Kara Zirkle, IT
Accessibility
Coordinator
Liz Miller, Accessible
Media Coordinator
Roles and Responsibilities:
How can you be responsible for
Accessibility?
Company
LOGO
Kara Zirkle and Liz Miller, George Mason University - Assistive Technology Initiative (ATI)
A Collaborative Project…
Office of
Disability
Services
Learning
Services
Equity Office
ATI
Environmental Health
& Safety
Kellar
Institute
Information
Technology
Unit
University
Libraries
ATI Services…
Informal
Assistive
Technology
Assessments
Provision of
Accessible
Text
Services
Assistive
Technology
Labs
Technical
Assistance
for ITU and
Library
personnel
on ATrelated
issues
Section
508/Web
Accessibility
Training and
Support
Events Change,
People Transition
 The issue is not so much “change” as it is
“transition”
 To be a positive force, change must involve
transition
 Understanding the human side of change
is vital
 The process is more about helping people
move and grow than altering events
W. Bridges (1993, 2003); B. Ehren (2005)
4
Things to consider throughout the
presentation based upon your role ..
 Legal
Rights & Responsibilities
Considerations
in Transition . . .
 Strategic Planning
 Training
 Campus Resources
 Advocacy and Support
 Technology and Universal Design
Rehabilitation Act
Law
Applies to
Mandates
Section 504
Federal, State and Local
government, Educational
agencies, Companies
(Corporate – Private),
any facility receiving
Federal funds
No otherwise qualified individual with a disability
shall, solely by reason of his/ her disability, be
excluded from the participation in, be denied the
benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under
any program or activity of a public entity.
Section 508
Federal entities and
States that have adopted
similar regulations
Requires that any electronic and information
technology (EIT) procured, developed, used or
maintained by Federal agencies must be accessible
to employees and members of the public with
disabilities, unless an undue burden would be
imposed on the agency. Section 508 was enacted
to: 1) eliminate barriers in information technology,
2) make available new opportunities for people with
disabilities, and 3) encourage development of
technologies that will help achieve these goals.
What is included in
Section 508?
…. Electronic and Information Technology

1194.21 Software Applications and Operating
Systems

1194.22 Web-Based Intranet and Internet
Information and Applications

1194.23 Telecommunications Products (If it is a
Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) or software
then it may also include 1194.21 and/or 1194.22)

1194.24 Video and Multimedia Products (If
implemented on the web will also require 1194.22)
508 Continued …..
 1194.25 Self Contained and Closed Products (Ex:
Copiers, Fax and Kiosks)
 1194.26 Desktop and Portable Computers
 1194.31 Functional Performance Criteria (Must be
accessible with assistive technology)
 1194.41 Information, Documentation and Support
(Must also be accessible)
**Section 508 only applies to
visual, hearing and mobility impairments**
What could I be
responsible for?
• Websites
depends
on the Author/Developer
•It
Online
Documents
• Videos (both online and played in class)
• Telecommunication
• Applications (used in the classroom
setting, taught and/or purchased
applications)
•Printers (Pay for Print), Kiosks
•IT web and application development
services
Things to ask yourself or know
about your University or College …
1.
2.
Does the University or Agency fall under
Section 508 or W3C
regulations?
(Someif the
What
happens
states are beginning to adopt similar
author/developer
is
external
to
the
regulations to the federal Government. See
University?
where you stand:
http://accessibility.gtri.gatech.edu/sitid/stateL
awAtGlance.php.)
Is there mention of accessibility in the
contract/RFP or service? (NOTE: The state
does not have to have regulations adopted in
order for accessibility language to be
included)
How Mason is involved
Virginia has state-specific laws governing
the accessibility of government created and
procured technology (Code of Virginia § 2.22012 "Procurement of Information
Technology", Code of Virginia § 2.2-3500
"Information Technology Access Act", Code
of Virginia § 51.5-1 "Virginians with
Disabilities Act"). These have been put into
state-wide standards for Universities and
agencies, which can be found on the VITA
website:
http://www.vita.virginia.gov/library/default.as
px?id=663
Mason Policy Examples
 We've added web accessibility/Section 508 into the
Architecture Standards Committee:
http://ascreview.gmu.edu/ which drafted Policy
1307, where any technology or development of
technology over the cost of $2K is supposed to be
submitted for review by the board.
