Information and Guidance on the
Americans with Disabilities Act

Summer 2002
Volume 6, Number 3

This Issue Highlights Accessible Information Technology

What's Inside?

Feature Story: Universal Design and Disability Access to the Web

Project Director's Report
DOJ Update
Access Board News
Employment Update
Regional News
Publications
Frequently Asked Questions
Great Web Sites
Events and Announcements

FEATURE STORY

Universal Design and Disability Access to the Web

As the importance of the Internet increases, so does the need to make its content available to more diverse audiences. These audiences use a variety of technologies to access the Web, ranging from traditional browsers on desktop computers to portable, hand-held devices, cell phones and hands-free devices.

The need to accommodate these users through more universal Web design strategies grows with every new technology that is introduced. Web developers who ignore the emerging trend toward multiple-environment Internet access will be left to lament their inability to reach important segments of the population.

One segment that will benefit from universal design is the disability community. Unfortunately, not enough attention is given to the principles of universal Web design to provide individuals with disabilities with the same standard of access to the Internet as the rest of the population.

Although the problem of Web inaccessibility may be most poignant to the disability community, it won't be long before those without disabilities begin to complain that their favorite Web site is inaccessible from a cell phone or another device.

Reasons For Focus On Universal Usability

Recent laws have mandated that some telecommunication products be made more accessible for people with disabilities. Section 255 of the Telecommunication Act requires manufacturers of telecommunications products and services to make their products accessible to people with disabilities where it is "readily achievable." Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires the federal government to purchase electronic and information technologies where it is not an "undue burden," thus making accessibility commercially advantageous.

In addition to government action, the rapid increase in individuals who are older provides a market "pull" toward more accessible products. Functional limitations increase as we age. Many of these limitations deal with vision, hearing and physical abilities, which can directly affect product usability and which can be affected by product design.

According to Gregg Vanderheiden of the Trace Research & Development Center, "People with disabilities are a valuable stress test for flexibility and adaptability. Many times a design feature - which only comes to notice when it blocks access for blind or deaf users - is actually silently degrading the usability of the interface for many other people, without the developer even knowing it."

Because of the multimedia nature of the Web many Internet surfers cannot use the full range of resources it provides.

Some visitors:

• Cannot see graphics because of visual impairments.
• Cannot hear audio because of hearing impairments.
• Use slow connections and modems or older equipment that cannot download large files.
• Have difficulty navigating sites that are poorly organized with unclear directions because they have learning disabilities, speak English as a second language, or are younger than the average user.

Some people use assistive technology with their computer to access the Web. For example, a person who is blind may use a speech output system that reads screen text aloud. A person with a mobility impairment may not be able to use a mouse and therefore must rely on the keyboard for Web browsing.

Another major force has been the rise of mobile computing, which has resulted in the need to design products that are usable in a very wide range of environments and circumstances. It is also resulting in information systems that are being accessed by people using a very wide range of technologies, from audio-only phones to small resolution displays to high-speed, high-resolution workstations.

The Need for Better Accessibility

The Internet may well be both the present and the future of modern computing, communication, commerce, information access, education, employment opportunity and entertainment. Government agencies make publications available online. Universities sponsor online classes that can be taken from any location in the world. In some cities and towns you can pay your parking ticket fines through the Web.

For individuals with disabilities, the inaccessibility of Web sites is a major disadvantage. Students with disabilities are frustrated that many of their classes have online content that they cannot access. They tire of requiring the assistance of friends or volunteers simply to get to the course syllabus or lecture notes. Consumers with disabilities are frustrated they cannot make online purchases. Many individuals with disabilities simply avoid the Internet because of the frustrations caused by inaccessible Web sites.

The irony is that the Internet represents solutions for individuals with disabilities. With screen readers, for example, blindness is no longer a barrier to newspapers, magazines and other printed materials. When the materials reside in a digital format on the Internet, the potential exists for nearly complete equality of access. Knowing the potential of the Internet only exacerbates the frustrations of those who cannot access its content. The good news is that the solutions are not as difficult as they might seem. Some accessibility solutions require more time and effort than others, but the transition of web pages from inaccessible to accessible does not usually require a complete overhaul of a site.

Current Solutions

The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has guidelines for Web accessibility as it pertains to content, authoring tools and browsers, which are available on the WAI web site. Although it is difficult to control for the capabilities of either the browser or the authoring tool, Web developers do have control over the way they design and present content.

