Get to Grips with Web Accessibility. AbilityNet SOCITM Webinar Feb 2014 AbilityNet is the UK's leading authority on web and digital accessibility and runs webinars each moth to help people deliver accessible online services. February's webinar is run in conjunction with SOCITM's Third Sector Group and will give a practical overview of web accessibility with plenty of opportunity for you to ask questions and receive feedback. SOCITM is the Society of IT Managers in the UK's public sector. AbilityNet Head of Digital Inclusion, Robin Christopherson will review some of the key issues and we'll also hear from Mel Moville, Web Manager for Preston City Council, which is amongst the leading local authorities in the recent SOCITM review of websites. She will describe the process they undertook to review their site and the various issues they had to address.

1. Getting to grips with
web accessibility
AbilityNet
SOCITM Third Sector Group
Webinar, 26 February 2014
Webinar archive at www.abilitynet.org.uk/webinars

2. Welcome
•
•
•
•
David Clayden, SOCITM Third Sector Group
Mark Walker, AbilityNet and SOCITM Third Sector Group
Robin Christopherson, AbilityNet
Mel Moville, Preston City Council
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3. Getting to Grips with Accessibility
A practical focus for IT Managers, Web Managers, Communications
Managers in local authorities and third sector
Brief introduction to web accessibility, Robin
An example from Preston City Council, Mel
Question and Answers, David/Mark
Please use the chat box to ask questions at any stage
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4. Webinar archive at www.abilitynet.org.uk/webinars

5. The social case
People with disabilities should be allowed to participate fully in online
society
• Technology and the internet are a great leveller
• Support, opportunity and prosperity are all enhanced by inclusive
technology
• Going inclusive is not rocket science
• Social, moral and ethical responsibility to go inclusive
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6. The compelling business case
Inclusive products and services are:
• Available to more customers - up to 20%
• Easier to use by everyone - up to 35%
• Better cross-platform
• More visible online
• Cheaper to deliver and maintain
• Responsibility to taxpayers to go inclusive
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7. The strong legal case
It's the law:
• Equality Act
• Disability Equality Duty
• Employment law
• Brand damage
• Reduce risk and go inclusive
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8. Getting a grip
Key factors to consider
• Choose a good CMS - SharePoint, Jadu
• Identify/build a good library of components/web parts/JavaScript
• Train teams in the basics – DAWE
• Check regularly - Compliance Sheriff, manual checks
• Get help if you need it – disabled customers, AbilityNet
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9. Getting to Grips with Web
Accessibility
Preston City Council’s accessibility
audit 2013
www.preston.gov.uk

10. Background
• Some knowledge of accessibility requirements
for content within the web team
• Specified to designers that website should be
AA compliant
• However, never had any testing carried out on
website accessibility
• Rated as a 3 Star site by Socitm (Better
Connected 2013)
• Failed the Socitm BC accessibility test in 2013

11. Solution
• Commissioned the Digital Accessibility Centre
(DAC) to carry out an accessibility audit in April
2013
• Visited the DAC centre to watch tests being
carried out
• Tests were carried out by 7 different disabled
users and they tested for any issues that would
affect - Visual Impairment; Blindness; Colour
Blindness; Dyslexia; Mobility Impairments;
Learning Disabilities; Deafness; Aspergers

12. Examples of issues found – pause
button

13. Fix for pause button issue
Pause button can now be tabbed to

14. Examples of issues found – Google
maps

15. Fix for Google maps issue
We now list any
addresses shown on a
map

16. Results
The audit results
• 24 AA failures were found
• Took 8 months to work through actions
• 3rd party sites were problematic
• Received accreditation from the DAC in November 2013
Learning outcomes
• Accessibility should be considered from the start
• Web team need to test at every stage of any website
development/changes
• Need to build accessibility requirements into
procurement process

17. Question and Answer
• Please use the chat box or the questions box to ask your question
• We will then turn on your microphone and ask you to repeat your
question
• Any question not answered can be covered in a follow up email
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18. Thank you
More free SOCITM Third Sector webinars at www.socitm.net
• Data Governance, BYOD
More free accessibility webinars from AbilityNet
• Reviews, tips, Q+A
• www.abilitynet.org.uk/webinars
Contact AbilityNet
• Robin.christopherson@abilitynet.org.uk
Webinar archive at www.abilitynet.org.uk/webinars
01926 465 247
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