WATA Bulletin: Winter 2002
Contents:
University websites must be made accessible
Dagmar Amtmann and Sherrie Brown, J.D., Ed.D, University of Washington Center for Technology and Disabilities Studies; Debbie Cook, Director, Washington Assistive Technology Alliance
Universities and other postsecondary institutions increasingly use
the web to provide information to students, employees, parents and
the community; as instructional tools in distance-learning programs,
in on-campus classes with interactive multimedia materials, and in
research and networking.
The web and other information technologies present new opportunities
for people with disabilities, especially those who have difficulty
accessing printed information. However, web designers and programmers
unaware of accessibility issues may inadvertently create barriers
for people with disabilities. For example, a lack of meaningful text
descriptions for non-text elements on a website is a common barrier
that affects individuals with vision impairments who rely on screen
readers. Text descriptions allow those who use screen-reading technology
to navigate websites and gain access information presented graphically.
Why should websites be made accessible to people with disabilities?
Legal Obligations
The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973 prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities
and require postsecondary institutions to effectively communicate
website content to individuals with disabilities. Section 508 of the
Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998 (Section 508) addresses the
obligations of the federal government to procure and use accessible
electronic and information technology. Section 508 provides clear
and measurable standards for web accessibility. It can serve as a
tool in determining what is and is not considered accessible web design.
States that receive funds under Title 1 of the AT Act of 1998 (such
as Washington State) must also comply with Section 508 and conform
to the 508 standards.
In a nutshell, federal laws and regulations taken together amount
to a clear and enforceable mandate for educational institutions to
make their public web sites, intranets, and distance learning accessible
to individuals with disabilities-whether they are members of the public,
students, or employees.
For example, if a university website is inaccessible to a visually
impaired student, the university is still required under federal law
to effectively communicate the information on the website to the student.
If the website is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for
other users, it must also be constantly available for the visually
impaired student. There are several ways this communication could
be accomplished, but none is likely to be as practical and meet legal
standards as well as if the website were accessible in the first place.
Economic Reasons for web accessibility
When an institution uses inaccessible web pages to provide information,
a significant number of students, employees, and members of the community
are excluded from receiving the information electronically. Information
often provided on web pages includes application materials, course
listings, registration, library access, job postings, and distance-learning
courses. Limiting the pool of users doesn't make economic sense for
institutions competing for students, faculty, and staff-and the resources
they generate. Prospective students or employees with disabilities
who cannot access an institution's web pages may never consider attending
or working there.
Institutions found to be discriminating on the basis of inaccessible web design under the ADA must pay for redesigning websites as well as the costs of effectively communicating website content to individuals. It is much less expensive to design and implement an accessible website from the beginning than to retool it later. Accessible web design is an insurance policy that protects against costs incurred by not adequately meeting the needs of students, employees and the community.
The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) has stated that when a postsecondary institution selects software programs and/or hardware equipment not adaptable for people with disabilities, "the subsequent substantial expense of providing access is not generally regarded as an undue burden when such cost could have been significantly reduced by considering the issue of accessibility at the time of the initial selection."
Educational Institutions Provide Leadership in the Community
Public educational institutions have an obligation to serve the community
that provides the financial support for the operation of the institution.
Citizens of your community contribute to the tax basis for your operating
budget. Therefore, the services you offer need to be available to
the community at large-including the increasing number of individuals
with disabilities.
Though individual estimates vary, it appears that there are over 30 million people in the United States who are disabled or have functional limitations due to injury, illness or aging. Aging is a major source of functional limitation. The portion of the U.S. population that is over 55 grows steadily. Forty-five percent of the population has functional limitations by age 65. For those who survive to age 75 or more, the percentage jumps to 72.5%. Becoming a person with a disability is the only recognized minority any of us can join at any time due to aging, illness or injury. Your websites must be accessible to meet the needs of the community at large.
Everyone Benefits from Accessible Web Design
Accessible web design builds on sound instructional design. Accessible
web pages are more usable for everyone. Clear and simple language,
understandable and consistent mechanisms for navigating within and
between pages, and navigation tools and orientation information in
pages maximize accessibility and usability for everyone. Accessibility
features such as text descriptions for graphic elements and text-based
alternatives to PDF files make images and PDF files searchable. Those
using their cell phones or personal digital assistants (PDAs) to access
the web will also sincerely appreciate websites designed with accessibility
in mind. Forward-thinking web designers develop website keeping all
potential users in mind.
How to make websites, intranets and distance-learning courses accessible
Accessible web design starts at the policy level. Web developers
must educate themselves and their administration about the legal,
economic, social, and technical reasons for designing accessible websites.
Policies should be formulated broadly and state accessibility goals
as they apply to public websites, intranets, and distance learning.
Several such policies are already available and can be used as models
to consider and adapt for other institutions.
Adopting or developing standards and procedures that provide clear
and measurable activities for implementation and evaluation of accessibility
are the next step in the process. Meeting Section 508 standards is
a good place to start, but they are only minimum standards. An institution
can choose to adopt Section 508 standards or other guidelines for
web accessibility, such as W3C Web Authoring Guidelines. It may also
choose to develop its own accessibility standards or adopt a policy
that combines standards.
Procurement policies should be updated to include accessibility considerations.
Policies, standards, and procedures should be disseminated, and training
and technical support be made available to those who design and implement
web-based information.
For more information on accessible design components visit the following websites:
Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) - http://www.w3.org/WAI/
Section 508: The Road to Accessibility - http://www.section508.gov/
Calendar of Events
Technology and Persons With Disabilities
March 18 - 23, 2002, Los Angeles, CA
CSUN's 17th Annual International Conference is a comprehensive international
conference where all technologies across all ages, disabilities, levels
of education and training, employment, and independent living are
addressed. Keynote speaker will be Gregg C. Vanderheiden, Ph.D., a
pioneer in the field of augmentative communication and assistive technology.
Contact: Center On Disabilities, California State University, Northridge,
18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330-8340, (818) 677-2578,
or on the Web at http://www.csun.edu/cod/.
Power Up 2002
April 15 - 16, 2002, Columbia, Missouri
Power Up 2002 Conference and Exposition, sponsored buy the Missouri
Assistive Technology Advisory Council, has a mission of strengthening
the capacity of people with disabilities, educators, health professionals,
IT technicians, librarians & media specialists, and service providers.
For more information, contact Missouri Assistive Technology, 4731
S. Cochise, Suite 114, Independence, MO 64055-6975; Phone: (816) 373-5193;
Fax: (816) 373-9314; Email: matpmo@swbell.net
RESNA 2002: 25th International Conference on Technology &
Disability: Research, Design, Practice
June 27 - July 1, 2002, Minneapolis, MN
RESNA 2002, sponsored by the Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology
Society of North America, brings together people who use, develop,
manufacture and deliver assistive and rehabilitative technologies.
Information: RESNA, 1700 N. Moore Street, Suite 1540, Arlington, VA
22209-1903, 703-524-6686, info@resna.org
or www.resna.org/.
For calendar updates, visit the Web at
http://wata.org/calendar.htm
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The WATA Bulletin is supported by grant H224A3006 from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, U.S. Department of Education, to the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Olympia, WA.