You Are Here: NYS Forum IT Accessibility Committee
June 2008 Newsletter
Edited by Joel Obuchowski
Articles and ideas for future newsletters? Please e-mail them to Debi Orton dorton@goer.state.ny.us and Joel Obuchowski jobuchow@ins.state.ny.us
NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING
Our next Committee meeting will be held on Thursday, June 12 at the Forum offices, 411 State Street, Albany.
Among the topics to be discussed are the status of the revisions to the CIO/OFT Policies and Standards, future training initiatives, and the future of the Committee. If anyone is interested in running for one of the Committee's co-chair positions, please be sure to attend this meeting. We will also be discussing our list of accomplishments and goals for the Forum's annual strategic planning meeting.
W3C NEWS
W3C Launches a New Forum
2008-06-03: W3C launches today a new forum http://www.w3.org/2007/eGov/ 
for governments, citizens, researchers, and other stakeholders to investigate how best to use Web technology for good governance and citizen participation. "Open Standards, and in particular Semantic Web Standards, can help lower the cost of government, make it easier for independent agencies to work together, and increase flexibility in the face of change," said Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director. W3C invites participation in the new eGovernment Interest Group http://www.w3.org/2007/eGov/IG/ , which is open to the public. The group will identify best practices and guidelines in this area, document where current technology does not adequately address stakeholder needs, and suggest improvements via the standards process. Read the W3C eGovernment FAQ http://www.w3.org/2007/eGov/IG/faq and press release http://www.w3.org/2008/06/egov-pressrelease , and learn more about the W3C eGovernment Activity http://www.w3.org/2007/eGov/ .
"Web Accessibility for Older Users: A Literature Review"; Comments Welcome on First Public Draft
2008-05-14: The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) Education and Outreach Working Group Working Group (EOWG) http://www.w3.org/WAI/EO/ has published Web Accessibility for Older Users: A Literature Review http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/WD-wai-age-literature-20080514/ as a First Public Working Draft. The document includes reviews and analysis of guidelines and articles covering the requirements of people with Web accessibility needs related to ageing. This literature review will inform WAI efforts to promote accessibility solutions for older Web users and potentially to develop profiles or extensions to WAI guidelines. The literature review is a deliverable of the WAI-AGE Project (Ageing Education and Harmonisation) http://www.w3.org/WAI/WAI-AGE/ . See the call for review and participation http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ig/2008AprJun/0083.html for an introduction to the project and an invitation to contribute to the literature review and other WAI-AGE work; and about the Web Accessibility Initiative http://www.w3.org/WAI/ . (Permalink http://www.w3.org/News/2008#item92 )
CSS Snapshot 2007 at Last Call Stage
2008-05-16: The Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) Working Group http://www.w3.org/Style/CSS/members has published the Last Call Working Draft of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) Snapshot 2007 http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/WD-css-beijing-20080516/ . This document collects together into one definition all the specifications that together form the current state of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). The primary audience is CSS implementors, not CSS authors, as this definition includes modules by specification stability, not Web browser adoption rate. Comments are welcome through 09 June. Learn more about the Style Activity http://www.w3.org/Style/ . (Permalink http://www.w3.org/News/2008#item94 )
NEWS and RESOURCES
Forum Hosts Recognition Luncheon for Validation Tool Volunteers
On May 22, the Forum hosted a recognition luncheon for those involved with two important Forum projects: the updated Business Continuity Health Check and the NYS Validation Tool. Both projects were completed in this program year, and both are popular tools with Forum members.
(Photograph by Francesca Panetta McPhillips)
Rite Aid Does Things Right
Camp Hill, PA (May 1, 2008) -- In a move praised by state and national blindness organizations, Rite Aid (NYSE:RAD) today announced it has undertaken a nationwide initiative that will benefit Rite Aid customers with visual impairments and other disabilities. As part of the program, Rite Aid has made enhancements to its Web site and has begun installing new point of sale equipment with tactile keypads to protect the privacy and security of all shoppers who have difficulty entering numbers on a flat screen.
Today's announcement is the result of collaboration between Rite Aid and major organizations including the American Foundation for the Blind, American Council of the Blind and California Council of the Blind.
