Special Session on Web Accessibility AAATE 2009 Conference, Florence – September 1st,

2009

Accelerating Web Accessibility: Migrating to WCAG 2.0 and Ensuring Vigilance over

Emerging Technologies

Roberto Scano

WCAG 2.0 and a new government initiative

About me• W3C AC Rep. For IWA/HWG• W3C WCAG Working Group Member• W3C ATAG Working Group Member• Expert of ISO/TC 159/SC 4/WG 5

'Software ergonomics and human-computer dialogues'• Co-author of italian accessibility Law technical

requirements (4/2004) and technical manual as a consultant for CNIPA (National Centre for Informatic in Public Admin.)

• Consultant for DDIT (Department for Digitalization for the P.A. and Technological Innovation) in the Prime Minister Office (PCM)

• Member of the DDIT / FORMEZ Accessibility Observatory

Topics

•4/2004 Law and public websites•2009: Law update and WCAG 2.0

application•Italian Goverment Web Accessibility

Initiative

4/2004 law and public websites

4/2004 Law•Law since Jan 17th, 2004. •22 “WCAG 1.x” requirements since

July 8th, 2005.•Accessibility requirements for public Web

sites.

4/2004 law and public websites

Issues•Difficulty in finding products that respect

the compliance•No accessibility culture in both Web

professionals and in the Public Administrations

Solutions•New Web-CMS “made in Italy”.•Promotion of a “Design for All”

approach by CNIPA (courses and training)

and Web acessibility experts.•IWA association seminars for education

and outreach.

4/2004 law and public websites

•There is an official translation work in progress (coordinated by IWA/HWG).

•Law is different than a Recommendation:▫Need to select WCAG 2.0 success criteria

with “law-like” rewording.▫Need to guarantee that Italian Web sites

that are compliant with 4/2004 Law still conform to the Law update.

▫Need to have all success criteria measurable objectively.

2009: law update and wcag 2.0 application

Italian Goverment Web Accessibility Initiative

DIT together with FORMEZ create an Accessibility Observatory with two main goals:

▫ Involve the USERS in the public Web site accessibility evaluation through the “LINEA AMICA” government Web site.

▫ Update of the national regulation to WCAG 2.0 recommendation

USERS INVOLVEMENT▫Citizen that find accessibility problems in

public Web sites open a public ticket.▫The backoffice accessibility team evaluate

the item and forward to the public Web site owner suggestions about how to solve the problem.

▫The solution is published in the Web site.▫The ticket is closed.

Italian Goverment Web Accessibility Initiative

USERS INVOLVEMENT•The Accessibility Observatory

▫Will contain also best practices and useful techniques for developing compliant Italian Accessibility Law Web sites.

▫Will be public available on the Linea Amica web site at the following address…

http://accessibile.gov.it

Italian Goverment Web Accessibility Initiative

Thank you!

More info: www.innovazionepa.gov.it

www.lineaamica.itwww.accessibile.gov.it

http://robertoscano.info/abouthttp://www.iwa.it