visual content.
2. Rewrite Point 22 of the Standards to require the use of device-independent
   event handlers. (For example, when a user interface control can be activated
   by a mouse click it must also be activated by a keyboard event such as
   pressing the Enter key.)
3. Rewrite Point 26 (third bullet) of the Standards to remove the stipulation, "...if
   required by the ministry for their intended audience", in accordance with Point
   16 that "...all Internet pages shall be accessible to the general public".
4. Rewrite Point 28 of the Standards to require the use of text links that
   duplicate all hot-spots.
5. Add a new Point to the Standards that encourages the use of plain language,
   particularly when expressing complex or technical ideas.




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Pros:
· The Web Manager's Working Group is already established and are well
   positioned to interpret and include the WAI's priorities into the BC
   Government Internet standards.
· The Web Manager's Working Group can incorporate this project into their
   workload and can revise the Standards within a reasonable (6 month)
   timeline.

Cons:
· BC Government Standards will need to be evaluated and updated regularly to
  be sure they keep pace with changes to the WAI Guidelines.

Proposed Activity Roll Out
ACTION                   LED BY                         ESTIMATED DUE DATE
Decision to implement    Internet Corporate Steering    Spring 2001
recommendation           Committee
Revise and Rewrite       · Web Manager's Working        Summer/Fall 2001
current Internet             Group/Internet Standards
Standards                    Committee
Approve revised          · Web Manager's Working        Fall 2001
Standards                    Group/Internet Standards
                             Committee
                         · BCCD
                         · Ministry Communication
                             Directors
Begin process to         · BC Information Services      Fall/Winter 2001
redesign current web     · Ministry Communication
sites to comply with new     Branches
standards
Implement Process to     · BCIS                         Ongoing
audit sites and          · ISTA
measure for compliance




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APPENDIX A: Web Accessibility Audit
Procedure and Methodology:
Several BC Government web pages were audited ­ to identify barriers facing
people with disabilities ­ according to the Web Accessibility Initiative's Web
Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/WAI-
WEBCONTENT-19990505/). Please note: reference to "checkpoint" and "priority"
numbers, are references to WAI's checkpoints and priorities.

A six-step procedure was used to evaluate each page:
   · assessed by Bobby (http://www.cast.org/bobby)
   · assessed by Wave (http://www.temple.edu/inst_disabilities/piat/wave/)
   · viewed in a Lynx simulator (http://www.delorie.com/web/lynxview.html)
   · viewed in Opera 4.02
   · viewed in Netscape 4.73
   · manually checked the page and source code

The Main Page (http://www.gov.bc.ca) was evaluated extensively. Only "new
errors" on subsequent pages were noted.


1. Main page
URL: http://www.gov.bc.ca/

· Hyperlinks          Refer to Checkpoint 13.1. [Priority 2]

- Make hypertext links Informative when read out of context -- either on its own or
as part of a sequence of links. For example, rather than using the word "more",
as the link text in the "Latest News" summaries, use full descriptions like "more
about the Grizzly moratorium" or "full text of this news release". Link text should
also be terse.

- Avoid the "click here" syndrome, as clicking refers to using the mouse, which is
not possible by everyone.

- Do not use the same link phrase to describe links that point to different URLs.
All link text should point to the same resource. When the same link phrase re-
occurs, there is an implication that the link points to the same place. If they do
not, users may be surprised and disoriented. Such consistency will help page
design as well as accessibility.

- In cases where there are several text links on a page ­ each linking to different
resources ­ they should be distinguished by unique descriptions. (i.e., by
specifying a different value for the "title" attribute of each element).


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· Client-side Image Map         Refer to Checkpoint 1.5. [Priority 3]

- The two client-side image maps, i.e., the top and bottom banner, contain links
not presented elsewhere on the page. To improve accessibility, provide
redundant text links to "Government of British Columbia", "Top", "Privacy",
"Disclaimer" and "Feedback" elsewhere on the page.

Rationale: Some Web browsers when used with a screen reader or when used
      with image loading turned off, have no way of accessing the hot-spots in a
      client-side image map. If the links at these hot-spots have no
      corresponding link in the body of the web page then whole portions of a
      web site can become unreachable.

