Many enterprises have web sites that inadvertently exclude potential customers. They hide content from blind people, ignore the needs of their deaf customers, lose motion-impaired consumers, cater only to those on one side of the digital divide, and exclude aging baby boomers who find tiny print a challenge.
Government does not have the luxury of excluding part of its constituency. It has a responsibility to the all of the people it represents. It is simply wrong to use tax dollars to provide services that exclude the very people who pay the tax.
The Forum founded the IT (Information Technology) Accessibility committee to raise awareness of these issues with the technology community, to encourage the development of sensible policies to address these issues, and to provide the technical training necessary to implement the policies.
| Assigned Priority |
Goal | Achievements |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | As needed, Assist with the web developer training project jointly undertaken by GOER and the PEF PDC | Committee working on the advisory committee for the training series, along with GOER, PEF, OFT, CTG, Webmasters' Guild, and contractor (MicroKnowledge, Inc.). |
| 2 | Analyze pilot training evaluations and determine next steps | In advance of training, will be validating a random sample of State agency web sites to determine extent of compliance. After first group has completed training series, will be debriefing to assess success. A few months after the end of the program, will be re-examining the agencies validated in pre-training testing to determine benefit of training. |
| 3 | Continue to offer monthly clinics | We had scheduled monthly Accessibility Clinics through the end of 2005, but cancelled several of them because on one had signed up to attend. We are at a bit of a loss as to why there are no takers, as web developers had been clamoring for them, and those who have attended have always remarked on how helpful they were. |
| 4 | Explore the idea of formalizing mentoring relationships to provide support for less experienced web developers. | This has been happening on an informal basis. Need to find a model to use in formalizing. |
| 5 | Identify and act on outreach opportunities with the private sector and localities. | On November 2, we will be partnering with Intercon, Inc. to deliver a full-day accessibility training session in Rochester. On November 16, we will be delivering the keynote address at the Capital Area Technology Alliance. We are working on developing further opportunities to spread the word. |
| 6 | Investigate conferences and other training opportunities with a view toward establishing "scholarships" for State employees to attend. | |
| 7 | Continue to work with the Webmasters' Guild and WOW to provide information and training opportunities. | |
| 8 | Continue to raise awareness of IT accessibility issues with audiences other than web developers; explore feasibility of making awareness training mandatory. | |
| 9 | Work with existing organizations (e.g., MATRIX, Training Council, etc.) to raise awareness of need for accessible IT | |
| 10 | Encourage existing validation tool vendors to develop version or component to accommodate NYS standards | |
| 11 | Publicize redesign contest and resultant web site redesign/update as proof of concept that "accessible can be beautiful" | |
| 12 | Expand monthly e-mail newsletter to provide more useful information to web developers | |
| 13 | Continue to provide training, support, and information at every opportunity |
| Assigned Priority |
Goal | Achievements |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Develop testing mechanism which would be available to agencies |
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| 2 | Develop a "Best of NY" program for websites using criteria such as: 1) usability 2) meaningful information 3) information for people with disabilities |
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| 3 | Create a web-based repository if IT accessibility resources, including a skills resource matrix, coding examples, best practices, etc. | Committee's web site has been improved and expanded, but needs more publicity |
| 4 | Determine which tools can be used to test for compliance | |
| 5 | Approach DOB for funding for accessibility projects | |
| 6 | Increase awareness of accessibility concerns with the business community | With the addition of a new corporate co-chair (Lisa Hebert Ryan, from MicroKnowledge, Inc.), we anticipate broadening the scope of our educational opportunities to reach the private sector. We are also working with Intercon, Inc. to present a series of sessions on accessibility to previously unserved areas of the state. |
| 7 | Plan for staffing to maintain compliance | With the help of the Webmasters' Guild and the Forum's Executive Director, we have pursued an alliance with the World Organization of Webmasters to take advantage of their organizational work in identifying roles in web development. |
| 8 | SWAT team to evaluate compliance of agency web sites | We have a de facto "SWAT team" that works with agencies to resolve issues as they arise. We have served approximately a dozen agencies in this way during the program year. |
| 9 | Champion teleworking benefits | |
| 10 | Education of workforce focusing on application developers | We have made little progress on this initiative, as there are still organizational issues in agencies – especially agencies where application development and web development are located in two disparate sections of the organization. |
| 11 | Develop a list of exempt applications | |
| 12 | Create style guides and examples for exciting and interesting web sites that are accessible | We have presented numerous offerings of our CSS session, which focuses on some of the more cutting-edge uses of CSS in current practice. Our "Accessible Can Be Beautiful" contest challenged entrants to develop attractive, standards-compliant web designs. |
| 13 | Training on alternatives to compliance | |
| 14 (no votes) |
Promote organizational reengineering for policy compliance | In an online survey in December 2004 and follow-up focus group sessions in April 2005, we examined some of the organizational impediments to compliance, and the results were published in the white paper Mastering the Web Revolution in New York State Agencies. We are also lobbying to ensure that web development tasks are included in the upcoming analysis of the State's IT workforce. |
NOTE: This year's goals were set by the Executive Committee at the annual Strategic Planning Session, and pre-dated the formation of the Committee.
| Assigned Priority |
Goal | Achievements |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clarify legal requirements: 1) Do vendors comply? 2) What do agencies need to do (e.g., contracts, RFPs, etc.)? 3) What is the State's vulnerability? 4) What is reasonable accommodation? |
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| 2 | Sponsor education sessions: awareness, technical skills development, tools, trends, policies |
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| 3 | Develop SWAT team to do onsite | Not fully understood |
| 4 | Sponsor vendor showcase | Achieved with the 2004 NYS Assistive Technology Expo |
| 5 | [Develop] Repository - info, tools, resources, best practices, guidelines | Curriculum CD materials posted on web site and enriched with additional resources (e.g., FAQ on new policy/standards, etc. |
| 6 | [Develop] Repository - info, tools, resources, best practices, guidelines | Curriculum CD materials posted on web site and enriched on an ongoing basis with additional resources (e.g., FAQ on new policy/standards, annotated copy of standards with best practice and code examples, etc.) |
| 7 | Increase Awareness | Committee and Forum initiatives including work with Benton Foundation and EDC as well as education sessions and newsletter articles broadly created awareness |
| 8 | Need tools 1) Accessibility resource book 2) Implementation tools |
Curriculum with embedded resources was developed and made available on CD and as live web site, continually updated |
| 9 | Put accessibility into the system development life cycle in statewide methodology (application development standards) | Committee is researching other recommended application development standards to find best practices in support of NYS policy/standards |