building an accessible internet · 2018-09-21 · services, and weak policy frameworks to support...

Digital Accessibility Guidelines

Building an Accessible Internet


internetsociety.org @internetsociety

2

IntroductionTheUnitedNationsestimatesthatoneinsixpeoplelivewithdisability–thatisatotalof650millionwomen,menandchildrenintheAsia-Pacificregion.PersonswithDisabilities(PWDs)oftenfacebarriersthatrestrictthemfromparticipatinginsocietyonanequalbasis,includingtheaccessto,anduseof,informationandcommunicationtechnologies(ICTs).Tonameafew,thesebarriersincludenoneor very little attention to including accessibility features for online content(including websites), limited adaptability in functionality of products andservices,andweakpolicyframeworkstosupporttheprovisionofanaccessibledigitalenvironment–beingonlinehasbecomeacorepartoflifetoday.These guidelines builds upon the human rights perspective and business casefor digital accessibility presented in the Internet Society Policy Brief1 onAccessibility and the IssuesPaper2 onDigitalAccessibility that focusedon thechallengesandopportunities for improvingpersons’withdisabilitiesaccess tothe Internet in the Asia-Pacific region. We are surrounded by digitaltechnologiesthathavecreatedanamazingworldofopportunitiesforallofus.We can communicate, share information, generate ideas and innovate, shopanddocarryouttransactions,createorlistentomusicandsoon.Butwemustkeep inmind that users of digital technologies have varying needs otherwisemillionsofpeopleacrosstheworldwillfindithardornearlyimpossibletousevariouskindsofdigitaldevicesandcontent.Digitaltechnologiesmustbeasusableandinclusiveaspossiblesothateveryoneacross theglobecanbenefit irrespectiveofone’sdisabilities so thateveryonecan realize the full potential of the Internet. People lacking access to suchtechnologieseitherbecauseoffinancialorphysicalresourcesarebecomingpartof an increasing digital divide and in this case the ‘accessibility’ divide. Theseguidelines aim to direct attention towards accessibility as a significantcomponentofanydigitalprogram,project,productorservice.Anythingthatisplaced online can be accessed globally therefore it should be accessible byeveryonewithorwithoutdisabilities.

1InternetAccessibility:Internetusebypersonswithdisabilities:MovingForward.InternetSociety.2012.https://www.internetsociety.org/resources/doc/2012/internet-accessibility-internet-use-by-persons-with-disabilities-moving-forward/2IssuePaper:Asia-PacificBureau–DigitalAccessibility.InternetSociety.25July2017.https://www.internetsociety.org/resources/doc/2017/issue-paper-asia-pacific-bureau-digital-accessibility/andhttps://www.internetsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/APAC-Issue-Papers-Digital-Accessibility.pdf



3

AccessibilityForpersonswithdisabilities,accessibilitymeansbeingabletouseaproductorserviceaseffectivelyasapersonwithoutadisability3.Thismeansusinginclusive(oruniversal)designprinciplestomakeproductsandservicesusablebyawidersection of the population. In some cases, this is not possible, and assistivetechnologiesmaybecalledupontofillthegap.Ifso,mainstreamtechnologiesshould enable the software or hardware interfaces of the assistive deviceseamlessly,intermsofbothinteroperabilityanddataportability.Changing peoples’ attitudes to disability is fundamental to achieving greateraccessibility.Thetraditionalviewofdisabilityisthroughthemedicalmodel,thatis, attempting to “fix” or rehabilitate a person to society’s norms. The socialmodelofdisabilityaimstodismantlebarrierssothatapersonwithadisabilitycan fully participate in the community. This more contemporary modelemphasises a person’s abilities rather than disabilities and encourages aperson’sindependenceandcapacitybydecreasingenvironmentalbarriers.Personswithdisabilitiesfaceasmanydifferentbarriersastherearetypesanddegrees of disability. For example, people with a visual impairment who usescreen-reading software may be confronted by websites that have confusingnavigation, or that lack descriptions of images; while people with a hearingimpairmentmaybeunabletoparticipateinonlineconferencingbecauseitlackscaptioning.Apart from accessibility, other barriers need to be overcome so that personswithdisabilitiescangainbenefitfromtheInternetandcontributevaluetotheInternet.Theseare:

1. AffordabilityManypersonswithdisabilitieshavelowincomesandlimitededucationalopportunities. This applies in developed countries and even more indeveloping countries. Using the Internet is expensive especially indeveloping countries. When assistive technologies are required, thebarriercanbeevenhigher.

2. CulturePersons with disabilities are perceived with pity or shame in severalcountries. Theymaybe restrictively “protected”by family for anyof anumber of rationales, ranging from a lack of suitable educationalfacilitiestoalackofappropriategovernmentservices.