 The University Information Technology Accessibility
Policy 1308 is specific to web accessibility.
 Recently – by working with the Web Team we have
also drafted policy that will later include any
technology or development of technology below the
cost of $2K to be submitted for review by the team in
which accessibility is included.

To view Policies please visit: http://universitypolicy.gmu.edu/
If the state has not yet adopted
accessibility regulations, it does not
mean you’re off the hook!
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Rather the accommodations need to be worked out with the
Office of Disability Services or American with Disabilities Act
Office.
For example: If an individual with a disability is required to use
an inaccessible technology in order to complete desired work,
an accommodation must be made.
This could be anything from a visually impaired students using
an inaccessible software for Distant Education classes, to an IT
class learning how to use wikis and requiring students to use 1
of 3, none of which are accessible rather than allowing the
student to choose an accessible version of their choice.
All rules and regulations from Section 504 now apply.
Does the University or agency fall
under Section 508 or W3C
regulations?
A PERFECT example: National Federation of the Blind files
Complaint against Penn State, November 2010 resolved Oct.
2011
Things to think about if the state has adopted
accessibility regulations ………….
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When were the regulations put in place? (Is there a
timeline for accessibility changes to be made?)
When were products purchased before or after
regulations were in place and what can you do about it?
Do you know about resources available on your campus
or if other offices/departments are working towards
accessibility?
What additional rights do the students have if technology
isn’t accessible?
Is there contract language in place stating that the
developer/vendor must meet standards and regulations?
Is there policy stating new standards and regulations are
in place and must be met? If so, were they referenced?
Does the University or agency fall
under Section 508 or W3C
regulations?
What do you do if you’re looking to
purchase or use a 3rd party application or
website?
 Review the contract – is there any mention of
accessibility?
 Try contacting the company and asking if they know what
accessibility and compliance standards are. (Voluntary
Product Accessibility Template - VPAT)
 Example statement: “If you work with us now to make the
necessary changes, it will help beat competition later
because standards are met.”
 Work with other Universities, Agencies or like companies
and form user groups to keep a list of problems and
contact the vendor as a group. Power in Numbers!
 Are you or your college a member of EduCause? If so
join the ITACCESS Group:
http://www.educause.edu/groups/itaccess
Internal Responsibility
 Teaching Faculty and Staff
Now to internal responsibility
 Administration Offices
 IT Professionals
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Managers
Developers
 Procurement/Purchasing
Administration – It is easier when
it starts from the top down
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President’s Office
Provost’s Office
Senior Vice President’s Office
Deans and Directors
President’s Council
Admissions and Registrars
Human Resources and Payroll
University Relations/Policy
Fiscal Services
EVERYONE is involved and ANYONE can be effected!
Most common barriers:
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University wide Applications
HR paperwork and application
Admissions applications and paperwork
Procurement/Contract language
Overall Higher Administration Support
Department/Organizational Websites
Roles and Responsibilities: How are you involved with accessibility?
Do you use a Learning Management
System (LMS)?
Do you design or post documents of
videos on the web?
Do you use technology for your
class assignments?
Are you the author of a book used
in class?
Do you use visuals in the classroom
that give important info pertaining
to the class?
Do you use webinars, other
classroom capture or conference
technology?
Roles and Responsibilities: How are you involved with accessibility?
Do you influence or decide on
technology purchases?
Do you develop websites,
applications or documents?
Do you oversee computer
classroom settings?
Do you manage others who may
work on the above mentioned?
Do you work in multimedia or
telecommunications?
Do you use or help faculty use
webinars, other classroom capture
or conference technology?
If you answered “Yes” to any of these
questions, you may be …..
•
•
•
•
•
Posting,
Distributing,
Creating/Developing,
Using,
Maintaining ……
Inaccessible material!!
Roles and Responsibilities: How are you involved with accessibility?
Is there accessibility language
included in contracts?
Are vendors required to provide
documentation on accessibility?
EX: VPAT
Is there an Accessibility Specialist
that is included in review of all
purchased technology?
Is there a Committee or Group that
oversees projects and reviews for
Accessibility? If so, do you get feed
back from them?
If you answered “No” to any of these
questions, you may be allowing
inaccessible products to be …..