Here are a few suggestions to help ensure web accessibility:

• Images & Animations: Use the ALT (for alternative text) attribute to describe the function of each visual.
• Image Maps: Use client-side image maps and identify hotspots with text.
• Multimedia: Provide captioning and transcripts of audio, and descriptions of video.
• Hypertext Links: Use link text that makes sense when read out of context. For example, avoid "click here."
• Page Organization: Use headings, lists, and consistent structure. Use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) for layout and style where possible.
• Graphs & Charts: Summarize or use the LONGDESC (for long description) attribute.
• Scripts, Applets, & Plug-ins: Provide alternative content in case active features are inaccessible or unsupported.
• Frames: Use the NOFRAMES (to allow access for browsers that do not support frames) element and a meaningful title for each frame.
• Tables: Make sure that line-by-line reading is sensible. Summarize what the table contains.
• Check your work. Validate. Use tools, checklist, and guidelines at http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG.

Universal Design

Designing accessible Web sites can seem like a daunting task. The truth is that Web developers who design with accessibility in mind are often able to improve their Web sites for all users, and not just for those users who have disabilities. It is here that the concept of universal design becomes important, especially when we take into account current and future technologies that will stretch the limits of conventional Web wisdom.

Improving a site's accessibility for individuals who are blind also improves its accessibility to individuals who access the Web in environments that prohibit visual web surfing, such as while in a car. Improving a site's accessibility for individuals who do not have use of their hands also improves its accessibility for individuals who must use their hands for other things while accessing the Web. The knowledge of how to make sites accessible is available. It is just a matter of using it. The first step is often the one we resist most.

Sources

1. Universal Design and Disability Access to the Web, Paul Bohman, Web Accessibility in Mind, http://www.webaim.org/articles/webnet2000
2. Fundamental Principles and Priority Setting for Universal Usability, Gregg Vanderheiden, Ph.D., Trace Research & Development Center, http://trace.wisc.edu/docs/fundamental_princ_and_priority_acmcuu2000/index.htm
3. World Wide Access: Accessible Web Design, DO-IT, University of Washington, http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Technology/universal.design.html
4. The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), http://www.w3.org/WAI/

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PROJECT DIRECTOR'S REPORT

A Great Challenge and A Great Opportunity: Student Diversity and Accessible Information Technology

We are living in a time when educating students presents both a great challenge and a great opportunity. Recent K-12 federal policy states that the great challenge is to 'not leave any child behind' www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/esea. The increased diversity of American classrooms includes larger numbers of students with disabilities in K-12 and in higher education. Students eligible for special education services in K-12 grew from 8.5% in 1977-1978 to 13% in 1999-2000 (American Institute for Research).

Correspondingly, the number of college freshmen who self-report the presence of a disability rose from 2.3% in 1978 to 9.8% in l998 (Henderson, 1999). Higher education is also grappling with a wider range of students with disabilities, of which learning disabilities represents an astonishing 41%. After a decade of expanding budgets, most K-12 and post-secondary schools are reeling from budget constraints and, in many settings, increased demands to meet standards of accountability. The great challenge is to help all students with how they process, organize and transmit information and ultimately acquire knowledge.

A great opportunity lies in utilizing the potential of technology for addressing diverse learning needs. With the developments in information technology and the increasing digitalization of the curriculum, teachers have the opportunity to offer even more flexibility in tailoring instruction to diverse learning needs. In order to be present to both the challenge and opportunity in education, we must provide equality of access to information technology and the educational curriculum to students.

This issue of Access New England focuses on accessible and universally designed information technology. The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) has expanded the scope of work for the New England & Accessible IT Center to promote awareness of accessible and universally designed information technology in education. The educational entities that we will provide training and assistance to include elementary, secondary, & post-secondary, as well as adult education.

Universal design is the design of products, environments, and information to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without adaptation or specialized design. Universal design anticipates diversity among potential users and among potential circumstances of use. Accessible design focuses on making products, environments, and information more usable by people with disabilities. Both universal design and accessible IT build accessible features into their products right from the start. Both universal design and accessible IT are distinct from assistive technology (AT) in that assistive technologies are typically products designed to meet the needs of people with specific disabilities.

Assistive technology is critically necessary for some students but not reasonable as a sole focus of educational technology for diverse students. By starting with universally designed technology, fewer students will need assistive technology and compatibility is assured for those that do. For students, including economically disadvantaged students, students from many racial and ethnic groups, and students with limited English proficiency, universally designed technology delivers the extraordinary asset of customizable information for improved academic achievement. Given the rapid proliferation of information technology in education, it is urgently important to choose universal design and not create unnecessary barriers that will need to be overcome down the road.

As with any idea pitched to an overburdened audience, success in promoting accessible and universally designed information technology (IT) demands usable and pertinent information that is easy to find. Fortunately, NIDRR funded a national center, AccessIT at the University of Washington, to assist regional ADA and Accessible IT centers with materials to help us with our mission of informing educational entities about accessible IT. You may visit the website (www.washington.edu/accessit) yourself and learn more about education based information technology. You will find articles, examples of policy, clarification about legal obligations, and information about specific technology and practices.

Another resource that has just been published is a book by CAST Co-Directors David Rose and Anne Meyer entitled Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning. This book addresses the concept of universal design and the practical application of universal design for learning.