3Sectionrepublishedfrom“InternetAccessibility.Internetusebypersonswithdisabilities:MovingForward”.InternetSociety.1November2012.https://www.internetsociety.org/resources/doc/2012/internet-accessibility-internet-use-by-persons-with-disabilities-moving-forward/



4

3. AvailabilityIn isolated areas, there may be limited availability of the Internet.Encouragingandmeetingtheneedsofpersonswithdisabilitiesmaybearelativelylowpriorityundersuchconditions.

4. Lackofawareness

PeopleinthebroadercommunityhavelimitedunderstandingofhowpersonswithdisabilitiesusetechnologyandofthesignificantbenefitstheInternetcanbring.Makingproductsandservicesaccessiblecanthereforemistakenlybeconsidereddifficultandcostly.

InternetSocietyandDigitalAccessibilityTheInternetSociety(ISOC)believesinthemotto“TheInternetisforEveryone”.Itisinclusiveofallpeopleeverywhere–connectingallpeoplewithandwithoutdisabilities. The 2012 Issues Paper by Internet Society “Internet accessibility:Internetusebypersonswithdisabilities”outlinespolicies, issuesandways forevery part of the Internet community to contribute to a more accessibleInternet4.Duringthecourseofthelasttwoyears,ISOCAsia-PacificBureauincollaborationwith governments, industry and civil society across various countries5 6 hascarriedouta seriesofendeavours tohelpembracedigitalaccessibility. In thisregards, a number of focused workshops were conducted with relevantstakeholdersonawarenessraisingtargetingpolicymakers,softwaredevelopersandmembersofthecivil inPakistan,SriLankaandIndonesia.TheBureaualsoreleasedanissuespaperonDigitalAccessibility7focusingonthechallengesandopportunities for improvingpersons’withdisabilities access to the Internet intheAsia-Pacificregion.Buildingfurtherupontheseefforts,theseguidelinesareaddressedtosoftware/websitedevelopersandpolicymakers.

TheUnitedNationsThe United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities(CRPD)8iswidelyrecognizedandratifiedlayingdownguidelinesforadoptionofaccessibility as part of national human development goals. Over 100Governments have signed and ratified the Convention. Obligations includeimplementingmeasures to design, develop, produce and distribute accessible

4https://www.internetsociety.org/resources/doc/2012/internet-accessibility-internet-use-by-persons-with-disabilities-moving-forward/5Pakistan:https://www.internetsociety.org/blog/2017/02/promoting-digital-accessibility-for-persons-with-disabilities-with-persons-with-disabilities/6Srilankahttps://www.internetsociety.org/blog/2017/05/promoting-digital-accessibility-in-sri-lanka/7https://www.internetsociety.org/resources/doc/2017/issue-paper-asia-pacific-bureau-digital-accessibility/8ConventionontheRightsofPersonswithDisabilities(CRPD).https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities.html



5

ICTatanearlystage,sothesebecomeaccessibleatminimumcostforpersonswith disabilities. These provisions cover the Internet, Digital and AssistiveTechnologies.TheArticle9oftheCPRDonAccessibilitystatesthat:

1. Toenablepersonswithdisabilitiestoliveindependentlyandparticipatefullyinallaspectsoflife,StatesPartiesshalltakeappropriatemeasuresto ensure to persons with disabilities access, on an equal basis withothers, to the physical environment, to transportation, to informationand communications, including information and communicationstechnologies and systems, and to other facilities and services openorprovidedtothepublic,bothinurbanandinruralareas.Thesemeasures,whichshall includetheidentificationandeliminationofobstaclesandbarrierstoaccessibility,shallapplyto,interalia:

• Buildings, roads, transportation and other indoor and outdoorfacilities, including schools, housing, medical facilities andworkplaces;

• Information, communications and other services, includingelectronic services and emergency services.

2. StatesPartiesshallalsotakeappropriatemeasures:• To develop, promulgate and monitor the implementation of

minimum standards and guidelines for the accessibility offacilitiesandservicesopenorprovidedtothepublic;

• To ensure that private entities that offer facilities and serviceswhich are open or provided to the public take into account allaspectsofaccessibilityforpersonswithdisabilities;

• Toprovidetrainingforstakeholdersonaccessibilityissuesfacingpersonswithdisabilities;

• To provide in buildings and other facilities open to the publicsignageinBrailleandineasytoreadandunderstandforms;

• Toprovideformsof liveassistanceandintermediaries, includingguides, readers and professional sign language interpreters, tofacilitateaccessibilitytobuildingsandotherfacilitiesopentothepublic;

• Topromoteotherappropriateformsofassistanceandsupporttopersonswithdisabilitiestoensuretheiraccesstoinformation;

• To promote access for persons with disabilities to newinformation and communications technologies and systems,includingtheInternet;

• To promote the design, development, production anddistribution of accessible information and communicationstechnologies and systems at an early stage, so that thesetechnologiesandsystemsbecomeaccessibleatminimumcost.