•
•
•
•
Purchased,
Developed,
Maintained,
Used ……
By individuals with disabilities
Web Accessibility
Examples of design requirements for
people with different kinds of disabilities
include:
 Visual:
 described graphics or video;
 well marked-up tables or frames;
 keyboard support, screen reader compatibility;
 Hearing:
 captioning for audio, supplemental illustration;
 Physical, Speech:
 keyboard or single-switch support;
 alternatives for speech input on voice portals;
 Cognitive, Neurological:
 consistent navigation, tab order, appropriate language level;
 illustration; no flickering or strobing designs.
Impacts of the web
on accessibility
 The Web has become a key resource for:
 classroom education, distance learning,
 job searching, workplace interaction,
 civic participation, government services,
 news, information, commerce, entertainment,
 It is displacing traditional sources of information and
interaction - schools, libraries, print materials, discourse of the
workplace;
 some of the traditional resources were accessible; some
not.
 An accessible Web means unprecedented access to
information for people with disabilities.
Impacts of the Web on Disabilities
How to Ensure Accessibility and
Compliance
Administration, Purchasing/Procurement, Program
Managers and IT
 Building the accessibility requirements early into the
project
 GSA Buy Accessible Wizard
http://www.buyaccessible.gov/
 Section 508/Accessibility Trainings
 Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT)
 Policy or other documentation providing Accessibility
requirements.
Accessibility Tools
For Faculty/Staff, Developers, Webmasters
and Content Reviewers
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•
Illinois Accessible Web Publishing Wizard for Microsoft Office
Adobe Professional v. 8.0 or higher
NetCentric
• CommonLook Section 508 Adobe Plug-In
• PDF Accessibility Wizard (PAW)
DeQue – WorldSpace, Ramp and UnDoc
HiSoftware – AccMonitor Accessibility Module
SSBBartGroup – Accessibility Management Platform
CourseAvenue
Multimedia, Radio and Television
Faculty/Staff and Students
Free Captioning Tools
•MAGpie
•Subtitle Workshop
•Captionate (For Flash)
•World Caption (Mac)
•CapScribe (Mac)
•dotSub
•SubTitle Horse
•CaptionTube
•Overstream
•vSync Bookmarklet
•Easy YouTube Caption Creator
Cost Captioning Tools
•DocSoft
•AutomaticSync
•Dragon Naturally Speaking
•MovCaptioner (Mac)
Audio Description
•Avoid the need for audio description
where possible, by assuring that all
important information is communicated
visually and audibly.
•Adding more descriptive text into your
monologue helps to not require audio
description.
Free Web Accessibility
Tools and Validators
• Web Accessibility Toolbar
• WAVE (This also comes as a Firefox Extention)
• Deque WorldSpace
• Functional Accessibility Evaluator (FAE)
• HiSoftware Cynthia Says
• Total Validator
• Paciello Group WAT
• Web Accessibility Inspector
Universal Design
Universal Design –
Everyone Benefits
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Accessible Web design contributes to better design for other users:
Multi-modality (support for visual, auditory, tactile access) benefits users of:
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mobile phones with small display screens, Web-TV, kiosks.
Multi-modality increases usability of Web sites in different situations:
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low bandwidth (images are slow to download);
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noisy environments (difficult to hear the audio);
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screen-glare (difficult to see the screen);
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driving (eyes and hands are "busy").
Redundant text/audio/video can support:
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different learning styles; low literacy levels; second-language access.
Style sheets can support:
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more efficient page transmission and site maintenance.
Captioning of audio files supports:
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better machine indexing of content; faster searching of content.