Why should any student, parent, teacher, administrator, library media specialist, or techie care about accessible information technology? There are several reasons. First, making information available to students with disabilities is the law. There are federal laws that generally apply to making information technology accessible:

• The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendments of 1997 sets a national agenda for K-12 students with disabilities and hold teachers accountable for ensuring that these students demonstrate progress within the general education curriculum. The amendments indicate that high expectations and attention to access within the general curriculum are critical for improving outcomes for students with disabilities.

• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires that persons with disabilities have access to programs, activities and services receiving federal financial assistance. This covers most public K-12 and post-secondary institutions.

• The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ensures that qualified persons with disabilities have access to the programs and activities and services of the K-12 and post-secondary institutions. In addition, a public entity must provide equally effective communications ensuring that its communications with individuals with disabilities are as effective as communications with others.

• Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1998 requires that the federal government purchase electronic & information technology that is accessible.

• Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act requires that anyone producing telecommunications products or services must design these to be accessible.

Second, there's the simple argument that technology offers an efficient solution to complex challenges. In Massachusetts, students with disabilities who have language difficulties (specifically reading and writing) can now take the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) on the computer.

There is a dawning national awareness of the opportunity that technology represents for students with disabilities. The Instructional Materials Accessibility Act of 2002 (H.R. 4582 and S. 2246) sponsored by Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd, would create an efficient system for acquiring and distributing instructional materials in a variety of formats, including Braille, synthesized speech, digital text, digital audio, and large print. If the legislation is enacted, states and local school districts receiving federal funding would have two years to make sure visually impaired students can access all educational materials at the same time as their peers. (E-School News, April 30).

Educators would have help from textbook publishers, who would be required to submit electronic files of all textbooks according to a national standard, making it easier for schools to convert instructional materials into accessible formats.

And finally, why should any student, parent, teacher, administrator, library media specialist, or techie care about universally designed information technology? Because diversity among learners is the norm, not special or rare. Universally designed information technology makes it possible to embrace that reality simply and efficiently by allowing each learner to get the information needed in the ways that are most conducive to learning. Ultimately, universally designed IT provides the most inclusive framework for what the design world refers to as user centered Information Technology.

Upon closer examination, one can see that paying attention to this issue now benefits teachers, students, school budgets & ultimately society, in the future. A major assumption of universal design is if it works well for a person with a disability it works better for everyone. We must take the opportunity to utilize existing technologies and provide equal opportunity for a lifetime.

To become effective information users, all students regardless of ability and economic status, must have frequent opportunities to handle all kinds of information. Locating, interpreting, analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating, and communicating information has become a part of every subject across the curriculum. By mastering information problem-solving skills, students will be ready for an information-based society and a technological workplace. The New England ADA & Accessible IT Center will provide the technical assistance, resources and the training needed to meet this great challenge and opportunity to promote accessible and universally designed information technology in educational settings and beyond.

Wholeheartedly,
Oce Harrison, Project Director

Sources

American Institute for Research (March 2002). With Funding from the US Department of Education.

E-School News (April 30, 2002). New bill would give blind students equal access to textbooks.
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=39669

Henderson, C. (1999). College freshman with disabilities, statistical year 1998. Washington, DC. American Council on Education.

No Child Left Behind Act
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/esea/index.html

Rose, D. & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

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DOJ UPDATE

Law School Admission Council Settles Testing Discrimination Lawsuit

The Law School Admission Council (LSAC), the agency that administers the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), has agreed to revise its policies on test accommodations for persons with physical disabilities under a settlement agreement reached with the Department of Justice. The agreement was submitted to the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for approval.

The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit in 1999 alleging that the LSAC violated the ADA when it failed to provide reasonable test accommodations to four persons with physical disabilities to take the LSAT, a standardized test administered to those seeking admission to law school. Some of the applicants who have cerebral palsy and requested extra time to complete the examination because of the nature of their physical disabilities were asked by LSAC to undergo testing for learning disabilities.

Under the terms of the settlement, the LSAC will, among other things:

• Grant the requested test accommodation to candidates who have been granted the same or comparable accommodation on other standardized admission tests;
• Give considerable weight to the recommendation of the candidate's doctor or other evaluator;
• Ensure that LSAC does not require individuals to undergo diagnostic or functional tests that are unnecessary and/or not commonly utilized by the medical community; and
• Pay $20,000 to individuals harmed by LSAC's actions.

The agreement does not address LSAC's handling of requests of accommodations from persons with learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), psychological or psychiatric impairments, or other non-physical impairments. The Department will monitor LSAC's compliance of the agreement for five years.

