Accessibility for content designers

Alistair DugginHead of AccessibilityGovernment Digital Service@dugboticus

What is accessibility?Why accessibility mattersAccessible content designHow do you know if it’s accessible?Lessons from a serviceHow can GDS help?

What is accessibility?

Accessibility = no barriersThe inclusive practice of removing barriers that prevent interaction with, or access to websites and services, by people with disabilities.

Accessibility = empowerment

Accessibility means that people with disabilities can use things independently

Accessibility is about people Accessibility means designing for the range of abilities your audience has

Accessibility means people can use the assistive technologies they rely on

Accessibility is achieved through• content• design• code

Accessibility means ensuring that people can successfully use a service - regardless of impairment or assistive technology

Accessibility has 4 characteristics• Perceivable• Operable• Understandable• Robust

GDS

Accessibility includes providing alternative formats

Accessibility = no barriers

Assisted digital = help to use

Why accessibility matters

This is for everyoneWe build our digital service for all our citizens. Everyone needs to be able to use them - regardless of ability and technology used to access them.

1 in 5 people have a disability

Visual impairments

2 million people in the UK have significant sight loss

360,000 people are blind or partially sighted

Auditory impairments

12 million people in the UK with some kind of hearing loss

900,000 people are severely or profoundly deaf

Cognitive impairments

6.4 million in the UK have dyslexia

700,000 are on the autistic spectrum

“1 in 6 adults struggle to read”

The Reading Agency

Mobility impairments

1.2 million people use a wheel chair

577,000 people receive benefits as a result of having problems with mobility

Ageing population

12 million people of state pension age

The number of people aged 60 or over is projected to rise by over 50 percent in the next 25 years

1 in 2 people will be disabled at some point in their lifetime

Everyone experiences impairments

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/design/practice

Designing for disability benefits everyone

If people are excluded from digital services they will have to use older more expensive channels

Equality Act 2010We have a legal obligation to provide equal access to people with disabilities

Accessibility is requirement to pass a service assessment

Accessible content design

Can everyone perceive my content?

Ensure text has good legibility and readability • size• contrast• line height• line length

Ensure information is not communicated by colour alone

Ensure instructions do not rely on shape, colour or location

Provide appropriate text alternative for images

Provide transcript and captions for video with sound

Provide an audio description for information communicated visually in video

Can everyone operate my content?

Ensure link text helps a user know where they will be taken

Ensure headings are useful and hierarchical

Ensure page titles are unique and descriptive

Ensure all content and functionality is available to a keyboard

Can everyone understand my content?

Use plain English and keep content short, clear and simple

Avoid jargon, metaphors, colloquialisms and slang

Use contractions carefully

Expand the first use of an abbreviation

Ensure the language of your content provided

Use headings and lists to break content into manageable chunks

Ensure your content is in a logical order in the code

Provide clear form labels and hints

Provide helpful error messages

Ensure tables are simple and use the correct HTML

Provide a summary for complex information such as tables and charts

Consider using images and videos to support meaning

Avoid PDFs whenever possible

Is my content robust?

Is the code good?HTML - most appropriate elements CSS - no barriers Javascript - no barriers

Has your service been tested with a range of assistive technologies?

Who is everyone?

GDS

Example of people with visual impairments

I am colour blind and cannot perceive the difference between some colours

I have low vision and need to increase the text size in my browser

I have low vision and need to use a screen magnifier to make things bigger and cannot read text that has poor contrast

I am blind and use a screenreader

I am deafblind and use a braille device

Example of people with hearing impairments

I am hard of hearing and struggle to hear most things

I am Deaf; British Sign Language is my first language and I find English hard to read and write

GDS

Example of people with motor impairments

I have a mild motor impairment so struggle to use a mouse with fine control

I have a medium motor impairment so have to use a keyboard instead of a mouse

I have a severe motor impairment and am unable to use a mouse or keyboard so use speech recognition software

Example of people with cognitive impairments

I have dyslexia and struggle to process written text

I am on the autistic spectrum and have a literal understanding of text

I have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and find it hard to concentrate

I have a learning difficulty and need thing to be simple and easy to understand

I have a poor memory and I get easily confused

How do you know if it’s accessible?

Getting an accessibility specialist to evaluate your service against WCAG 2.0 is an effective way to identify accessibility barriers

The WebAim Checklist is a great introduction to WCAG 2.0

http://webaim.org/standards/wcag/checklist

Include a range of people with disabilities in your user research, throughout the project

Lessons from the Passport Renewal Service

The earlier you start considering accessibility the easier it is

Join the Accessibility Community

The accessibility community is a place to observe discussions, ask questions, share experiences and establish best practice

The newly re-launched accessibility blog is also great way to find out more about accessibility

Help GDS understand your needs?

What challenges do you face?

What support and resources would be useful?

Thanks!

Alistair DugginHead of AccessibilityGovernment Digital Service@dugboticus