Web Presentation Guide 5.1
Accessibility

Action
Follow the Washington State Accessibility Guidelines as you create, update, redesign or replace your Web site or web-based application.

Why
The state of Washington is committed to providing access to Web-based information and services to the public and employees, including individuals with disabilities.

What/How
Accessibility for individuals with disabilities is a worldwide best practice. The Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Standards and the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide guidelines and best practices for procuring, creating, and maintaining Accessible information technology.

Agencies should implement the following Section 508 Standards and World Wide Web (W3C) Guidelines to provide equal access to information technology for employees and the public, including individuals with disabilities:

Guideline	Section Overview
Section 508 Subpart A 1194.1 Purpose 1194.2 Application 1194.3 General exceptions 1194.4 Definitions 1194.5 Equivalent facilitation	An overview of Section 508, its purpose, application, exceptions to the standards, and definitions.
Section 508 Subpart B 1194.21 Software applications and operating systems	Software applications and operating systems, technical standards and program features.
1194.22 Web-based intranet and Internet information and applications Note: This subsection will be superseded by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 when the WCAG 2.0 are adopted as a W3C Recommendation.	Web-based content including: Web sites, Web-based applications, and Web-based service delivery.
1194.24 Video and multimedia products	Multimedia based training, informational video and multimedia productions; close-captioning, alternate text presentations, and more.
Section 508 Subpart D 1194.41 - Information, documentation, and support	End-user documentation and alternative formats.

 

Checklist: Accessibility

	Topic	Complete
a.	Use the Washington State Accessibility Guidelines to plan and develop accessible Web sites and software applications.
b.	Implement the Section 508 Standards and WCAG Guidelines and to provide accommodation for various types of disabilities.
c.	Test and make modifications as needed with an accessibility evaluation and repair tool. Use assistive technology tools and invite an individual with a disability to participate when possible.
d.	Test for usability and invite individuals to participate, including those with disabilities.
e.	Acquire additional accessibility training as needed.

 

Resources: Accessibility Training and Tools

WebAIM – Web Accessibility in Mind	Provides a variety of tips and techniques for accessible design.
Effective Color Contrast	Provides basic guidelines for making effective color choices
Making Text Legible: Designing for People with Partial Sight	Basic guidelines for making effective legibility choices
Vischeck	Colorblindness information and evaluation tool
Create Accessible PDFs	Information and resources to help you create accessible Adobe® Acrobat® Portable Document Format (PDF) files
508 Universe	Section 508 Standards and online training
Curriculum for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0	Training available online or in a downloadable format for W3C Guidelines
Washington Assistive Technology Alliance	Provides information and training via a University of Washington program
W3C list of Evaluation and Repair tools	Large selection of 3rd party products and solutions.
A-Prompt Tool Kit	Evaluation and repair tool.
The Wave	Evaluation tool.
MAGpie	Synchronized text generator for multimedia files
Dreamweaver by Macromedia	Development, validation tools and training

Related Guide Topics:

• Usability
• Image design