- Also, the ALT tags, "top banner" and "footer banner", are meaningless to
individuals using screen readers. Use the empty ALT tag, i.e. ALT=" ".


· Tables      Refer to Checkpoint 5.5. [Priority 3]

- Although it is recommend that tables not be used for layout, this is not always
practical. Tables can be used if they are understandable when linearized or
'unstacked'.

       "A linearized table is "a table rendering process where the contents of the
       cells become a series of paragraphs (e.g., down the page) one after
       another. The paragraphs will occur in the same order as the cells are
       defined in the document source. Cells should make sense when read in
       order and should include structural elements (that create paragraphs,
       headers, lists, etc.) so the page makes sense after linearization."
       (http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/WAI-WEBCONTENT-19990505/wai-
       pageauth.html#linearized-table)

- If you choose to use table, it is important to provide a summary description of
the table. For example, on the Gov't Main Page, the summary could state:
"This page consists of a main page banner and navigation bar, five columns ­ two for
spacing, one for popular topics, one for main content, one for feature ­ and a bottom
navigation bar."

- Provide a briefer summary for each nested table within this main table, as the
summary attribute already provides the table's purpose and structure to non-
visual media such as screen readers and Braille displays.




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· Navigation Mechanisms            Refer to Checkpoint 13.3. [Priority 2]

- Provide a site map or table of contents to assist users in finding what they are
looking for. This creates an opportunity to describe the site layout and highlight
and explain available accessibility features.

- Use hypertext links placed at the top of the page to enable users to 'skip
around'. i.e. "skip to main content" or "skip navigational links". This navigation
mechanism benefits people using screen readers and people using the keyboard
to tab through the links, by skipping the navigation bar links and the left sidebar
on each page and going directly to the main content.


· Sizing             Refer to Checkpoint 3.4. [Priority 2]

- Use relative sizing and positioning rather than absolute units. For example:

   i) When using the "size" attribute with the FONT tag with the "size" attribute:
   use "+" or "-", e.g., +1 to make the size one size larger. Do not use fixed
   sizes such as "1" which may appear unexpectedly small on some
   configurations. It is recommended that style sheets be used instead of FONT
   to format text.

   ii) With tables use percent values for widths and heights. A fixed-size table
   cell cannot expand if its contents expand, for instance because the user has
   increased the font size.

Rationale: Users use a wide variety of viewing devices, from very large monitors
      to the tiny screens on handheld devices, and the content should flow into
      the appropriate size well. When absolute position and length units are
      used, this will not happen. Across this range of monitors, users need to be
      able to change the size of text, to compensate for the resolution or size of
      their device, or because of a visual impairment. This is not possible if a
      font is fixed in size.


· Language           Refer to Checkpoint 4.3. [Priority 3]

- While the use the Transitional Standard is required by the BC Government
Internet Standards (section 16), the use of HTML 4.0 LANG attribute to specify
the language of a document and any changes in language is not being used
consistently. Almost every element in HTML 4.0 contains the LANG attribute.
Using it helps the computer or assistive technology present information in a way
that is appropriate to the language and also helps automatic translation software
that translates text from one language into another.


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· Acronyms/Abbreviations          Refer to Checkpoint 4.2. [Priority 3]

- Use the ABBR and ACRONYM elements to denote and expand any
abbreviations and acronyms that are present. For example:

      Who is my
      MLA?

      Fed. Gov't

- Obviously, it is only necessary to use ABBR and ACRONYM where the
abbreviation or acronym first occurs in the document, not for every instance.

- This also applies to shortened phrases used as headings for table row or
columns, for example:

         Assoc.

Rationale: As assistive technology (AT) reads text by "sounding out" words
      phonetically, which often leads to nonsensical pronunciations of
      abbreviations and acronyms, these HTML elements instruct AT to make a
      more meaningful presentation of an abbreviation or acronym. Expanded
      text can also help all users recall the meaning of acronyms.


· Using Portable Document Files (PDF)

- While the use of HTML format for downloadable documents is required by the
Government of B.C. Internet Standards (section24), in practice the use of PDF is
rapidly becoming the more common format. To ensure maximum accessibility to
documents, they should be provided in various formats: PDF, HTML, and text.