SuperShuttle International To Improve Service For Travelers Using Wheelchairs

The Department of Justice and SuperShuttle International, Inc. have signed a settlement agreement designed to ensure that the nation's largest door-to-door airport shuttle company provides the same level of service to wheelchair users as it provides to the general public. This is the first agreement reached with a national company that provides transportation on demand. The Department opened a compliance review of SuperShuttle after receiving complaints against its Dallas/Fort Worth subsidiary for failing to provide accessible transportation. The settlement covers the company's facilities in Phoenix, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, Orange County, Baltimore, Washington, DC, New York City, Denver, Dallas/Fort Worth and Tampa Bay.

The settlement requires SuperShuttle to acquire additional accessible vehicles at its corporately owned facilities, to collect comparative data on the timeliness and quality of service, and to revisit with the Department after 18 months whether additional action is necessary in order to maintain an equivalent level of service for individuals who use wheelchairs. Under the agreement, the company will have two accessible vehicles at each location within a year, as well as standing subcontracts with accessible transportation providers to meet overflow demand. Additional vans and/or subcontracts may be required if a review of the data indicates that the traffic in any locality warrants such action.

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ACCESS BOARD NEWS

Senate Passes Voting Reform Measure; Bill Addresses Accessibility

On April 11, the Senate passed an election reform bill intended to prevent the type of ballot controversies that arose in the presidential election of 2000. The Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001establishes requirements for voting systems used in federal elections that would allow voters to verify and correct their selections before casting a ballot, remove language barriers, and permit provisional voting where eligible voters are not listed on official registration lists. The bill also contains key provisions on improving access to polling places and voting systems for persons with disabilities.

The bill requires that each voting system used in an election for federal office be accessible to persons with disabilities, including those with vision impairments, by January 1, 2006. Access is required so that persons with disabilities have the same opportunity for participation, including privacy and independence, afforded other voters. At least one voting system in each polling place would be required to be accessible. Most responsibilities of the bill would be assumed by a new independent entity, the Election Administration Commission. The Commission, in consultation with the Access Board, would be charged with issuing new standards for voting systems that would include provisions for accessibility.

The bill also authorizes $3.8 billion to fund several grant programs available to states and localities in meeting the new requirements, improving voting systems, and enhancing voter participation. The funds could be used toward the cost of making polling places and voting systems accessible and providing information on such access.

FEC Issues Updated Standards for Voting Systems

[ Source: Access Currents, Volume 8, No. 2 March/April 2002. ]

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EMPLOYMENT UPDATE

Seniority Given Precedence Over Disability Rights

On April 29th, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of US Airways v. Barnett, No. 00-1250, that an employer is not ordinarily required to suspend a valid seniority system in order to accommodate the need of a disabled worker for a transfer to another job. The 5-to-4 decision was a tentative victory for US Airways, which had invoked its seniority system to deny an injured baggage handler the right to stay in a less physically taxing mailroom job, where he had been temporarily assigned but for which he did not have seniority to remain.

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in San Francisco, originally ruled that the worker, Robert Barnett, was entitled to a trial on his claim that the airline had violated his rights. The appeals court said that the existence of a seniority system was merely "a factor" to consider in a case-by-case assessment of whether a proposed accommodation was reasonable.

In a decision vacating that ruling, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer said for the majority that seniority systems were entitled to greater weight because of the expectations of employees who had built their own career around a company seniority plan. "When disabled employees request new assignments to positions for which seniority would not otherwise entitle them, it will ordinarily be unreasonable for the assignment to prevail" unless the employee can show some "special circumstance," he said.

Breyer's opinion gave two examples: a seniority system in which the employer makes frequent, unilateral changes, leaving employees with reduced expectations that the system will be followed; and a system that already contains so many exceptions that "one further exception is unlikely to matter." By leaving the door open for employees to show why their needs should prevail in a particular case, the Supreme Court stopped short of adopting the airline's proposed rule, under which a seniority system would always trump a disabled employee's requested accommodation.

In contrast to the Ninth Circuit, all the other federal appeals courts to have considered the question had ruled that a seniority system always wins. One circuit court, the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, had gone further, holding that not only seniority but all other workplace rules trump a disabled worker's claim to accommodation. To that extent, the high court set a standard more favorable to the interests of disabled employees than had prevailed in much of the country.

US Airways' seniority system was devised by management, and was not part of a union's collective bargaining agreement. The court drew no direct distinction between the two situations, although the analysis made it somewhat more likely that a collectively bargained seniority system might be less open to challenge because employees can expect that it cannot be changed at the whim of management.

On June 10th, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously in the case of Chevron v. Echazabal, No. 00-1406 that employers may deny jobs to disabled workers who face serious risks to their own health or safety. The high court sided with Chevron in its interpretation of how the ADA applies to the workplace.

"A regulation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission authorizes refusal to hire an individual because his performance on the job would endanger his own health owing to a disability," Justice David Souter wrote for the court. Souter said the EEOC's regulation cannot be called unreasonable and does not allow the kind of workplace paternalism that the ADA was meant to outlaw.

