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Posted on May 3, 2012 by V irginia Gavin in Compliance, T alking PDF, User A ccessibility

Ju st a s ph y sica l a ccessibility to stor es, offices a n d pu blic bu ildin g s is n ow com m on pla ce, so sh ou ld

a ccess to in for m a tion in docu m en ts a n d on w ebsites. How ev er , ex per ts sa y th a t ’s th e la st th in g on

m a n y w eb dev eloper ’s m in ds.

“ It is disa ppoin t in g to m e th a t w e h a v e seen lots of m a in str ea m tech n olog y g et ea sier a n d m or e

a ttr a ct iv e, bu t th e tools for a ccessibility h a v e n ot kept pa ce,” sa y s Br u ce Ba iley , A ccessibility IT

Specia list a t th e U.S. A ccess Boa r d. “ It a lso seem s th a t com m er cia l pr ofession a l w eb dev eloper s w h o

a r e n ew to a ccessibility u n der est im a te th e lev el of effor t r equ ir ed, a n d ov er est im a te th eir a bility to

g et u p to speed on a ccessibility . Ma n y st ill do n ot pa y a tten t ion to a ccessibility u n less th e cu stom er

br in g s a ccessibility u p a s a r equ ir em en t a t th e beg in n in g of a pr oject .”

In toda y ’s w or ld of th e in for m a tion su per h ig h w a y bein g u sed for ev er y th in g fr om sh oppin g to job

h u n tin g to r esea r ch in g a n d m or e, pictu r e n ot bein g a ble to u se it effect iv ely –or a t a ll. A n d w h a t if

th e in for m a tion y ou a r e seekin g is v ita l to y ou r h ea lth ?

“ In depen den t a ccess to h ea lth in for m a tion ca n h a v e ex tr a or din a r ily ser iou s con sequ en ces if it ca n

n ot be a ccessed or if it is pr esen ted in cor r ect ly ,” sa y s Br a d Hodg es, a ccess tech n olog y con su lta n t .

“ A ccess to th e com plex fin a n cia l con sider a t ion s pr esen ted by in su r er s ca n a lso br in g cr it ica lly

im por ta n t con sequ en ces if n ot w ell u n der stood by a n in div idu a l.”

A n d it doesn ’t en d th er e. Im a g in e n ot bein g a ble to r ea d th e ser v ices cov er ed u n der y ou r h ea lth pla n

beca u se th e dow n loa da ble docu m en t is n ot a ccessible. Th e r ig h t to a ccessibility ex ten ds to electr on ic

docu m en ts in for m a ts, su ch a s PDF, th a t w or k w ith a ssist iv e tech n olog ies. PDF docu m en ts th a t h a v e

been ta g g ed cor r ect ly ca n been ea sily r ea d by scr een r ea din g softw a r e, a s th is a r t icle ex pla in s.

Gen er a lly , th r ee g r ou pin g s of disa bilit ies sh ou ld be con sider ed: sen sor y disa bilit ies (blin dn ess, low

v ision a n d h ea r in g loss); m otor disa bilit ies th a t im pa ir ph y sica l in ter a ct ion w ith a com pu ter ; a n d

cog n it iv e disa bility (dy slex ia , for ex a m ple).

“ I believ e it is sa fe to sa y th a t ba sed on th e m etr ic of im por ta n ce a n d g iv en fu tu r e h ea lth policy in

th e U.S., in cr ea sed scr u t in y of h ea lth in su r er sites is a g iv en ,” sa y s Hodg es. “ If th ese sites a r e fou n d

to be in a ccessible th a n in cr ea sed r eg u la t ion is equ a lly likely .”

How ev er , r a th er th a n desig n in g or r edesig n in g a w ebsite to m eet th e n eeds of u ser s w ith specific

disa bilit ies, a better a ppr oa ch is to follow a ccessibility sta n da r ds. In th e Un ited Sta tes, Sect ion 5 08 of

th e Reh a bilita t ion A ct of 1 9 7 3 , a s a m en ded by th e Wor kfor ce In v estm en t A ct of 1 9 9 8 , r equ ir es th a t

w h en Feder a l a g en cies pr ocu r e, dev elop, m a in ta in , or u se electr on ic in for m a tion tech n olog y , th ey

en su r e th a t em ploy ees a n d m em ber s of th e pu blic w ith disa bilit ies “ h a v e a ccess to a n d u se of

in for m a tion a n d da ta th a t is com pa r a ble to th e a ccess to a n d u se of in for m a tion a n d da ta th a t is

a v a ila ble to in div idu a ls w ith ou t disa bilit ies.” (CMS Policy for Sect ion 5 08 Com plia n ce)

In keepin g w ith th a t policy , th e Cen ter s for Medica r e & Medica id Ser v ices (CMS) h a s com m itted to

m a kin g its w ebsites a n d a ll of its electr on ic a n d in for m a tion tech n olog y a ccessible to th e w idest

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possible a u dien ce, in clu din g in div idu a ls w ith disa bilit ies.

It m a y sou n d da u n tin g , bu t a ccessibility n eed n ot be ex pen siv e. A ddin g ca pt ion s to v ideo a n d A LT

tex t to in for m a tiv e im a g es ca n h elp a n d ta kes on ly m om en ts. On ly slig h t ly m or e cost ly is a ddin g

tr a n scr ipt ion for a n y v ideo offer ed.