6

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for education, health,employmentandreducing inequalityreflect thesocialmodelofdisability.Thismeansreducingbarriersbymakingsocietalandattitudinalchangesratherthan‘fixing’ individualswith disability. “Personswith disabilities” or “disability” arespecifically mentioned in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for SustainableDevelopment9wheredisabilityisincludedinSustainableDevelopmentGoals4,8,10,11and,17.

WebAccessibiiltyInitiativeThe Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) by the World Wide Web Consortium(W3C)hasdevelopedanumberofstrategies,guidelines,andresourcestohelpmake the Web accessible to Persons with Disabilities10. WAI provides aninternationalforumforcollaborationbetweenindustry,disabilityorganizations,accessibility researchers, government, and others interested in webaccessibility.It has published a series ofweb accessibility guidelines by following theW3Cprocess11. Web accessibility is not a single activity and it relies on severalcomponents where improvements in specific components can substantiallyimproveWebaccessibility:

1. Web content: refers to any part of a website, including text, images,forms and multimedia, code or mark-up that defines structure,presentation,scripts,applicationsetc.

2. Useragents: refer to software that isusedbypeople (users) toaccessweb content, including desktop graphical browsers, voice browsers,mobile phone browsers, multimedia players, plug-ins, and assistivetechnologiesetc.

3. Authoring tools: refer to softwareor services that are usedby people(users) to produce web content and websites, including code editors,document conversion tools, content management systems, blogs,databasescriptsetc.

Thereare significant interdependenciesbetween thesewebcomponents; thatis, thecomponentsmustworktogether inorderfortheWebtobeaccessible.TheoutcomeofWAIarevariousessentialcomponentsthatenableanaccessibleInternetknownas theWCAG,ATAG,andUAAG.Essentialcomponentsofwebaccessibility12explaintherelationshipbetweenthesedifferentguidelines:

9Disability-Inclusive.2030AgendaforSustainableDevelopment.www.un.org/disabilities/documents/sdgs/disability_inclusive_sdgs.pdf10W3C-WAI.https://www.w3.org/WAI/11HowWAIDevelopsAccessibilityGuidelinesthroughtheW3CProcess.December2008.https://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/w3c-process.php12EssentialComponentsofWebAccessibility.https://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/components.php



7

1. WebContentAccessibilityGuidelines(WCAG)13areatechnicalstandardsthatexplainhowtomakewebcontentmoreaccessible topeoplewithdisabilities.

2. Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG)14 explain how to makethe authoring tools themselves accessible, so that people withdisabilities can create web content, and help authors create moreaccessiblewebcontent.

3. UserAgentAccessibilityGuidelines (UAAG)15explainhowtomakeuseragentsaccessibletopeoplewithdisabilities.

13W3C-WAIWCAGOverview.https://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/wcag.php14W3C-WAIATAGOverview.https://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/atag.php15W3C-WAIUAAGOverviewhttps://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/uaag.php



8

DigitalAccessibilityConsiderationsBarriersencounteredwhenusingdigitaltechnologiesPeoplewithdisabilityfacevariouschallengesinaccessingtheInternetbasedontheir impairment. For example, persons with visual impairments can facecompatibility challengeswhen screen reader software is used to access visualdisplaysthatarenot labelledorhyperlinksthatdonotmakesensewhenreadout of context. Those with low vision are not able to access websites thatcannotbeadjustedforfonttypeandsize,contrastanduseofcolours.Personswithhearing impairment are facedwith the lackof text equivalents for audiocontent. Persons with motor impairments may not be able to manipulate astandardkeyboardandmousetointerfacewithacomputerandnavigateonlinecontent. Personswith cognitive impairments, includingage-related changes inmemory, and older adults may find the various devices and online servicesdifficult to understand. These problems can be addressed by using userexperiencedesigntoensureusabilityandaccessibilityareincorporatedintothedesignofproductorservicefromtheverybeginning.Ifdesignersofdigitaltechnologiesandcontentkeepaccessibilityattheheartofdesign activities, people with disability can be empowered to do morethemselves,withouthavingtorelyonothers.Incontrast, ifdesignersmissoutonaccessibility, theycontinue todevelopproductsandcontent that increasesbarriersforpeoplewithdisabilitywhenusingdigitaltechnologiesandcontent.With over a billion websites hosted across the Internet, the majority of thecontent published by them does not conform to web accessibility standards.Generally,developersareunawareoftheaccessibilitystandardswiththeresultthatwebsitescontinuetobedifficultorevenimpossibleformanypeoplewithdisabilitytouseanykindofwebcontent.Similarly,mostofthewebsitecontentauthoringsoftwaretoolsarenotsufficientlyaccessibletopeoplewithdisability,making it difficult or sometimes even impossible for them to design andcontributenewcontenttotheweborcommentoramendexistingversions.UserExperience,UsabilityandAccessibilityUser experience focuses on the needs of users by understanding what theyvalue, their abilities and limitations while keeping organizational or businessgoals and objectives at the heart of the project. Usability attempts to ensureproductsor servicescarryacertain levelofeaseor satisfactionofuse thoughthis is not usually sufficient for everyone that is accessing them. Lackingusabilitycreatesbarrierstowardsthequalityofauser'soverallexperiencewheninteractingwithproductsor systems, includingwebsites, software,devices,orapplications. Accessibility is about removing barriers so that people with orwithout disabilities can easily use and contribute digital content. Manygovernmentsandorganizationsacrossthedevelopedanddevelopingworldareyettoadoptuserexperiencebestpractices,usabilityandaccessibilitystandards