- When PDF format documents are used, information on how to download the
Adobe software should be provided and the following considerations should be
factored in:
       Portable Document File (PDF) is the accepted standard for electronically
       distributing documents worldwide. Anyone with Internet access can freely
       download Adobe Acrobat Reader, the software required for viewing PDF
       documents, e.g., reports, government forms, job applications, brochures,
       policy manuals, maps, etc. The documents retain the same fonts,
       graphics, colours and layouts as when originally created.

      However, for people with some types of disabilities, these documents are
      not accessible because tables, graphs, pictures and columnar layout can
      still cause problems.


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        Access Adobe (http://access.adobe.com) is attempting to address this by
        offering web-based services whereby a PDF file is converted into HTML,
        which is then generally readable by screen readers. However, PDF
        documents with tables, graphics, maps are not neatly converted into
        "readable" HTML.

Here is an example of how much of the information in a document can be lost
during the conversion process: when viewing "Third Quarterly Report"
(http://www.fin.gov.bc.ca/qrt-rpt/qr00/Q3_00.pdf) in the Adobe Acrobat Reader,
the chart on page 5 appears as:




When converted by Access Adobe, it is virtually incomprehensible:

Economic forecast council views on
British Columbia economic growth
Percentage change in real GDP
Source: Minister of Finance's economic forecast council, January 11, 2001
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
2002 average
forecast
2001 average
forecast
2000 estimate

3.0
2.4
2.9 5




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2. News Releases
URL: http://142.36.183.50/4dclient.acgi$nrindex

· Table               Refer to Checkpoint 5.

- The news releases are indexed in a combination of a data table (i.e. Date,
Subject, Region) and a layout table­ resulting in difficulties for individuals using
screen readers. The information is not presented clearly. It is strongly
recommended that the information be presented in another format. In general,
Use tables for tabular information ("data tables") and avoid using tables to lay out
pages ("layout tables").

When linearized, the table appears as:

Date Subject Region
02/26/2001 Minister to promote B.C. forest practices in U.S. west provincewide
VICTORIA - Forests Minister Gordon Wilson is leading a trade mission to
California and Washington state this week to discuss B.C.'s progress in forestry,
its leadership in forest protection and Canada...
02/26/2001 Esketemc community forest agreement signed Cariboo Forest
Region
WILLIAMS LAKE - The community forest pilot agreement offered to the
Esketemc First Nation has been signed by the band and the Ministry of Forests
after 18 months of negotiations, Cariboo South MLA Dav...


- The News Release Page uses digit format to display dates. This is non-
compliant with Government of B.C. Internet Standards - Section 9, which
requires that dates be displayed YYYY/MM/DD or Month, DD, YYYY.

- The opening paragraph of the news release often ends abruptly ­ it
occasionally even chops off part of a word. Complete the word, sentence or
phrase to avoid confusion.




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· Search NewsWire Refer to Checkpoints 12.4 &10.4 [Priority 2&3]

- Associate labels explicitly with their controls. For example, in HTML use LABEL
and its "for" attribute:
       Enter keywords:
        
and
       Ministry
       
       All Ministries
       Labour
       ...
       Green Economy Secretariat
       

Rationale: An HTML LABEL specifically associates the label's text with the form
      control. This allows the browser to tell the user definitively which label
      applies to the given control. Usually, clicking on the label positions the
      cursor in the form field, or toggles the value of radio buttons or check
      boxes. This is intuitive for many users and provides a larger target for the
      mouse.

- Include default, place-holding characters in edit boxes and text areas (use
TEXTAREA), until such time that user agents handle empty controls correctly.

- Place [MM/DD/YY] before the textboxes so that individuals using screen
readers will hear the required format prior to entering the date.


3. Search
URL: http://datafind.gov.bc.ca/

· Image Maps
- Increase the accessibility level of this page by implementing the changes to the
header and footer image maps (top & bottom banners), as previously discussed.

· Colour Contrast          Refer to Checkpoint 2.2 [Priority 2]

- Maximize the contrast between text and background colours to increase
readability when viewed by individuals with colour blindness or when viewed on
black and white screens. The dark blue hyperlink text "BC Connects" on the pale
blue background may be difficult for some individuals to read. Refer to the
approved colour palette at http://www.ista.gov.bc.ca/IM-IT/styl/fcs/colour.htm.