Universal Design
Techniques
Physical
Technological
Ramps
Ergonomic Mice & Keyboards
Automatic Doors
Larger Computer Monitors (21” +)
Ergonomic Workstations
Accessible Telephones
Door/Sink Handles
Accessible Websites
Interior Design
Transcripts
Accessible ATMs/Vending Machines
Closed Captions
Adjustable Chairs
Accessible Printers/Copiers
Literature Available in Alternative
Formats
Bundled Software
Light Switches
Accessible Documents, Fillable Forms
Universal Design
 Built-in tools – PC & Mac,
Firefox Browser
 Audio Books & e-Books
 Bundled tools – Premier
& TextHelp
 Livescribe Pulse Pen
 Inspiration –
Webspiration
 Docsoft
 Web
Built-in tools
 PC
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Keyboard shortcuts
Magnifier
Contrast settings
Narrator
On screen keyboard
Mouse keys, filter keys, sticky keys
Dictionary, thesaurus, spelling
/grammar check
Ease of Access Center
Speech recognition
Text size
Touch
 Mac
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Keyboard shortcuts
Magnification
Contrast settings
VoiceOver
Mouse Keys, Slow Keys, Sticky
Keys
Text to speech
Talking calculator & clock
On screen keyboard
Inkwell
Dictionary, thesaurus, spelling
/grammar check, word completion
Speech recognition
Image from - http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/
Adobe Reader &
Acrobat
 “Read Out Loud”
Firefox
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Some accessibility features are
dependent on the version of Firefox
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Free accessibility add-ons
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Firefox Accessibility Extension
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Glazoom – magnifier
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No color
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N-Abled Web Accessibility Toolbar
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Page Zoom Buttons
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Extensions for Firefox:
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Fire Vox – screen reader
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MozBraille – screen reader (beta
at present, not yet fully accessible
– plans to offer Braille, text to
speech and magnified output)
Bundled tools
 TextHelp Read & Write
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PC and Mac versions
Reading and writing tools
Helpful for ESL
MP3 creation
Voice recognition
Research tools
Inspiration-like tool
DAISY Reader
Livescribe Pulse Pen
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Smartpen records and links audio
to what you write, so you never
miss a word during lectures or
meetings.
Pen can be docked to computer
and notes downloaded to
computer (“LiveScribe Desktop”)
MyScript software converts
handwritten notes into digital text
2 GB, 4GB and 8 GB models
 Paper can now be printed on
LaserJet printers
 Cost: $100 - $200 (2GB-8GB)
Photo taken from http://www.livescribe.com.
Inspiration – Mind Mapping
Image from http://www.mywebspiration.com/examples
Docsoft – ATI’s
Captioning Project
 Closed captioning
 Transcription
 Synchronization
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Hearing Impairments – access
Comprehension, visual learners
Those who have difficulty with note taking
ESL
Beginnings
 Working closely with
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University libraries
Distance Education
Office of Disability
Services
 Best practices for
faculty & instructional
designers:
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Pick legal media
Pick the most
accessible option first
Provide supporting
materials
Turn on Closed
Captions
Process
 Online request system
 Research
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Library & copyright info
Online searches
 NCH software
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Prism Video File Converter
SoundTap Streaming Audio
Recorder
Debut Video Capture
Golden Videos
Flash Lynx Video Download
Software Professional
 (Vendors for video
description)
 Docsoft
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Docsoft:AV
Docsoft:TE
 Proofing &
troubleshooting
Delivery
 Links to captioned
videos – using a thirdparty web hosting
server
 Issues with Windows
Media, QuickTime,
Flash servers
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 Folder with asx, smil,
wmv and transcript
files - SkyDrive,
email, flashdrives, or
DVDs
Consistency
Files not able to be
housed in the same
location
 Still working on
solution for Macs
Progress
 Accommodations
 Pilot project – Summer
2011/Fall 2011
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Training with 2 graduate
student assistants
1 Instructional Designer
for Distance Education
YouTube
Recordings from our TV
station
Other
 iTunes U
 Promotional materials
on Mason website,
YouTube & Vimeo
 Distance Education
 Issues:
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Video Description
Delivery of projects
Copyrighted materials –
especially large files
Timing and clean up
Universal Design
is also about
 Learning & Teaching Styles
 Awareness & Attitudes
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Equitable use
Flexibility in use
Simple and intuitive
Perceptible information
Tolerance for error
Low physical effort
Size and space for approach and use
QUESTIONS??
Web and Software Accessibility and other E&IT:
Kara Zirkle, IT Accessibility Coordinator, phone:703-993-9815 or
kzirkle1@gmu.edu
Assistive Technology Initiative
Accessible Media and Alternative Text (electronic, Braille, large print, etc.):
Liz Miller, Accessible Media Coordinator, phone: 703-993-4372 or
emillerf@gmu.edu
George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, MSN 6A11,
Aquia Building, Room 238, Fairfax, VA 22030
Phone: 703-993-4329 Fax: 703-993-4743 ati@gmu.edu Website:
http://ati.gmu.edu
PowerPoint may be downloaded at:
http://webaccessibility.gmu.edu/accessibility_training