9

in the design and development of their digital or information products andservices.Thiscausesagreatdealofdifficultyfortheircitizenswithdisabilitytoaccesspublicservicesonlinethroughtheweb,mobilephones,smartdevicesorpublickiosks.Usabilitydetermineshowfitforuseaproductorserviceisbyitsusers.Cantheparticular user or group of users use the digital technology to achieve theiranticipated goals? For example, if Self-Service Payment Terminals, TicketingSystems,QueuingSystemsetc.,cannotoffertactilefeedbackorvoiceactivatedinstructions or guidance for people with visual impairments or large text onsmallscreensforolderpeoplethenthesesystemshavelimitedusability.Simplyput,cantheuserofaproductorserviceperceivetheinformationbeingaccessedbythem?Formost,visionistheprimarymodeofperceptionandthisexplainswhysomucheffort isplacedonthevisualpresentationwhilemissingout on hearing and tactile feedback. Usable product or service design shouldencompass all these perceptions from the beginning ensuring capability foreasilyinterchangingbetweenvisual,auditory,andtactilesupporttocatertotheuserneeds.Accessibilityaddressesthatwhatistheextenttowhichaproductorservicecanbeusedbyanyoneregardlessofdisability.Canusersinteractwithyourdigitalproductsandservices?Thetraditionalperceptionthatelectronicinformationcanbeaccessedeasilyusingamouseandkeyboarddoesnotaccountforpeoplewhoareunabletousesuchdevicesorsimplyrelyonassistivetechnologytodoso.Forexample,PWDsoragedpeoplewithvisualimpairmentwillfindithardtoaccessanAutomatedTellerMachine(ATM)orSelf-ServiceTicketingMachineatabusstoportrainstationifitwasonlydesignedforpeoplewithfullsightabilities.Suchmachinescouldsomeformofbio-metricorvoiceactivatedassistancetohelpPWDs.Productsandservicesforallshouldtakeintoaccountallpossibleinteractionsbetweendevicesandhumanbeingssothateveryoneirrespectiveofdisabilityshouldbeabletoaccessit.LosingOutonBusinessOpportunityAlthough, there are known and easy to implement guidelines to address thebarriers, many developers of web content, mobile applications and relateddigital technologies usually do not consider people with disability whiledesigning or updating their products. With such a large number of thepopulationwithdisabilities,businessesarepotentially losingoutifaccessibilityissuesarenotconsidered,and theuniversaldesignconcept isnotunderstoodand adopted. Universal design means that businesses improving consumerproductssuchashardware,software,websitesandapplicationstomakethemusableforabroadersectionofthecommunityincludingpeoplewithdisability,in



10

turn,gainreachtoamuchlargerconsumerbaseinmoresituations.Accordingto theWorldWideWebConsortium (W3C),accessibilityoverlaps16withotherbest practices such asmobile web design, device independence,multi-modalinteraction, usability, design for older users, and search engine optimization(SEO).Accessiblewebsiteshavebettersearchresults,reducedmaintenancecosts,andincreasedaudiencereach,amongotherbenefits.Missingouton incorporatingaccessibility features results in losses for designers and developers of variousdigital products and services around the globe. On the other hand, in somecountrieswheredigitalaccessibilityhasbeenlegislatedasnationallaw,lawsuitson businesses are common for non-compliance while developing digitalproducts and services such as website content. Non-compliance with webaccessibility laws and regulations may lead to fines, lost business, monetarysettlements,costremediationandlossofgoodwillordamagetoreputation.Legislation,PoliciesandRegulationsDigital accessibility laws, regulations and compliance mechanisms have thepotentialtoenableanenvironmentforcreatingnewtechnologieswhilemakingexisting technologies usable by persons with various disabilities. It is veryimportanttorecognizePWDsasoneofthestakeholdersinthedevelopmentofpolicies and technologies, and to educate the community (especially contentdevelopers)aboutthe importanceofequalaccessforPWDs.Promotingdigitalaccessibilitycontributes to theachievementof theUnitedNationsSustainableDevelopmentGoals(SDGs)andensurethattherightsofPWDsaremet.Governments cannot ensure effective public service delivery withoutincorporatingaccessibilityrequirementsintopublicsectorprocurementpoliciesso that all citizens are included. Lacking digital accessibility regulations andcompliance across electronic channels of public service delivery ultimatelybecomes a barrier towards inclusion. The same goes for enabling a marketeconomywithoutputtinginplaceregulationsandcompliancethatincorporatedigital accessibility as part of universal design of products and services.Governmentsarealsofacedwithhumanresourceandskillsshortages.