The case involved Mario Echazabal, who began working in Chevron's oil refinery in El Segundo, CA, in 1972. He was employed by various maintenance contractors. In 1995, he applied to work directly for Chevron as a plant helper. The company rejected his job application after learning he had been diagnosed with a chronic form of hepatitis. Chevron also asked the contractor to remove Echazabal from the refinery on the grounds that his exposure to liver-toxic solvents and chemicals would make his disease worse and could even kill him. Echazabal sued, claiming Chevron had discriminated against him based on his disability.

The US Airways v. Barnett decision can be obtained at http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/00-1250.ZS.html. Chevron v. Echazabal can be obtained at http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/00-1406.ZS.html.

(Sources: "Seniority Upheld Against Disability Rights," Linda Greenhouse, The New York Times, April 30, 2002; and "Supreme Court: Disabled May Be Denied Risky Jobs," James Vicini, Reuters, June 10, 2002.)

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NEWS FROM THE CENTER

ADA Center Awards Incentive Grants

The New England ADA & Accessible IT Center is pleased to announce the recipients of our 2002 Incentive Grant awards. Awardees include: the ADA Coalition of Connecticut; Alpha One in South Portland, ME; the Cultural Access Consortium in Boston, MA; the Rhode Island Governor's Commission on Disabilities; the Vermont Center for Independent Living; and VSA arts of New Hampshire.

The incentive grant program is part of the ADA Center's capacity building goal. Six grants of $4,000 each have been awarded. This is an initiative to help support a regional collaboration between the ADA Center and the six new england states. Priorities established under the incentive grant program include:

1. Increase outreach and services to under-served populations (ethnic minorities, or individuals with mental health or cognitive disabilities);
2. Increase access to libraries;
3.
3. 4. Increase access to health care for individuals with disabilities

Projects must be completed by September 30, 2002.

ADA Center To Exhibit At Upcoming Events

• 9/5/02 - Access Expo of Northern New England - Center of New Hampshire - Manchester, NH
• 9/20-22/02 - Abilities Expo - Bayside Expo Center - Boston, MA
• 10/22/02 - CT Total Technology 2002 - Connecticut Expo Center - Hartford, CT
• 11/6-7/02 - Rhode Island Plant and Engineering - Rhode Island Convention Center - Providence, RI
• 11/8/02 - Assistive Technology: Access the Power - Crowne Plaza - Warwick, RI
• 11/12-14/02 - Build Boston - World Trade Center - Boston, MA

Audio Conferences Co-Sponsored By The ADA Center

The following audio conferences are a collaborative effort among eight regional ADA Centers.

• August 20 - Public Rights-of-Way
• September 17 - Accommodating Students with Psychiatric Disabilities in the Classroom

All audio sessions run from 2-3:00 pm EST. Cost per session is $60. Audio conference descriptions are available at http://www.adagreatlakes.org/training/schedule.htm. Contact: Kathy Gips at kgips@AdaptiveEnvironments.org or 800-949-4232 (v/tty).

Regional Advisory Board Members

The New England ADA & Accessible IT Center is pleased to announce the members of its new Regional Advisory Board. Their input and commitment greatly assists in carrying out the Center's mission. The members are:

Connecticut

Michelle Duprey, ADA Coordinator
City of New Haven

John Ficarro, Ph.D., Project Director
Connecticut Tech Act Project

Michael Kurs
Pullman & Comley, LLC

Suzanne Liquerman, ADA Coordinator & Disability Employment Specialist
Connecticut Department of Administrative Services

Candace Low, President
ADA Coalition of Connecticut (ADACC)

Maine

Kathy Powers
Maine Consumer Information and Technology Training Exchange (CITE)

Lisa Rouelle
Alpha One

Steve Tremblay, President
Alpha One

Massachusetts

Richard Arcangeli
Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission

Myra Berloff, Acting Director
Massachusetts Office on Disability

Menorca Collazo, Accessibility Coordinator
North Shore Career Center

William Kelley
Regional Assistive Technology Center

Kerim M. Munir, M.D., D.Sc.
Children's Hospital

Kathy Petkauskus, Executive Director
The Resource Partnership

Cathy Taylor, ADA Specialist
Cape Organization for Rights of the Disabled (CORD)

New Hampshire

Carol Nadeau, Executive Director
New Hampshire Governor's Commission on Disability

Therese Willkom, Ph.D., Executive Director
ATECH Services

Rhode Island

Bob Cooper, Executive Secretary
Rhode Island Governor's Commission on Disabilities

Vermont

James P. Dorsey
Vermont Department of Employment and Training

Deborah Lisi-Baker, Executive Director
Vermont Center for Independent Living (VCIL)

David Sagi, Regional Manager
Vocational Rehabilitation

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REGIONAL NEWS

Web Design That Works For Everyone

Web Design that Works for Everyone is a two-day conference being co-sponsored by Adaptive Environments Center and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). The conference will be held on Friday, October 18th and Saturday, October 19th at the RISD campus in Providence, RI. The first day will be plenary sessions focused on dialogue and the second day will feature hands-on sessions for learning practical tools for designing great websites that work for all users. Special guest Eric Velleman, Director of the Accessibility Foundation in the Netherlands and author of Site Seeing, a book about accessible web sites, will describe his foundation's national campaign advising corporations on web accessibility. Early bird conference rate is $300 for both days, $200 for one day.