“ If a w ebsite h a s n ot been desig n ed w ith best pr a ct ices in m in d, a ccessibility w ill n ot h a ppen by

a cciden t ,” sa y s Ba iley . “ If a per son is blin d a n d a lter n a t iv e tex t is m issin g fr om a n im a g e th a t

con v ey s in for m a tion , it does n ot m a tter w h a t softw a r e th ey h a v e n or h ow skilled th ey a r e.”

In ex pen siv e or fr ee test in g tools ca n u n cov er per v a siv e issu es, for ex a m ple, a r ecu r r in g u n la beled

“ Su bm it” bu tton . Hodg es r ecom m en ds test in g w ith a scr een r ea der a n d scr een m a g n ifica t ion . Fr ee

scr een r ea der s in clu de Sy stem A ccess 2 Go a n d NV DA for Win dow s a n d V oiceOv er for OSX (pr ess

Com m a n d F5 on a n y OSX m a ch in e).

A ccessible in for m a tion a lso ben efits th ose w ith ou t disa bilit ies; a fu lly sig h ted per son u sin g a w ebsite

u n der poor lig h t in g con dit ion s or on a com pr om ised displa y w ill v a lu e th e a v a ila bility of a ppr opr ia te

con tr a st a n d sizes of desig n elem en ts.

A n d y ou don ’t h a v e to ta ckle y ou r ex ist in g w ebsite a ll a t on ce.

Ex per ts r ecom m en d, if a n or g a n iza t ion is ju st com in g u p to speed w ith a ccessibility , ta kin g a tr ia g ed

a ppr oa ch by pr ior it izin g a n d r em edia t in g th e pa r ts of y ou r w ebsite th a t a r e th e m ost popu la r a n d

th a t ty pica l cu stom er s fin d th e m ost im por ta n t . To a v oid com pou n din g y ou r pr oblem s, set a da te by

w h ich a ll n ew m a ter ia l w ill be fu lly a ccessible. You ca n th en m a ke a pla n to fix or r em ov e old

con ten t .

“ If n ew con ten t is n ot im por ta n t en ou g h to m a ke a ccessible, it is n ot im por ta n t en ou g h to w a r r a n t

post in g ,” sa y s Hodg es. “ If n ew con ten t is im por ta n t en ou g h to post , it is im por ta n t en ou g h to fin d

th e r esou r ces to m a ke it a ccessible. Th is m a y m ea n post in g less, bu t it m ea n s th a t w h a t does g et

posted is of h ig h qu a lity .”

So-ca lled “ fea tu r es” th a t a r e pa r t icu la r ly pr oblem a tic for u ser s w ith disa bilit ies in clu de in a ccessible

con tr ols th a t ca n n ot be iden tified by a scr een r ea der a n d a ct iv a ted by th e en ter key ; a CA PTCHA

w ith n o a u dio opt ion is a lso a poten t ia l ba r r ier for th ose u sin g scr een r ea der s.

Ba iley sa y s h e often h ea r s: “ Non e of ou r cu stom er s h a v e disa bilit ies.” Website ow n er s a ppea r to

believ e th is is a u tom a tica lly th e ca se if th ey h a v en ’t h ea r d oth er w ise. How ev er , it is per fect ly

r ea son a ble to a ssu m e th a t cu stom er s of th e h ea lth ca r e in du str y h a v e disa bilit ies th a t a r e in

pr opor t ion to or ev en ex ceed th e g en er a l popu la t ion .

“ Su ch a n a tt itu de a lm ost a lw a y s ten ds to be a m y th , a n d th ose of u s in th e field like to dr a w a

pa r a llel to th e A m er ica n s w ith Disa bilit ies A ct a n d th e r equ ir em en t for cu r bcu ts a n d r a m ps,” sa y s

th e U.S. A ccess Boa r d’s Ba iley . “ Bu sin esses com pla in ed, ‘Bu t n on e of ou r cu stom er s u se w h eelch a ir s!’

Befor e cu r bcu ts a n d r a m ps, h ow cou ld th ey ? A ccessibility , on th e w eb or on th e str eet , is a civ il

r ig h ts issu e!”

By Shaw na McAlearney

Fu rt h er In form a t ion

“ Pr ocedu r e: Deter m in in g Sect ion 5 08 Com plia n ce” [PDF file on Cen ter s for Medica r e & Medica id

Ser v ices w ebsite]

“ CMS EIT A ccessibility Policy Sta tem en t” [PDF file on Cen ter s for Medica r e & Medica id Ser v ices

w ebsite]

How th e disa bled u se th e w eb: h ttp://w w w .w 3 .or g /WA I/in tr o/people-u se-w eb/stor ies.h tm l

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WCA G 2 .0: h ttp://w w w .w 3 .or g /TR/WCA G2 0/

WCA G 2 .0 bu llet poin ts: h ttp://w w w .w 3 .or g /WA I/WCA G2 0/g la n ce/

WCA G 2 .0 for “ A ccessible Dig ita l Office Docu m en t (A DOD) Pr oject” : h ttp://a dod.idr c.oca d.ca /

Help cr ea t in g Sect ion 5 08 -com plia n t docu m en ts: h ttp://w w w .a pplig en t .com /ser v ices/pdf-

a ccessibility -ser v ices/

A ssist iv e Tech n olog y , Com plia n ce, Sect ion 5 08 , Un iv er sa l A ccessibility