16W3CAccessibility.https://www.w3.org/standards/webdesign/accessibility



11

DevelopingAccessibleContentTheW3CWebAccessibility Initiative (WAI)17 provides detailed guidelines thathelp in addressing potential barriers that people with disabilities face wholeaccessing digital content. These barriers can be grouped under five broadcategoriesofdisability18:

• auditory,• cognitiveandneurological,• physical,• speech,and• visual.

AuditoryDisabilitiesAuditory disabilities include various levels of hearing impairment from themoderate(hardofhearing)tothesevere(deafness).Italsoincludespeoplewhoarebothdeafandblind.BarrierstoaccessForpeoplewiththesedisabilities,informationcannotbeaccessedifitreliesonsound.Examplesinclude:

• Audiocontentthatdoesn'tprovidecaptionsortranscripts• Mediaplayersthatdonotallowforcaptions,orplayersthatdonotallow

forvolumecontrols• Anyinteractionthatrequiressomeonetospeak

RemovingthosebarriersTomakecontentaccessibletopeoplewithauditorydisabilities,youneedto:

• Provide alternatives to audio content in the form of captions ortranscripts,dependingonthetypeofmedia

• Givetheusertheabilitytocontrolanyaudiotheyencounter, includingtheabilitytostop,pause,oradjustthevolume

Note:Thosewhoaredeaforhardofhearingmayusesignlanguageastheirfirstlanguage; therefore, they might have more difficulty understanding writtenEnglish. As an aid anyone who might have difficulty comprehending, yourwritingshouldbeconcise,straightforward,andeasytounderstand.

CognitiveandNeurologicalDisabilitiesIn addition to affecting mobility and language, cognitive and neurologicaldisabilities can affect how people understand and process information.Examplesofthisinclude:

• AttentionDeficitHyperactivityDisorder 17W3CWebAccessibilityInitiative(WAI).https://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/people-use-web/18Note:Eachdisabilitycategoryincludesdifferenttypesandlevelsofseveritywithmanyareasofoverlap.



12

• Developmental disabilities that affect intelligence and ability tounderstandcomplexconcepts

• Learningdisabilities,suchasdyslexia• Memoryimpairments• Mentalhealthdisordersthatmayaffecttheabilitytoremembertoand

focus• Seizuredisorders

BarrierstoaccessFor people with these disabilities, a barrier to access is anything that causesconfusion,distraction,orotherwisemakesyourcontentdifficulttounderstand.Examplesinclude:

• Complexnavigationandpagelayouts• Long passages of textwithout images, graphs, or other illustrations to

reinforcecontext• Moving,blinking,orflickeringcontentthatcannotbepausedorturned

off• Backgroundaudiothatcannotbeturnedoff• Visualpagedesignsthatcannotbeadaptedusingcustomstylesheets

RemovingthosebarriersTo make content accessible to people with cognitive and neurologicaldisabilities,youneedtopresentinformationinaclear,concise,andconsistentwaywhileminimizingpossibledistractions.

• Writeinawaythatisconcise,straightforward,andeasytounderstand--includinggraphsandillustrationswherebeneficial.

• Structureyourcontentsothatpeoplecanorientthemselvestothepageandgetanoverviewofitbeforemovingtoanyonepart

• Labellinks,pagecontrols,andformsconsistentlysothatthefunctionisalwaysapparent

• Providedifferentwaystonavigateyoursite,suchasasearchboxorsitemap

• Provide the option to turn off or hide blinking, flashing, or otherwisedistractingcontent

PhysicalDisabilitiesPhysicaldisabilitiescanaffectmobility,strengthandendurance,andfinemotorcontrol.Examplesofsuchdisabilitiesinclude:

• Amputationorlimbdeformity• Arthritis• Reducedabilitytocontrolhandmovements• Repetitivestressinjury• Tremorsandspasms• Variousformsofparalysis



13

BarrierstoaccessFor peoplewith these disabilities, a barrier to access is anything that fails toconsider the difficulty users may have inputting information or otherwiseinteractingwithyourcontent,including:

• Partsofthepagethatcannotbeaccessedusingonlythekeyboard• Insufficienttimelimitsforcompletingtasks,suchasfillingoutforms• Lackoflocationcuestotellpeoplewheretheyareonthepage• Linksandothercontrols thataretooclosetogetherorhavesmallclick

targetsRemovingthosebarriersTomakecontentaccessibletopeoplewithphysicaldisabilities,youneedto:

• Abilitytoaccessallelementsofapageusingonlythekeyboard• Extended(ideallyno)timelimitsforinteractingwithpage• Largeclickableareas• Erroridentificationandsuggestionswhenfillingoutforms• Visualfocusindicatoronallelementsthatreceivekeyboardfocus• Abilitytoskipoverrepeateditems,suchasnavigationmenus• Designthatminimizesthenumberofclicksneededtogettoinformation

SpeechDisabilitiesSpeechdisabilitiesarethosewhichleadtospeechthatisdifficulttounderstand.Examplesinclude:

• Issueswithfluency• Stuttering• Muteness

BarrierstoaccessFor people with these disabilities, a barrier to access is any interaction thatrequirestheuseofspeech,includingtheusephonenumbersastheonlypointofcontactwithyourorganization.RemovingthosebarriersTomakecontentaccessibletopeoplewithspeechdisabilities,youneedto:

• Providetext-basedalternativestovoiceinteractions• Provide keyboard commands as an alternative to voice-operated

applications• Provideemailor chatoptions inaddition tophonenumberaspointof

contact

VisualDisabilitiesVisualdisabilitiesincludevariouslevelsofvisionimpairmentfromthemoderate(lowvision)tothesevere(blindness).Italsoincludespeoplewhoarebothdeafandblindandthosewholivewithvariousformsofcolourblindness.



14

BarrierstoaccessForpeoplewiththesedisabilities,abarriertoaccessisanythingthatreliesonavisualcomponenttoconveyinformation.Examplesinclude:

• Images, controls, and other structural elements that do not have textalternatives

• Text, images, and page layouts that cannot be resized, or that loseinformationwhenresized

• Missingvisualandnon-visualorientationcues,pagestructure,andothernavigationalaids

• Videocontentthatdoesnothavetextoraudioalternatives,suchasanaudio-descriptiontrack

• Inconsistent,unpredictable,andoverlycomplexnavigationmechanismsandpagefunctions

• Textandwithinsufficientcontrastbetweenforegroundandbackgroundcolourcombinations

• WebsitesthatdonotsupportuseofcustomcolourcombinationsRemovingthosebarriersTomakecontentaccessibletopeoplewithvisualdisabilities,youneedto:

• Allow for the presentation of your content to be independent of itsstructure,i.e.contentneedstobeabletobepresentedinwaysthatbestfittheuser.

• Create headings, lists, and links thatmaintain their originalmeaning iftheirpresentationchanges,suchasbeingtakenoutofcontext

• Provide text alternatives for all non-text content, such as images,controls,andformfields

• Allowtexttobemagnifiedwithoutbecomingcutofforobscured• Ensurethatanyinformationthatisrelayedthroughcolourisalsorelayed

throughtext• Providefullkeyboardaccessforthosenotabletoseeapointer



15

OrganisingDialoguesbetweenDevelopersandPWDs

Inorder toassessuser’sneedandchallenges,organising interactivedialoguesbetween software / website developers and PWDs are found very useful.Ideally, thesedialoguescanbeorganisedasone-dayworkshop, invitingPWDs(cross-disability groups) as core audience, to share their accessibilityrequirements, identify challenges and highlight the barriers that limits themfrominteractingwiththeInternetandtheWorldWideWeb.

Broadly,thesedialoguescanaim:

• Builtcapacityofdeveloper’scommunityonneedsandrequirementsofPWDs.

• Built capacity of developer’s community on approaches and designpracticesthatwouldmaketheirservicesandproductsaccessible.

• InvitePWDstospeakandshareontheiraccessibilitychallenges.• Sharebestpracticeslearnedfromexperiences.• Hear from local stakeholders including government on their current

familiarityandapproachesondigitalaccessibility.• Strengthencooperationandenhancepartnershipsamongorganizations

workingtoaddresscommonchallengesofdigitalaccessibility.Training/AwarenessThe first half of the workshop can include a dialogue and training on digitalaccessibility. Organising face-to-face interaction and discussion betweendevelopersandPWDs.Ideally,theworkshopfacilitatorshouldbeaPWDwithanextensive experience and knowledge on digital accessibility standards anddesignprinciples.StakeholdersdialogueondigitalaccessibilityThesecondhalfoftheworkshopcanhostamulti-stakeholdersdialogueonlocaldigital accessibility issues and possible solutions inviting subject experts.Representativesfromgovernment, legislativebodies, industry,civilsocietyandacademiacanbepartofthesedialogues.WorkshopsorganisedonsimilarpatternbyISOCAsia-PacificBureauinPakistan,Sri Lanka and Indonesia were very successful in bringingmovements to localdigitalaccessibilityecosystem.