This conference will explore the role of design as the key element in positive user experience. It starts with the premise that user diversity is a challenge worth embracing in order to reach an ever-expanding audience. Designers are entrusted with the responsibility to create design that expands their client's potential market. New tools and standards have been developed that overcome barriers to access, but attention to design has been limited. If the promise of accessible digital media is to be realized, it needs good designers. Only designers can reverse the impression of accessibility as uninteresting or inherently unattractive. Design matters more, not less, in digital media because its focus on the user demands it.

Rhode Island Workshops Focusing On Accessible IT

The National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) will be holding their annual conference in Providence, RI from July 26th - July 30th. Workshops and exhibits on accessible information technology and elections technology will be presented by the NE ADA & Accessible IT Center, the RI Governor's Commission on Disabilities and the American Association of People with Disabilities. The workshops will be a forum for Secretaries of State to showcase their efforts to include people with disabilities in government information services.

At the Annual Meeting of the RI Association of Librarians, June 7th, the Governor's Commission on Disabilities and the Ocean State Center for Independent Living presented a workshop "Tips on Serving Library Patrons with Disabilities." The presenters provided advice on how to improve services to library patrons with disabilities, gave a brief overview of federal and state disability rights laws, and toured library websites to explore their use by patrons with vision and other reading disabilities. The conference will be followed-up during the summer with four regional exhibits, allowing small groups of librarians hands-on experience with state-of-the-art accessible information technology.

Alpha One To Enhance Web Presence

Alpha One has been awarded an Independent Living Center (ILC) Base Grant of $2,600. The purpose of this grant is to support work that each ILC does around the Americans with Disabilities Act. In the past, Alpha One has used this money to fund activities such as training, staff development, or creating ADA promotional materials. This year this money will be expended on a project with long term, state-wide impact. Alpha One has decided to enhance its web presence by developing an access design space on its website. This space will feature information about where to go for answers to ADA and other access related questions. Features will include available resources, links, and an "Ask the Access Specialist" section for people to post their questions on line. The site will be updated as new information and resources become available. Watch for it on www.alphaonenow.com.

Vermont ADA Partnership Expands Accessibility Awareness

The Vermont ADA Coalition is helping the Vermont Center for Independent Living (VCIL) with several initiatives sponsored by the NE ADA & Accessible IT Center. This statewide group includes representatives of a variety of rights, disability and senior organizations and several state agencies working to expand awareness of the ADA and other civil rights laws. Recently Jay Moore, VCIL's Accessible Information Technology consultant met with the ADA Coalition on a plan to help schools, libraries and other education programs make their information technology resources and services accessible to children and adults with disabilities.

In a related effort, the Vermont ADA Coalition and VCIL are sponsoring a series of summer and fall trainings for individuals and organizations interested in helping businesses, community service organizations, art programs and other local programs make their buildings and services more accessible to individuals with disabilities and seniors. The project will start in the four communities where VCIL has offices and expand in future years. Some work has already been done with local One Stop Career Centers, arts organizations, and domestic violence programs. The goal is to build and maintain a trained network of access consultants available to assist organizations and businesses assess their compliance with the ADA and other access laws.

ADACC Looking To Expand Connecticut Civil Rights Laws

The ADA Coalition of Connecticut (ADACC) has initiated a multi-year project to expand Connecticut's civil rights statutes for people with disabilities. Funded by the Connecticut Council on Developmental Disabilities, this project is a response to circuit court and Supreme Court decisions that threaten the breadth and integrity of the ADA. Although funding was originally targeted for a community organizing effort, with actual legislation deferred to next year, the Coalition managed to produce a comprehensive bill that was heard during a Judiciary Committee hearing in March.

The bill did not end up on the Committee's calendar, but the Coalition is well ahead of itself for the 2003 session and is now conducting a statewide education initiative that will inform both our constituency and their legislators. An event at the Legislative Office Building on July 27th will provide an opportunity for people to learn more about the issue, as well as attend workshops on a variety of access-related topics.

The Coalition had also received a grant from the Council on Develop-mental Disabilities to sponsor research on the issue. The materials, produced by consultants Chris Palames and Melissa Marshall, include an analysis of court opinions and a 300 page compendium of legislative responses from across the country.