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4. Government Directory
URL: http://www.dir.gov.bc.ca/

· Colour Contrast           Refer to Checkpoint 2.2 [Priority 2]

- Maximize the contrast between text and background colours. Again, the dark
blue text on the pale blue background is difficult to read. Refer to the approved
colour palette at http://www.ista.gov.bc.ca/IM-IT/styl/fcs/colour.htm.

· Consistency

- To maintain a common look and feel among Ministry sites, considering using
one of the Typical Screens (http://www.ista.gov.bc.ca/IM-IT/styl/scrn/default.htm).


5. Television ads
URL: http://www.gov.bc.ca/communications/media/

· General Design
- Implement previously discussed recommendations related to template design


· Equivalent Information           Refer to checkpoint 1.1 &1.3 [Priority 1 & 2]

- Provide synchronized captioning or text transcriptions for video files for the
benefit of individuals with hearing impairments, those viewing in noisy
environments, and those having difficulty understanding the spoken language.

- Provide an auditory description of important visual information. These
descriptions are required by people who are blind so they can follow the action
and other non-auditory information in video. Visual action such as body
language or other visual cues may not be accompanied by enough audio
information to convey the same information. Unless verbal descriptions of this
visual information are provided, people who cannot see (or look at) the visual
content will not be able to perceive it.


· Layout

- Place a link near the top of the page to the viewing instructions located at the
bottom of the page. Users will not know instructions are there without scrolling
down.



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6. Feedback
URL: http://www.gov.bc.ca/fin/prgs/bcis/feed/

· General Design
As discussed previously regarding forms:
- Include default, place-holding characters in edit boxes and text areas.
- Explicitly associate form controls and their labels with the LABEL element.


· Obsolete Language        Refer to Checkpoint 11.2. [Priority 2]

- Avoid use of obsolete or deprecated language features, if possible. For
example, use style sheets for formatting, rather than the deprecated elements
BASEFONT, CENTER, FONT.

Rationale: Deprecated or obsolete language features are those which, though
      currently in common use, have been removed from the HTML
      specification and are not expected to be supported in future browsers.
      Often these features have been removed because of compatibility issues
      and replaced with elements that are more compatible with a wide range of
      browsers and assistive technology. It is good practice to use the newer
      alternatives whenever possible.


7. BC Connects
URL: http://www.bcconnects.gov.bc.ca/popt/citizen_events.htm

· General Design
- Overall, this page is fairly accessible. Implementing the changes as discussed
for the Main Page would increase the level of accessibility.

- Suggested minor changes to two ALT tags are:
   i) change alt="BC Connects - Services - Main Banner" to alt="BC
   Connects ­ Services".
   ii) change alt="bottom_citizen" to alt=" ", as the image is purely decorative.

· Readability       Refer to checkpoint 2.2. [Priority 3]

- Maximize the contrast between text and background colours. Also, use a clear,
crisp font to maximize readability.




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8. Job Postings
URL: http://www.postings.gov.bc.ca/

· Alternative Text

- As discussed previously, provide alternative text for all images, including the
site meter. Ensure the ALT tags convey the same function or purpose as the
image.For example, rather than ALT="POSTINGS" use ALT="Postings:
Government of British Columbia Job Opportunities". This is more informative
and will assist in orienting individuals using screen readers.


· Structure versus Presentation Refer to Checkpoint 3.2 &3.3, 3.5 [Priority 2]

- Mark up documents with the proper structural elements. Control presentation
with style sheets rather than with presentation elements and attributes.

- Don't misuse markup for a presentation effect (e.g., using a table for layout or a
header to change the font size). It makes it difficult for users with assistive
technology to understand the organization of the page or to navigate through it.

- Create documents that validate to published formal grammars. Include a
document type declaration at the beginning of the page that refers to a published
DTD. Identify the language of the text, i.e. 

- Use style sheets to control layout and presentation. Use the CSS 'font' property
instead of the HTML FONT element to control font styles.

- Use header elements to convey document structure and use them according to
specification. Do not use headers for font effects.

QUICKTEST To determine if content is structural or presentational, create an
     outline of the document. Each point in the hierarchy denotes a structural
     change. Use structural markup to mark these changes and presentational
     markup to make them more apparent visually and aurally.




