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Accessibility#

What is Web Accessibility?#

From the The World Wide Web Consortium:

Web accessibility means that websites, tools, and technologies are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them. More specifically, people can:

  • perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the Web
  • contribute to the Web

Web accessibility encompasses all disabilities that affect access to the Web, including:

  • auditory
  • cognitive
  • neurological
  • physical
  • speech
  • visual

Web accessibility also benefits people without disabilities, for example:

  • people using mobile phones, smart watches, smart TVs, and other devices with small screens, different input modes, etc.
  • older people with changing abilities due to ageing
  • people with “temporary disabilities” such as a broken arm or lost glasses
  • people with “situational limitations” such as in bright sunlight or in an environment where they cannot listen to audio
  • people using a slow Internet connection, or who have limited or expensive bandwidth

What is Assistive Technology?#

Assistive technology is software and hardware that people with disabilities use to improve interaction with the web. These include:

  • screen readers that read aloud web pages for people who cannot read the text
  • screen magnifiers for people with some types of low vision
  • special color modes for people with color blindness or other vision impairments
  • speech recognition software and selection switches for people who cannot use a keyboard or mouse.
  • Head pointers A stick or object mounted directly on the user’s head that can be used to push keys on the keyboard. This device is used by individuals who have no use of their hands.
  • Motion tracking or eye tracking: This can include devices that watch a target or even the eyes of the user to interpret where the user wants to place the mouse pointer and moves it for the user.
  • Refreshable Braille Displays use mechanical pins to display braille characters that a user reads with their fingers.

What is Our Responsibility?#

HCPSS is required by law to make our web content accessibly to people with disabilities.

What Can We do to Make Our Content Accessible?#

There are many disabilies and many assistive technologies. Luckily, we can make our content accessible to most of them by following some general guidelines:

  • Provide text alternatives for non-text content.
  • Make all functionality available from a keyboard.
  • Provide captions and other alternatives for multimedia.
  • Make it easier for users to see and hear content.

The Importance of Structure#

Many assistive technologies, like screen readers, analyze on a web page's text and structure to allow the user to navigate through the content. This video is a great introcution to the use of screen readers.

  • Headings: ensure your headings are noted in a clear hierarchical order, built up of one h1 (the page title), multiple h2’s which are used to outline the main sections, with h3 and other headings used to display sub-sections within a main topic.
  • Links: one way a screen reader navigates a site is by skipping though all the links. So make sure your links have meaningfull text. Avoid "click here" or "read more". Instead use phrases like "Read the principal's letter" or "Policy 90200".
  • Lists: Make sure your lists are ligitmate. Just because it looks like a numbered list doesn't mean it is.

Images cannot contain structure

Notice that images are not on the list. It's important to add alternative text to images, but this does not provide any structure. This is why it is not acceptable to use images that contain more than a few words.

What is The Role of a Web Manager?#

The HCPSS Multimedia Communications team has build the school websites with accessibility in mind. The only time a Web Manager has the ability to affect accessibility is when using the Rich Text Editor.

Only Use Images When Neccessary#

Images slow down a website affecting users with limited interned connection. They also can pose a challenge for mobile devices. So use them sparingly.

Provide Alternative Text for Images#

When you use images, make sure to provide meaningful alternative text.

Never post images that contain alot of text. If an image contains text, you must put all the text into the alternative text, but you will not be able to provide any structure. For example:

Inaccessible flier that contains alot of text including a list of dates

This image contains critical information that all users need. It has a heading "Showcase of Bands" and a list of times and locations, but a screen reader can't parse the strucure and will just read it as one long string:

Showcase of Bands Hammond High School Stadium Wednesday, October 19th, 2022 Come
and join us for an evening of outstanding performances by wonderful marching
bands! Recommended donation of $5 per person 6:30 Hammond 6:45 Howard 7:00 Long
Reach 7:15 Reservoir 7:30 Wilde Lake 7:45 Mt. Hebron 8:00 River Hill 8:15
Centennial

This content needs to be entered directly into the Rich Content Eitor. Then it can have a structure like this:

Header:     Showcase of Bands
Paragraph:  Hammond High School Stadium
            Wednesday, October 19th, 2022
Paragraph:  Come and join us for an evening of outstanding performances by
            wonderful marching bands!
Paragraph:  Recommended donation of $5 per person
List items: 6:30 Hammond
            6:45 Howard
            7:00 Long Reach
            7:15 Reservoir
            7:30 Wilde Lake
            7:45 Mt. Hebron
            8:00 River Hill
            8:15 Centennial

Now the screen reader and present the user with a much richer version of the content.

Only Post Documents When Necessary#

Unlike with images, there is no opportunity to add alternative text to a document. The assistive technology will be left to try to read the document.

You should almost never post documents

I struggle to think of a scenario where it would be acceptable to post a document. It is always a better idea to take the content out of the document and put it in the Rich Text Editor

Can Microsoft Word, Google Doc, and Adobe Acrobat Files be Accessibly?#

Yes, but they require special expertise and tools. The HCPSS Multimedia Communications department has the tools and expertise to make Acrobat (PDF) files accessible, but no other formats.