Does your library have a web presence or provide access to electronic resources? Do you use digital software to deliver services?\u00a0 If so, it\u2019s important that you learn about the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. This article will help you get started.<\/p>\n
The World Wide Web consortium (W3C) published standards for making web content usable by people with disabilities. These standards are called the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).\u00a0WCAG\u00a02.0 has been adopted or adapted by various governments and organizations around the world.\u00a0In Ontario, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) requires many public and private organizations to adopt WCAG 2.0.\u00a0\u00a0The WC3 recommended WCAG 2.1 as a new standard on June 5, 2018<\/a>.<\/p>\n From an organizational perspective, one of the most important things you can do is have at least one person who is fluent in WCAG 2. This means they have read it carefully. Not skimmed it or relied on summaries, but actually read the primary source documents in detail\u00a0and engaged with its structure and concepts. Reading WCAG is both difficult and easy,\u00a0as it is filled with\u00a0threshold concepts<\/a>.\u00a0This means some topics are\u00a0counter-intuitive\u00a0at\u00a0first\u00a0but after some study, they make\u00a0sense.<\/p>\n For example, the\u00a0WCAG 2\u2019s\u00a0concept\u00a0of\u00a0\u201caccessibility supported\u201d<\/a>\u00a0is fundamental to\u00a0becoming fluent with these standards.\u00a0\u00a0Accessibility supported is one of the five requirements to being WCAG 2 conformant<\/a>.\u00a0A WCAG conformant web presence is not simply focused on the techniques of how\u00a0an\u00a0interface\u00a0is built, it\u2019s also\u00a0compatible\u00a0with the\u00a0browsers and\u00a0assistive technologies people with disabilities in\u00a0your communities rely on\u00a0to access\u00a0your\u00a0web\u00a0content.\u00a0\u00a0Assistive technologies include screen readers, screen magnifiers, or buttons\u00a0affixed to users wheelchairs.\u00a0This involves engaging\u00a0with your communities to understand what assistive technologies are being used.\u00a0This is not an easy point to nail down\u00a0because assistive technologies vary\u00a0considerably.\u00a0To get a sense of the\u00a0wonderful\u00a0complexity, read the section\u00a0Levels of Assistive Technology Support Needed for \u2018Accessibility Support\u2019<\/a>.<\/p>\n Another threshold concept arises because\u00a0people have a tendency to over rely\u00a0on\u00a0automated evaluation tools\u00a0to\u00a0solve\u00a0our\u00a0problems.\u00a0\u00a0The \u201cUnderstanding WCAG 2.0: A guide to understanding and implementing Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0<\/a>\u201d states \u201cwhile some of the testing can be automated using software evaluation programs, others require human testers for part or all of the test.\u201d\u00a0A classic\u00a0example\u00a0is\u00a0of the\u00a0alternative\u00a0text that accompanies an\u00a0HTML\u00a0image.\u00a0 It\u2019s not enough for\u00a0some alternative text\u00a0to be present. The requirement is\u00a0that\u00a0\u201cAll non-text content that is presented to the user has a text alternative that serves the\u00a0equivalent purpose<\/b><\/a>\u201d\u00a0(emphasis added). Determining that the text is equivalent to the image in its context means that someone has\u00a0to\u00a0compare both image and the alternative text.<\/p>\n I\u2019m constantly\u00a0reading and learning. I also realize that learning involves making mistakes and acknowledging I don\u2019t know something.<\/p>\n So what\u2019s a practical step for moving forward? My suggestion is to form a WCAG\u00a0\u00a0reading group\u00a0to carefully study\u00a0the official document (e.g., WCAG 2.0)<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0the official supporting documents<\/a>. I have formed a WCAG\u00a0study\u00a0group through the Canadian Association of Professional Academic Librarians. We host monthly meetings that focus on WCAG, have enrichment discussions on related subjects, and recently hosted a public service webinar by WCAG 2.0 co-editor\u00a0Gregg Vanderheiden<\/a>\u00a0for Global Accessibility Awareness Day.\u00a0 Members also went on WCAG road trip to Toronto and met at the\u00a0Accessibility Conference at the University of Guelph<\/a>.<\/p>\n I also hosted a WCAG 2 summer reading camp for members of the Ontario Council of University Libraries, and I\u2019ve formed an international correspondence group to get broader perspectives\u00a0on WCAG.\u00a0 My hope is to help people\u00a0feel\u00a0more comfortable reading and discussing the official documents.<\/p>\n Through these activities,\u00a0people\u00a0have\u00a0indicated they would like to be part of a WCAG learning network.\u00a0 If you would like\u00a0join a reading group, start one, or contribute to the broader WCAG learning network,\u00a0please email me at\u00a0mweiler@wlu.ca.<\/p>\n Ultimately, I think WCAG is about helping organizations create a web that treats people with disabilities with dignity.\u00a0 Organizations that can’t do this have a problem, a disability if you will. In this regard, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines is an\u00a0assistive technology that organizations\u00a0should invest in learning.<\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n Mark Weiler is the Web and User Experience Librarian at Wilfrid Laurier University. He is a certified Web Accessibility Specialist through the International Association of the Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) and a member of the IAAP’s Organizational Development Committee. He completed his MLIS at the University of Western Ontario. Mark has given testimony to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy, and Ethics. He completed his PhD from Simon Fraser University and served on the Board of Directors for the BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Does your library have a web presence or provide access to electronic resources? Do you use digital software to deliver services?\u00a0 If so, it\u2019s important that you learn about the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. This article will help you get started. 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