16

TowardsDigitalAccessibilityEnablingaccessibilityforPWDsthroughdigitalplatformsandcontentremainsachallenge especially for the developing world. Most of the digital hardware,operating systemsoftwareandapplications that runacross variousplatforms,aredevelopedandmarketedbydevelopednationsandarecostlyforadoptionin developing countries. In some cases, both proprietary and communitysupported free and open source software do not take in to account digitalaccessibilityguidelines.Thismaybeduetoanumberoffactorssuchaslackofawarenessorcapacityingovernment,business,educationalorsocialsettings.

DevelopingPoliciesforPromotingDigitalAccessibilityThe Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities calls for "Full andeffective participation and inclusion in society" stressing on creatingenvironmentsthatprovideaccesstoallaspectsforallpeopleonanequalbasis.Inclusion or "universal design" as defined in the Convention is "the design ofproducts,environments,programmesandservicestobeusablebyallpeople,tothe greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specializeddesign".Thiscanbeusedasastartingpointforpublicpolicyefforts.Itshouldbeensured that PWDs are included in the overall design and developmentprocesses of public policy, legislations, regulations and compliance initiatives.They may be invited to participate from all walks of life and dealing withdifferentneedssothatapoliciesaresensitizedtowards"universaldesign".84%or42of50Asia-Pacificcountrieshavecommittedtoempowerindividualswith disabilities where governments have developed policies, legislations andguidelinestoensuredigitalaccessibility.Yet,theWorldDisabilityReportstatesthatprogressinachievingdigitalaccessibilityhasbeenslowdespitelegislation.Insomecountries,thefocusiflegislationison:

• theaccessibilityofwebsites(e.g.,NewZealand)• mobileapplications(e.g.,JapanandtheRepublicofKorea• in Indiaand theRepublicofKorea,private sectororganizationsare

expectedtoensurethattheirproductsandservicesareaccessibletopersonswithdisabilities.

• followingareselectpoliciesweremandatedbyvariouscountries intheAsia-Pacificthatmaybeusedasreferenceguides:

Australia DisabilityDiscriminationAct,AdvisoryNotesonWorldWide

WebAccess,createdin2002andupdatedin2010,containguidelinesforwebaccessibility.AustraliangovernmentdepartmentsandagenciesarerequiredtoadopttheWCAG.TheDigitalServiceStandardincludesaccessibility.

India RightsofPersonswithDisabilitiesAct2016mandatesthepublicandprivatesectors'conformancetoaccessibilitystandards,includingICTaccessibilitystandards.



17

NationalPolicyonUniversalElectronicAccessibility2013focusesspecificallyonensuringdigitalaccessibilityforpersonswithdisabilities.The2009GuidelinesforIndianGovernmentWebsites,basedontheWCAG,providesasetofstandardsthatallofficialgovernmentwebsitesneedtocomplywith.

Japan JISX8341istheICTaccessibilityguidelinesforolderpersonsandpersonswithdisabilitiesdevelopedin2004withseveralupdates.TheJISX8341-3wasupdatedin2010andiscompliantwithWCAG2.0.Theseguidelinesaremandatoryfornationalandlocalgovernmentagencies,butvoluntaryforprivatecompanies.

RepublicofKorea

Anti-DiscriminationandRemedyforDisabledPersonsAct2007includesICTaccessibilityobligationsforboththepublicandprivatesectors.NationalInformatizationAct2009coversICTaccessandusageforpersonswithdisabilitiesandolderpersons.MobileApplicationAccessibilityGuidelines2012(updatedin2015)istheworld'sfirstnational-levelstandardizationfortheaccessibilityofmobileapplications.

NewZealand TheGovernmentWebStandards2.0developedin2009havebeensupersededbytheWebAccessibilityStandardandtheWebUsabilityStandardin2013thatthepublicsectorneedstocomplywith,butnottheprivatesector.Thestandardsapplytobothpubliclyavailablewebpagesandinternallyfacingwebpagesforemployees.

Pakistan Digital Pakistan Policy19, calls for setting up “ICT AccessibilityUnit”withinPublicSectorOrganizationsandencouragingPrivateSectortoestablishanequivalentunitinruralandurbanareas to coordinate activitieswithin and outside agencies andcompanies to train and facilitate PWDs. It also promotescollaborationwith local and international software industry tointroduceICTinfrastructureandsoftwareapplicationsforPWDsalong with local language support. It calls for formulation ofstandards in IT and Telecommunications to ensure thatadoptionoftechnologiesisinclusiveofPWDcommunityandaredevelopedonauniversaldesignconcept.

Philippines ThePhilippineWebAccessibilityGroupismandatedbytheNationalCouncilonDisabilityAffairs,theDepartmentofICT,andtheDepartmentofInteriorandLocalGovernmenttopromotefullcomplianceofallgovernmentwebsites.

