Posted Mon, 09/20/2021 - 7:20pm

This document was originally created for the HFC Web Team in 2015. These resources are being made available for students on an as-is basis. All links were checked and found to be working as of September 2021.

Visit the HFC Accessibility SharePoint site for the latest information.

Introduction

The HFC Web Team strives to continuously improve content to meet accessibility guidelines as defined by the WCAG 2.0. Accessibility is not a black and white checklist, but rather a mindset of inclusion that guides how we create and measure the effectiveness of content for all users. HFC has many diverse populations, including English Learners (ELL/ESL), people with varying ability/disability and reading level, people who use assistive technologies, and people using phones/mobile devices to access our websites, and our accessibility practices create a better experience for everyone. Some common terms we, and linked resources may use are:

  • Usability is the measure of how well users can learn and use a product to achieve their goals and how satisfied they are with that process
  • Universal Design is the inclusive practice of making products and services usable by people of all abilities and disabilities.
  • Accessibility refers to the practice and guidelines that enable products to be used by people with disabilities to the same extend of those without.
  • Assistive Technology is designed to bridge access for persons with disabilities.

The section508.gov site has a nice page on Improving Website Accessibility with lots of links to additional resources.

How Web Accessibility Affects Us

  • “Section 508” is legislation that requires electronic and information technology developed or purchased by Federal Agencies to be accessible by people with disabilities. Section 508 does not directly apply to private sector websites or to public websites that are not U.S. Federal Agency websites.
  • Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are recommended standards from the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) for the purpose of making web content more accessible.
  • The Americans with Disabilities (ADA) ACT is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. It requires employers, state and local governments and places of public accommodations, commercial facilities, and transportation to offer reasonable services or tools to ensure that people are not discriminated against on the basis of disability. Note: the Department of Justice considers the Web to be “a place of public accommodation.” The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) has sued large corporations — such as America Online (AOL), Priceline.com, and Ramada Inn — for not having accessible websites (as a violation of the ADA); these were settled with the companies agreeing to make their websites accessible.
  • Aside from any potential legal issues, ensuring that web content is accessible to those with disabilities the right thing to do, and generally improves the user experience for all site visitors.

Recent Updates

Important note from Siteimprove 1/19/2017: the United States Access Board announced major updates to accessibility requirements beneath Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Federal agencies, as well as businesses that provide services to those agencies (or recieve federal funding), will have until Jan. 18, 2018 to comply with digital accessibility standards. see checklist and presentation slides

"When I look at school websites, I see sites that have a ton of content on them, whether people are really looking for that information or not. And this is a habit I think that grew out of a laudable desire to provide transparency and convenience to the public. Because the common thinking was always that it really doesn't cost anything to throw something up on your website. But, in fact, now we know there is a cost...Supporting accessibility really means shrinking your website"Supporting accessibility really means shrinking your website and evolving into streamlined online communication vehicles that truly reflect how the public seeks out and engages with information today." - from Siteimprove conference

Information Sources

Alt Text

Aria Labels and non-visual Attributes

Link tags and block-level elements

Link tags support flow content (non-interactive elements) such as divs

Tools Used

Accessibility Website Samples/Resources

These have certain aspects that may be of interest:

Harvard University Disability Services

  • Appears to be work in progress (possibly from rush implementation).
  • Encompasses campus accessibility topics for students and employees on the public website, such as: physically getting around campus, web accessibility, accommodation, and services.
  • Topics are mostly brief; Web Accessibility resources simply link to W3C.
  • “Accessibility” is one of the seven text links in the harvard.edu main footer.

Accessible Technology at the UW

  • Contains detailed guidelines that focus on using/understanding technology to create accessible content in various formats. Also mentions outsourced and DIY approaches to transcribing audio and video.
  • Provides support to faculty/staff, but also leverages support from their AccessibleWeb@U community (“…of UW web designers, developers, and other interested individuals who discuss and share ideas on accessible web design”).
  • Has policy for Equal Opportunity and reasonable accommodation.
  • Provides samples of policies in higher education as a resource.
  • “Accessibility” is one of eight text links that appear in the main washington.edu footer. Students and faculty looking for broader accessibility topics may be confused by the initial focus on technology; Disability Resources includes broader accessibility resources.

Accessibility and Usability at MIT

MIT has a dedicated accessibility and usability team, but their website contains various resources.

Brooklyn College Policy Samples