These materials are available at a cost of $40 and can be acquired by e-mailing the Coalition at ADACoalitionCT@aol.com or calling 860-297-4383 (V) or 860-566-2102 (TDD).

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PUBLICATIONS

New Publications Available from our Center

TOPIC Documents

• Section 508 Statute -- The law requiring federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. 3 pp. $1

• Section 508 Standards -- Access Board standards for accessibility in computers, software, networks, websites, peripherals and other electronic office technology. 30 pp. $3

• Information Technology Equipment Accessibility Checklist -- DOJ document to evaluate accessibility of information technology equipment such as printers, fax machines, and copiers. 3 pp. $1

• Information Transaction Machines Accessibility Checklist -- DOJ document to evaluate accessibility of automated teller machines, ticketing vending machines, computer kiosks, electronic building directories, fare machines, and point of sale customer card payment systems. 4 pp. $1

• Software Accessibility Checklist -- DOJ tool for evaluating software applications accessibility. 5 pp. $1

• Web Page Accessibility Checklist -- DOJ document to evaluate the extent to which Web site accessibility. 4 pp. $1

• Quick Tips Web Access -- Business card-sized cards from the Web Accessibility Initiative include 10 tips on Web accessibility.

• Section 255 Statute and Regulations -- Access to Telecommunication Service, Telecommunications Equipment, and Customer Premises Equipment for Persons with Disabilities. 15 pp. $1.50

• Section 255 Guidelines -- Access Board's guidelines for accessibility, usability, and compatibility of telecommunications equipment. 39 pp. $4

• Bulletin # 7 Access to Telecommunications -- Access Board's plain language explanation of Section 255 requirements for access to telecommunication service and equipment. 4 pp. $1

• The New England ADA & Accessible IT Center is proud to announce a new educational CD-ROM, Learning About Sections 508 and 255. This comprehensive tool contains useful documents on federal laws pertaining to accessible electronic and information technology and telecommunications. Included on the CD-ROM are standards, frequently asked questions and fact sheets that can assist consumers, industry professionals, and federal agencies in understanding these laws. Plus, we've included examples of accessible and inaccessible web pages, as well as a list of helpful resources. Documents are presented in a number of formats, including HTML, Microsoft Word, and ASCII text.

  To order a copy of the CD-ROM, contact us at (800) 949-4232 or at 508info@AdaptiveEnvironments.org.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. What is electronic and information technology?

A formal definition is provided within the Access Board's Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards, written in accordance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998:

"Electronic and information technology" includes information technology and any equipment or interconnected system or subsystem of equipment, that is used in the creation, conversion, or duplication of data or information. This includes software applications and operating systems; Web-based information and applications such as distance learning; telephones and other telecommunications products; information kiosks and transaction machines, video equipment and multimedia products that may be distributed on video tapes, CDs, DVDs, or the World Wide Web; office products such as photocopiers and fax machines; calculators; and computer hardware.

2. What makes electronic and information technology inaccessible to people with disabilities?

Electronic and information technology may be inaccessible to people with disabilities if it provides only one way for users to gain access to or manipulate information. For example, people who are blind cannot read instructions presented only in a visual format; people who are deaf cannot understand content that is presented only aurally; people who are color-blind cannot discriminate between color-coded options; people with cognitive disabilities may not comprehend complex information or instructions; people with specific physical limitations may not be able to use a software application that requires use of a mouse; people who use wheelchairs cannot operate a fax machine if the controls are positioned too high or too far for them to reach from a seated position. Many barriers can be lowered or eliminated when technology environments are developed using an approach called "universal design."

3. What is universal design?

Universal design describes products, environments, and information that have been designed so that they are usable by the widest possible range of people operating in the widest range of circumstances without adaptation or specialized design. Universal design starts from the assumption that difference in ability is ordinary and not static, that it changes for all of us in relation to time and circumstance. Universal design assumes that designs that work well for someone with a disability work better for everyone.

4. What is accessible electronic and information technology?

Examples of accessible electronic and information technology:

• Accessible software applications may include features specifically designed for users with disabilities. However, they always give users more than one way of accomplishing a task. They use established standards for displaying menus and prompts, which can be interpreted by assistive technology. They allow users to use the mouse alone, the keyboard alone, or a combination of the two. They rely on more than color to convey information.

• Accessible multimedia products, which may be distributed on videotapes, CDs, DVDs, or the World Wide Web, include synchronized text captions for spoken information and other audio content and provide synchronized audio descriptions for visual content. They offer more than one way to input commands or respond to prompts. For instance, imagine that a character's voice on a CD tells a child to click on an animal to learn more about it. Deaf or hard-of-hearing children cannot hear the instructions. Blind children cannot click on the animal because they cannot see what is on the computer screen.