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9. Key Facts and BC Benefits Caseload Statistics, BC Ministry of
Social Development and Economic Security
URL: http://www.sdes.gov.bc.ca/research/keyfacts.htm

· Tables              Refer to Checkpoint 5.1

- Use table headers to label rows or columns of data. Identify table headers by
using the TH (table header) element instead of the TD (table cell) element.
Rationale: This is important to the computer's ability to speak the contents of a
       table using a screen reader synthesizer. Browsers and assistive
       technologies rely on structural markup such as headers to customize
       presentation to meet a user's needs.

· Hyperlink Text
- When two or more links refer to different targets but share the same link text,
distinguish the links by specifying a different value for the "title" attribute of each
A element. For example:
graph

· Acronyms

- Mark up abbreviations and acronyms with ABBR and ACRONYM and use "title"
to indicate the expansion. This also applies to shortened phrases used as
headings for table row or columns. If a heading is already abbreviated provide
the expansion in ABBR. If a heading is long, provide an abbreviation.

· Consistency

- To maintain a common look and feel among Ministry sites, use one of the
Typical Screens (http://www.ista.gov.bc.ca/IM-IT/styl/scrn/default.htm).

10. MSDES Disability Program
URL: http://www.sdes.gov.bc.ca/programs/disablty.htm
NOTE: Other than the errors discussed regarding the Main Page, this page
contain no new errors in relation to accessibility.

· General Design
- Replace alt="Disability Programs Banner Head" with alt="Disability
Programs ­ Ministry of Social Development and Economic Security" to
accurately reflect information presented in the image and to assist individuals
using screen readers with navigation and orientation.


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11.Ministry of Health, Health Action Guide
URL: http://www.bchealthaction.org/

· General Design
- As previously discussed, do not use the same link phrase to describe links that
point to different URLs.

· Alternative Text

- Providing alternative text for all images would significantly increase the
accessibility level of the page.

- Rather than ALT="blank space for alignment", simply use ALT=" "

- When multiple images are placed next to each other without any space in
between (e.g., in the footer), there is no space between each image's ALT text,
causing the words to run together and to be highly confusing, i.e.,

          Go to TopGo to CopyrightGo to DisclaimerGo to Privacy StatementGo
          to Feedback Form


- Place some sort of separating character between adjacent links, for example:

     


· BLOCKQUOTE                Refer to Checkpoint 3.7. [Priority 2]

- Use BLOCKQUOTE only for quotations, not indentation. BLOCKQUOTE adds
semantic information to the page that helps users with assistive technology to
understand the organization of the page. When this is used for a presentation
effect (to achieve an indent) on non-quoted text, it may be difficult for some users
to understand the page.




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12. Tax info
URL: http://www.fin.gov.bc.ca/itb/

NOTE: Other than the errors discussed regarding the Main Page, this page
contain no new errors in relation to accessibility. However, adding alternative
text would increase accessibility immensely.

- Maintaining a common look and feel also helps aids accessibility and usability ­
Closer adherence to the Typical Screen (http://www.ista.gov.bc.ca/IM-
IT/styl/scrn/default.htm), as required by the Government of B.C.Internet
Standards is recommended.


13. Small Business One-Stop Site
URL: http://www.tbc.gov.bc.ca/gasbc/osbr/index.html

· General Design
- Increase the accessibility level significantly by following the HTML 4.0
specifications, including:
       i) Provide alternative text for all images.
       ii) Make hypertext links Informative when read out of context.
       iii) Avoid the "click here" syndrome.
       iv) Provide redundant text links for hotspots on image maps.
       v) Identify the language of the text.
       vi) Include a document type declaration at the beginning of the page.


14. Campground Reservations
URL: http://www.discovercamping.ca/

·   General Design

- Page contains several of the errors previously discussed. Correct them by:
      i) Providing alternative text for all images.
      ii) Providing redundant text links for hotspots on image maps.
      iii) Associating labels explicitly with their controls.
      iv) Providing place-holding characters in edit boxes and text area, for
      example, use TEXTAREA.

- The images for "Choose Site" and "When to camp" are reversed. Intuitively, the
map means "Choose Site" and the calendar indicates "When to camp". This
may confuse some users.



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- Place the titles User id and Password beside the appropriate textboxes, so
read in a logical order when linearized.

