KATS Network >
Publications >
AITIS >
Accessibility Guidelines > Considerations for Websites and Web-distributed Documents
KY Accessible Information Technology in Schools (AITIS) Project
Tutorial: Kentucky Accessibility Guidelines for K-12 Education-based Information Technology
Unit 8: Considerations for Websites and Web-distributed Documents
Kentucky's access requirements for information technology equipment and software mandate that individuals with disabilities be provided with access that is “equivalent to the access provided individuals who are not disabled, blind or visually impaired, or deaf or hard of hearing.” Due to the fact that Kentucky's state law uses a definition for “access” which makes an explicit reference to federal Section 508 Access Standards, content contained on district and school websites fall under the purview of Section 508 standards for Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications (1194.22) and must accordingly comply with these provision.
Does the entire website have to comply?
The short answer is, yes! Any content that is stored on websites which are controlled by district or school staff in their official capacity must comply with these requirements. This is also true for web content that is made available from a vendor website through school or district funds. Although access to free web content through sites which have no affiliation with the school or district would not normally be covered, district and school personnel should be careful about mandating that students or staff utilize uncontrolled third party content which may be inaccessible.
Since staff time is limited, it may be helpful to develop an overall plan designed to move your district or school to full compliance over a finite period of time. The following suggestions may be helpful in assigning priorities as you develop such a plan:
- Your district, together with each school in your district, should adopt a policy which mandates that all website content will be in compliance with Section 508 standards
- It is advisable to establish a policy and procedure approach which will ensure that all new website content must meet this criteria before it can be uploaded to the district or school website
- In order to deal with content which is already on the website, it is advisable to develop a timetable with enforceable deadlines which will ensure that all web content will be tested for accessibility and repaired as soon as possible
- When creating a timetable, develop a set of priorities which will ensure that the highest priority web contents are repaired first
- When assigning priorities, it is advisable to assign the highest priorities to those pages that are most often viewed, those pages which are used for instructional use with a large number of students, and those pages which are most often used by parents and the general public
- For low priority pages, it may be quicker to simply strip all graphical and non-text content and upload a temporary “text only” version of the page until a repaired version of the original page can be uploaded
- Since some types of non-HTML website content such as Power Point presentations and Portable Document Format (PDF) files can have serious accessibility problems, it is advisable to have the same information also available in other, more accessible, file formats such as HTML
Guidelines Component:
In addition to developing a policy and procedure approach, the following guidelines components can be added to your school or district accessibility policy in order to make sure there is enough specificity to ensure that Section 508 standards are being enforced for all website content:
- The District shall ensure that the district website and all school websites within the district comply with Section 508 Access Standards under 1194.22;
- The District shall ensure that documents which are made available on websites within the District shall be made available in accessible formats;
- Wherever a link is provided to PDF file or another type of document which resides on a website on the district and is not HTML, XHTML, or text such as Rich Text Format or TXT, the website shall also provide a link to an equivalent version of the document in accessible HTML or other accessible version of the same document.
Compliance Checklist:
The following series of questions will be useful in helping to determine what needs to be done in your district to ensure that you have an effective policy which is known to essential staff and can be more easily implemented:
- Do all web-based intranet and internet products you control, including school web sites, comply with Section 508 Access Standards under 1194.22?
- If not, do you have a timetable in place to ensure that all web pages will be tested for compliance and repaired as needed?
- Do you have a policy in place which mandates that all new web content must be in compliance before it is uploaded, and that all vendors who provide paid access to their web content certify that their materials are fully Section 508 compliant?
- Do all documents on websites within the district created in HTML or XHTML meet the criteria for Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications, 1194.22?
- Are all documents on websites within the district that are in PDF or Power Point also available in accessible HTML, XHTML, RTF or TXT formats?
How can I test our website for compliance?
There are a few free resources available on the web which are useful for testing individual web pages one at a time. Some vendors also provide paid access to software which will check your entire website for accessibility in one operation. Applications are also available which will help take you through an initial repair tour of your website. However, it is important to note that no automated application can verify the proper application of all elements of the Section 508 Access Standards, and no automated repair application can fix all accessibility problems. Nonetheless, some technology personnel may find such applications useful in getting a jump start to fixing inaccessible web pages. Here are a few applications to consider:
- The HiSoftware “Cynthia Says” is a web content accessibility validation solution which is designed to identify errors in your content related to Section 508 standards and/or the WCAG guidelines. Cynthia Says is a free online testing application, but will only test about one (1) page per minute / per site. HiSoftware also distributes for purchase a desktop software called “AccVerify” and “AccRepair” which can be used to aid you with the testing and initial repair of your entire site.
- WebAIM (Web Accessibility in Mind) provides a free online service called “WAVE”. This application was originally developed by Len Kasday at the Temple University Institute on Disabilities, and provides free unlimited live on-line checking of individual websites. Although the report style is a little complicated, it is very thorough. You can also install WAVE Toolbar in your browser which will then allow you to simply go to the web page that you want to evaluate, and then click on “WAVE this page!” Also, for technology staff who would like a little project to assemble a totally free desktop application for testing your entire website, you may request to download the source code to build the application free of charge.
- Watchfire WebXACT verification service is the latest permutation of the legendary Bobby accessibility checking system that was originally developed by the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST), but the rights to this application were later sold to Watchfire. WebXACT is a free online service that lets you test single pages of web content for quality, accessibility, and privacy issues. However, you should be aware that the accessibility testing options are set to W3C accessibility guidelines by default, NOT to Section 508 Access Standards. Although W3C and Section 508 are similar, they are not the same. To prioritize compliance with Section 508 as required under state law, you should be sure to change the default to Section 508 by clicking on the link near the top of the page that reads “Show Advanced / Accessibility Options” and then clicking the “Section 508” setting on the next page. Watchfire has now limited the trademark “Bobby” name to a web accessibility desktop testing tool called Bobby 5.0. This application spiders through a website and automatically tests each page on your website, including web pages behind your firewall.
How can I learn more about making our website accessible?
There are a number of very good resources available on the web for educating yourself about the Section 508 standards and how to create accessible web content . A sample of some of these resources are included below:
- Guide to the Section 508 Standards for Electronic and Information Technology (web applications section) This resource was created by the U.S. Access Board, and is an extensive guide to the standards
- Web Accessibility for Section 508. This is a free web based online course designed by Jim Thatcher with extensive documentation
- accesselearning is a free, online ten module tutorial that offers information, instructional techniques, and practice labs on how to make the most common needs in web based education resources accessible for individuals with disabilities. Although it was designed by the Georgia Tech Research on Accessible Distance Education Project as an aid to postsecondary institutions with distance learning offerings, much of the course is appropriate for elementary and secondary school settings
- Introduction to Accessible Information Technology in Education. This free online course was developed by the National Center on Accessible Information Technology in Education (AccessIT). It is recommended for anyone who wants to learn more about information technology accessibility issues and related law and policy issues in education. This includes teachers, administrators, policy makers, and anyone else who is interested.
- Give Your Web Site an Accessibility Makeover - Powerpoint Presentation, Presented by Shannon Rapuano from the IBM Accessibility Center and Don Barrett from Department of Education as part of the best practices demonstrations at Interagency Disability Education Awareness Showcase (IDEAS) 2003.
Additional resources on web accessibility:
Congratulations!
You have now completed all eight units in this tutorial.