• Accessible Web sites are designed to be usable by individuals with a broad range of abilities and disabilities; they are designed so that all visitors can navigate the site, access content, and participate in interactive Web activities. Accessible Web sites provide a text equivalent for all non-text elements, such as audio, video, graphics, animation, graphical buttons, and image maps.

• Accessible copy machines can be operated in more than one way using keypads, touch screens, or voice recognition. Height and position can be adjusted so that controls are within easy reach and the display can be viewed easily.

(Source: AccessIT)

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GREAT WEB SITES / BUILDING YOUR ROLODEX

Web Sites

Web Accessibility In Mind (WebAIM)
WebAIM's goal is to improve accessibility to online learning opportunities for all people; in particular to improve accessibility for individuals with disabilities who have a difficult time getting access to postsecondary online learning.

AccessIT
The National Center on Accessible IT in Education promotes the use of electronic and information technology (E&IT) for students and employees with disabilities in educational institutions at all academic levels.

DO-IT
Resources on electronic and information technology, postsecondary education and careers for people with disabilities; one of the AccessIT partners.

Section 508: The Road to Accessibility
Resources for understanding and implementing the requirements of Section 508.

Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST)
Resources, research and examples to assist in the design of learning materials and activities for all learners. CAST is the home of Bobby which was created to help Web page authors identify and repair barriers to access.

Closing The Gap
Information on computer technology in special education and rehabilitation.

Equal Access to Software and Information (EASI)
Resources on AT and IT including technical assistance and training.

National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM)
Research and development facility dedicated to the issues of media and information technology for people with disabilities.

Trace Research and Development Center
Works on ways to make standard information technologies and telecommunications systems more accessible and usable by people with disabilities.

Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
Pursues accessibility of the Web through technology, guidelines, tools, education and outreach, and research and development.

Information Technology Technical Assistance and Training Center (ITTATC)
ITTATC promotes the development of accessible electronic and information technology by providing technical assistance, training, and information.

Listservs and Distribution Lists

Accessible IT Updates is a new Center email list to keep people informed of emerging accessible IT standards, guidance, trainings, technical assistance material and whatever else is helpful. To subscribe send an email message to adainfo@newenglandada.org in the subject line put "Accessible IT Updates" and in the body of the message put "Subscribe."

Axslib-l focuses on issues surrounding access to libraries by people with disabilities. To subscribe, send a message with a blank subject line to listserv@maelstrom.stjohns.edu. In the body of the message type "subscribe axslib Firstname Lastname."

DisabilityAccess is for Webmasters and people with disabilities to talk about how to make Web sites that are accessible to people with disabilities. Subscribe at http://www.topica.com/read/home.html?alid=1300005870.

EASI (Equal Access to Software and Information) discusses technology access for people with disabilities. To subscribe, send a message with a blank subject line to listserv@maelstrom.stjohns.edu. In the body of the message type "subscribe easi Firstname Lastname."

Uaccess-l is for discussion of universal access to information systems. To subscribe, send a message with a blank subject line to listproc@trace.wisc.edu. In the body of the message type "subscribe uaccess-l Firstname Lastname."

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EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

2002 Community Access Monitor Trainings
ADA and MAAB Regulations
September: (TBD) in Andover at the Massachusetts School of Law.
October: 1st & 2nd in Natick at the Morse Library.
November: 13th & 14th in Roxbury at the Reggie Lewis Center.
Contact: Massachusetts Office on Disability, 617-727-7440 x316 (v/tty), 800-322-2020 (v/tty), or jeff.dougan@modi.state.ma.us

ADA/504 Coordinators & Accessibility Managers in the Cultural Arts Conference
August 8-11: Washington, DC
Contact: Betty Siegel, The Kennedy Center, access@kennedy-center.org, 202-416-8727 (v), 202-416-8728 (tty)

Universal Design: What is It, Why Should You Care?
The ADA: Still Confusing After All These Years
September 24 - Augusta, ME
September 25 - Portland, ME
Earn AIA CES credits
Contact: Denis Pratt, Alpha One, 800-640-7200 (v/tty), DPratt@alphaonenow.com

Employment Law and People with Disabilities: The ADA and Beyond
December 17 - Worcester, MA
Contact: Mandy Gehrig, Institute for Community Inclusion, amanda.gehrig@umb.edu, 617-355-5371

Look for the next issue of Access New England highlighting Accessible Design.

Attention Subscribers!

Are you interested in receiving our newsletter via e-mail? Send us a message at ADAinfo@NewEnglandADA.org and we'll drop Access New England directly into your e-mail letterbox. Moved recently? Changed your name? No longer interested in receiving our newsletter? Let us know so we can keep our mailing list up-to-date and effective. Call us at 800-949-4232 V/TTY or drop us a line at 374 Congress Street, Suite 301, Boston, MA 02210. Questions about the ADA? Call us at 800-949-4232 V/TTY for answers and guidance.

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