- Alternatively, create a logical tab order through links, form controls, and objects
via the "tabindex" attribute to ensure a logical page design. Refer to Checkpoint
9.4

- Remove "Best viewed with Netscape Navigator 4.0 and higher or Microsoft IE
4.0 and higher." Requiring newer browsers limits individuals using older software
and hardware.

*(Incidentally, this page was more accessible and had a cleaner, simpler look
prior to the March 1, 2001 update.)




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APPENDIX B: Resources

The following are resources being used within the design industry to guide the
creation of accessible websites.

Guidelines
Architectural and Transportation            More commonly referred to as Section
Barriers Compliance Board.                  508, these standards require that when
"Electronic and Information Technology      (American) Federal agencies develop,
Accessibility Standards." December          procure, maintain, or use electronic
2000. http://www.access-                    and information technology, it must be
board.gov/sec508/508standards.htm           accessible to individuals with
                                            disabilities.
IBM Corporation. "IBM Web
Accessibility Checklist." Version 3.0,
January 2001. http://www-
3.ibm.com/able/accessweb.html

Microsoft Corporation. "Accessible          A wealth of information that explains to
Web Design Guidelines." January             Web site managers and developers the
2001.                                       importance of accessible Web sites
http://www.microsoft.com/enable/dev/w       and provides resources including
eb/default.htm                              guidelines, tools, a checklist, and
                                            examples of accessible sites.
Portuguese Accessibility Special            Guidelines applied to online information
Interest Group (PASIG). "PASIG              published by the Portuguese
Internet Accessibility Guidelines ­ Final   government and public services. Also
Version." 1998.                             used by Portuguese companies,
http://www.acessibilidade.net/doc/aces      organizations, and individual users.
sibilidade/guidelines_draft2.html

World Wide Web Consortium. "W3C             Guidelines for designing user agents
User Agent Guidelines 1.0" October          that lower barriers to Web accessibility
2000. http://www.w3.org/TR/UAAG10/          for people with disabilities. User agents
                                            include HTML browsers and other
                                            software that retrieves and renders
                                            Web content.
World Wide Web Consortium. "Web
Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0."
May 1999. http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-
WEBCONTENT/




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How-To
Microsoft Corporation. "DHMTL              Explains how to create accessible Web
Accessibility."                            pages using Dynamic HTML (DHTML)
http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/au      with Microsoft® Internet Explorer 4.0
thor/access/accessibility.asp              and later.

Odievich, Daniel, Microsoft                Offers practical tips for making Web
Corporation. "Making Web Pages             pages more accessible, including
More Accessible."November 2000.            accommodating users who are unable
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/defaul   to use or have difficulty using a mouse.
t.asp?URL=/library/welcome/dsmsdn/a
ccssblwebpgs.htm

WebAIM. "Tutorials."                       WebAIM's (Web Accessibility In Mind)
http://webaim.org/tutorials/               online tutorials provide techniques for
                                           designing accessible Web pages.
World Wide Web Consortium.                 Extensive online curriculum that
"Curriculum on Web Content                 explains and gives examples for the
Accessibility Guidelines 1.0." March       Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
2000. http://www.w3.org/WAI/wcag-          Can be used as a self-study material or
curric/                                    for presentations to groups.

Evaluation Tools
Center for Applied Special Technology      Bobby is a web-based tool that
(CAST). "Bobby 3.2."                       analyzes web pages for their
http://www.cast.org/bobby                  accessibility to people with disabilities.
Public Service Commission of Canada.       A 27-question multiple choice survey
"Web Page Accessibility Self-              that produces 5 accessibility ratings.
Evaluation Test. HTML Version - 2.0."
http://www.psc-cfp.gc.ca/eepmp-
pmpee/access/testver1_e.htm
Institute on Disabilities, Temple          A tool that helps people perform those
University. "WAVE 2.01."                   tasks that require human judgment
http://www.temple.edu/inst_disabilities/   (e.g. "Does this reading order make
piat/wave/                                 sense?").

World Wide Web Consortium. "HTML           Checks HTML documents for
Validation Service." 2000.                 conformance to W3C HTML and
http://validator.w3.org/                   XHTML Recommendations and other
                                           HTML standards.

References
Paciello, Michael G. Web Accessibility for People with Disabilities. CMP Books,
     2000.




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