Web Site Access
Today's initiative includes Rite Aid's commitment to ensure that http://www.riteaid.com
meets guidelines issued by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (w3c) (www.w3.org/wai). The guidelines, which do not affect the content or look and feel of a Web site, ensure that Web sites are accessible to persons with a wide range of disabilities. The guidelines are of particular benefit to blind computer users who use a screen reader or magnification technology on their computers and who rely on a keyboard instead of a mouse."An accessible web site opens up unprecedented opportunities for people with vision loss to obtain goods, services and information on an equal footing," said Paul Schroeder, vice president, programs and policy group of the American Foundation for the Blind. "We applaud Rite Aid's commitment to ensure that http://www.riteaid.com
is usable by the broadest range of online consumers, including those who have disabilities."Point of Sale Improvements
Rite Aid's point of sales improvements announced today are designed to assist customers who cannot read information on a flat screen point of sale device and therefore cannot privately enter their PIN or other confidential information. Most point of sale devices in Rite Aid stores now have tactile keys to prevent this problem, and the company will be replacing remaining non-tactile devices by the end of 2009. Blind community representatives praised Rite Aid's plan to install payment devices with keypads: "Without tactile keys, blind people are forced to share their PINs with strangers," explained Melanie Brunson, executive director of the American Council of the Blind. "Today's announcement, and the collaboration that led to it, demonstrates Rite Aid's understanding of this fact and its ongoing commitment to its blind and visually impaired customers."
"Our goal is to deliver a superior shopping experience to all of our customers, and with the initiative announced today, we can better serve our customers who are blind or visually impaired," said Rob Easley, Rite Aid chief operating officer. "We thank the American Foundation for the Blind, American Council of the Blind and California Council of the Blind for their valuable assistance in making Rite Aid a better place for customers with disabilities to shop."
- From the ICDRI web site.
Differences Between WCAG 1.0 and WCAG 2.0
Although New York State's guidelines are no longer strictly aligned to the W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), it is instructive to see how these standards evolve.
The W3C has a extensive draft document (http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/from10/comparison/) aligning WCAG 1.0 provisions with their equivalents in WCAG 2.0.
Here's another cut at the same kind of comparison from the Web Industry Professionals Association: (http://wipa.org.au/papers/wcag-migration.htm).
Validation Tool Notes
HiSoftware and the Forum are in the planning stages for one more round of online training for end users, along with a session for Agency Administrators.
The Forum sent an e-mail notice to CIOs in May asking for an estimate of their interest in using both the online and and desktop validation tools beyond January 1, 2009. Please check with your CIO if you would like to keep using the tools to make sure his or her response reflected your interest.
HiSoftware has asked us to remind agency administrators that they need to provide a list of the domains they want added to their agency's allowable testing list.
The CIO/OFT has submitted a NASCIO 2008 Award Submission on behalf of the Forum's IT Accessibility Committee under the title "Validation Tool Improves Web Accessibility for NYS Citizens".
"Ajax Accessibility"
(provided by Mike Hritcko of the NYS Insurance Fund)
http://ejohn.org/blog/ajax-accessibility/
FEATURE ARTICLE
Standard 12 - Scripting
12.1 If web pages utilize scripting languages to display content or create interface elements, the information that is provided by the script will be identified with functional text that can be read by assistive technology devices.
Standard 12.1 addresses some of the problems created for people with disabilities when web developers employ Web 2.0-style content and interface interactivity techniques. Part of the problem rests with the fact that a screen reading program will capture the rendered page in its buffer, and the user works with the captured page, not the live page. So, if a click on one link opens up a menu, or displays information in a section of the page that changes depending on user input, those features will be unavailable to someone using a screen reading program. Interface elements such as "flyout menus" also pose significant difficulties for those with mobility impairments - and let's face it - annoy those without any impairments.
12.2 Event handlers used in any script will be device-independent.
Device-independent event handlers will be used instead of event handlers that require a specific input device (e.g., a mouse). If a generic event handler is not available, more than one device-specific event handler will be used.
Every page and application needs to be keyboard navigable for a number of reasons. First, people with visual impairments cannot use a mouse because they have no way of knowing where the cursor is. Second, people with mobility impairments often have no fine motor control and cannot land a mouse cursor on a target. Standard 12.2 is requiring developers to use either a device-independent event handler or multiple event handlers that cover every use case.
12.3 The user of [the] onDBLClick event handler will not be allowed.
This is a mouse-only event handler and as such, potentially excludes part of your visitor population.
12.4 A mechanism (e.g., a text notice - the following link will bring you to a new browser [window]) will be in place to alert the user prior to the opening of an additional web browser, pop-up window or a redirect that disables a browser's back button.
People who cannot see the screen often don't know that an additional browser window has been opened, and expect to be able to use the normal browser navigation commands to return to something they've seen previously. If you open a new browser window or create redirects that disable the back button, these users become confused and do not know how to proceed.
12.5 All documents with client side scripting will provide equivalent content or functionality via a noscript element.
Almost all current browsers now support client side scripting such as JavaScript, but some security experts and some businesses are still skittish on leaving the ability to run scripts turned on by default in the browser. Because of this, you will need to find another way to provide the content or functionality. If the script is a sales tax calculator, the alternative might be to provide a text page of instructions for how to perform the calculations, or for a form that a visitor must complete in order to apply for benefits, the alternative might be a telephone number for the visitor to call in order to have an agency employee assist with the task.
NOTE: By this time next month, CIO/OFT will likely have released an updated Policy and Standard. Next month's article will summarize the major changes.