SriLanka TheICTAgencyhasdeveloped"WebStandardsforDevelopingGovernmentWebsiteofSriLanka,"whichincludesaddressing

19http://moitt.gov.pk/userfiles1/file/DIGITAL%20PAKISTAN%20POLICY.pdf



18

accessibilityissues.Thisdocumentneedstobefurtherimproved,anddevelopedintoacomprehensivesetofstandardsandguidelines.

Thailand ThePersonswithDisabilities’EmpowermentActB.E.2550(2007),Provision20statestherightofpersonswithdisabilitiestoaccessandutilizepublicservicesandfacilities,includingICTs.TheSecondNationalICTMasterPlan2009-2013includesspecifictargetstoassistpersonswithdisabilities,especiallywithintheframeworkofuniversalserviceprovisions.TheMinistryofICTdevelopedthe“ThaiWebContentAccessibilityGuidelines2010”basedontheWCAG2.0.1

Vanuatu RighttoInformationWebAccessibilityGuidelinesforWebDevelopersandContentManagers,developedinSeptember2016,isbasedontheWCAG2.0.1

VietNam LawonPersonswithDisabilities2010includesArticle43:Informationtechnologyandcommunication.

DevelopingaBusinessCaseforWebAccessibilityW3Cprovidesdetailedresourcesforcreatinganorganizationalbusinesscaseforwebaccessibilityindifferentsettings20.Itcoverssocial,technical,financial,andlegalandpolicyfactorsindevelopingthebusinesscaseforWebaccessibility:Organizationscanrealizesubstantialreturnoninvestment(ROI)thatoffsetanycosts of implementing Web accessibility. In order to be willing to make theinitialinvestment,manyorganizationsneedtounderstandthesocial,technical,and financial benefits of Web accessibility, and the expected returns. Thejustificationtocommitresourcestoaproject isoftencalleda"businesscase".Businesscasesusuallydocumentananalysisofaproject'svalueinmeetingtheorganization'sobjectives,thecost-benefitanalysis,andtheexpectedoutcomes.An effective business case focuses on the organization's objectives andmotivations.The following factors are presented from theW3Cwebsite that organizationscan integrate into a custom business case according to the nature of theirbusiness:

20DevelopingaWebAccessibilityBusinessCaseforYourOrganization.ShawnLawtonHenryandAndrewArch,eds.Copyright©2012W3C®(MIT,ERCIM,Keio).Status:Updated7September2012.http://www.w3.org/WAI/bcase/



19

1. Acorporationmightemphasize:• financial gains and cost savings from increasedwebuse due to

increased potential market share, search engine optimization(SEO),andincreasedusability

• reducing risk of legal action, high legal expenses, and negativeimage

• public relations benefits of demonstrating corporate socialresponsibility(CSR)

• benefitsofaninclusiveworkplacethatsupportsemployeeswithdisabilities

• increased productivity from supporting and retaining olderemployeesandtheirexperience

2. Agovernmentministryoragencymightemphasize:• lawsandpoliciesthatrequirepublicservicesareavailabletoall,

such as anti-discrimination legislation or information andcommunicationstechnology(ICT)policy

• demonstration of social responsibility and provision ofinformationandservicesthatareaccessibletoallcitizens

• savings from improved server performance and decreased sitemaintenance

• benefitsfromenablingpeoplewithdisabilitiesandolderuserstointeractwiththemonlineinsteadofmorecostlyways

3. Aneducationalinstitutionmightemphasize:• number of students, faculty, or staff with disabilities in

educationalsettingsasasocialresponsibilityconsideration• benefitsofWebaccessibility to studentswithdifferent learning

styles, older computer equipment, or low bandwidth Internetconnections

• benefits to older employees who may be experiencing age-related impairments, an increasing percentage of employees astheworkforceages

• legalorpolicyrequirements

4. Anon-governmental(non-profit)organization(NGO)mightemphasize:• social responsibility factors, such as the organization's

commitmenttohumanrights,includingtherighttoinformation• organization'sinterestinensuringthatitsmaterialsareavailable

toallofitspotentialaudiences• supportingolderpeoplewithage-related impairmentswhomay

bedonors

5. Awebdesignbusinessmightemphasize:• competitive advantage and financial benefits of being able to

meet increasing requests for accessible web design anddevelopment



20

• technical benefits and long term financial benefits to clients ofprovidingsitesaccordingtowebstandards

• publicrelationsbenefitsofbeingabletosupportclients'interestsindemonstratingsocialresponsibility

6. Asmalltomedium-sizedenterprise(SME)relyingone-Commercemight

emphasize:• positive impact on search engine optimization (SEO) from

accessibilityimprovements• importance of an increasing market among people with

disabilitiesandolderpeoplewhomay significantlybenefit fromaccessibleonlineshopping

• increased general usability and trustworthiness of onlineshoppinginterfacesfromimprovedaccessibility

• reduced risk of legal action and negative publicity from notcomplyingwithanti-discriminationlegislation.

building an accessible internet · 2018-09-21 · services, and weak policy frameworks to support...

Documents