Bruce Bailey David Baquis Timothy Creagan U.S. Access Board Section 508 Coordinators’ Conference

1. “Getting Ready for the New Section 508 Standard” Bruce Bailey David Baquis Timothy Creagan U.S. Access Board Section 508 Coordinators’ Conference Gettysburg, PA November 4, 2010

2. Review of ICT Refresh History • §255 guidelines effective (1998) • §508 standards effective (2001) • Refresh process starts (2006 – 2008): TEITAC • TEITAC report: April 3, 2008 • ANPRM: March 22, 2010 • Public hearings • San Diego, CA; March 25, 2010 • Washington, DC; May 12, 2010 • Public comment period ended: June 21, 2010

3. ANPRM and Draft Text • ANPRM: http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/refresh/notice.htm • Draft Text: http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/refresh/draft-rule.htm

4. What is Different? • Organization has changed – feature based • Advisory Notes next to provisions • Reflects current technology • Definition of content – what is covered? • Referenced standards • WCAG 2.0 Harmonization

5. Chapters in the draft text Chapter 1- 508; Chapter 1 – 255 Chapter 2 Functional Performance Criteria Chapter 3 Common Functionality Chapter 4 Platforms, Applications and Interactive Content Chapter 5 Electronic Documents Chapter 6 Synchronized Media Content and Players Chapter 7 Hardware Aspects of ICT Chapter 8 Audio Output from Hardware Chapter 9 Conversation Functionality and Controls Chapter 10 ICT Support Documentation and ICT Support Services

6. ICT Content: Chapter 1 • Communication: “Official” “by agency or representative” • To: Federal employees and contains information necessary to perform job OR • To: members of the public necessary to conduct official business with the agency (see Agency mission)

7. ICT Content: Examples To Federal employees: • Working conditions or policies: • IT policies, security, or personnel information  • general announcements of upcoming agency events (announcement about annual budget; in-house training)  To the public: • technical assistance about agency regulations • content posted on the agency website • information about benefits or programs administered or provided by the agency

8. Chapter 2: FPCs • 202.2 Without Vision • 202.3 With Limited Vision • 202.4 Without Perception of Color • 202.5 Without Hearing • 202.6 With Limited Hearing • 202.7 Without Speech • 202.8 With Limited Manipulation • 202.9 With Limited Reach and Strength • 202.10 Without Physical Contact • 202.11 Minimize Photosensitive Seizure Triggers

9. Functional Performance Criteria - Examples Changes New Color vision deficits (202.4) Without Physical Contact (202.10) Photosensitive seizure triggers (202.11) • Limited Vision (202.3) -20/200 v. 20/70 • Limited hearing (202.6) -Clarity, background noise

10. Chapters 4 & 5 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Electronic documents – mostly static,read-only, non-interactive content. Examples: Word files, PDFs, PowerPoint presentations, Excel spreadsheets, simple web pages (w/o Flash) • Platforms, Applications and Interactive Content • Examples: web-based and traditional applications (email client, word processor, e-learning course) Content formats as platforms (spreadsheets

11. Chapters 6,8 & 9 • Chapter 6: Synchronized Media Content and Players • Chapter 8: Audio Output from Hardware • Chapter 9: Conversation Functionality and Controls

12. Next Steps in the process: • Analyze comments • Develop proposed rule (NPRM) • Develop regulatory assessment • Submit to Office of Management and Budget • Publish NPRM in the Federal Register • Public comment period • Final rule

13. Conversation, Audio, Video508 Coordinator’s Meeting David Baquis U.S. Access Board November 2010

14. Hearing Access – Amplification • Audio clarity on interconnected VoIP • Volume gain • Incremental step when volume is stepped-up • Different on audio output not held up to ear

15. Hearing Access – HAC • Magnetic coupling • Minimized interference

16. Audio Connection • Pick one: • Handset • Audio jack • Hardware or wireless adaptor (not in public location) • Volume adjustability shall be provided

17. Hearing Access – IVR • Pause, skip, rewind, slow down, and repeat all messages and prompts • Intelligibility • Background sounds

18. Call Status and Functions • Examples: Caller ID, messages waiting, duration of call • Best practice to display via computer • Low vision called out, not just blindness

19. Video Communication Support • Interoperability (not proprietary only) • Include microphones plus speakers • Quality of visual communication – data and display

20. Alerting systems • Alternate alerting for VoIP telephone systems • Non-auditory alerting on video telephones

21. Real-time Text (RTT) • More than TTYs • ICT that provides real-time voice conversation functionality shall support RTT • Interoperability (not proprietary only) • RTT reliability • Pass-through products and error rate • Support for VCO/HCO

22. Interactive Elements • Examples: DVD menus, on-screen programming guides • Conform to provisions for electronic content

23. Audio only • Prerecorded: • Captions • Transcript that is accessible • Realtime: • Real-time synchronized text

24. Video only • Prerecorded: • Video description • Transcript that is accessible • Real-time: • Real-time video description

25. Synchronized audio and video • Synchronized captions • Video description • Multiple areas of focus

26. Processing technology • Captioning support • Video description support

27. User Controls • Accessible controls • Comparable prominence for CC and VD controls • Distinguishing speech from background noise

28. What is ICT? “What Content is covered?” Tim Creagan U.S. Access Board November 4, 2010

29. Current definition: “E&IT” 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. The term electronic and information technology includes, but is not limited to, telecommunications products (such as telephones), information kiosks and transaction machines, World Wide Web sites, multimedia, and office equipment such as copiers and fax machines. The term does not include any equipment that contains embedded information technology that is used as an integral part of the product, but the principal function of which is not the acquisition, storage, manipulation, management, movement, control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, or reception of data or information. For example, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) equipment such as thermostats or temperature control devices, and medical equipment where information technology is integral to its operation, are not information technology.

30. Current “E&IT” functions • …the principal function of which is not the acquisition, storage, manipulation, management, movement, control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, or reception of data or information…..

31. Proposed definition: “ICT” • Electronic and Information Technology (E&IT).  This is also referred to as Information and Communication Technology (ICT).  This includes information technology and is any equipment or interconnected system, or subsystem of equipment, which is used in the • creation, conversion, duplication, automatic acquisition, storage, analysis, evaluation, manipulation, management, movement, control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, reception, or broadcast of data or information. • ICT includes, but is not limited to: electronic content, including email, electronic documents and Internet and Intranet web sites; telecommunications products, including video communication terminals; computers and ancillary equipment, including  external hard drives; software, including operating systems and applications; information kiosks and transaction machines; videos; IT services; and multifunction office machines that copy, scan and fax documents.

32. Proposed “ICT” functions. • creation, conversion, duplication, automaticacquisition,storage,analysis, evaluation, manipulation, management, movement, control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, reception, or broadcastof data or information.

33. What’s different • “ICT” instead of “E&IT” • Definition separated from provision (“principal function” [E103.3.2]) • New examples of content: email, video communication terminals, electronic documents

34. Electronic Documents Getting Ready for the New Section 508 Standard Bruce Bailey, Access Board 4 November 2010 Section 508 Coordinators Training Conference Gettysburg, PA

35. Agenda • Big Change: • More Documents, More of the Time, for More People • Full scope TBD • What are some expectations for accessible electronic documents? • Using WCAG 2.0 Success Criteria as benchmark • Examples of using MS Word for making accessible documents

36. Why WCAG? • Why not use draft provisions? • We know we will be making changes. • We don’t know what the final language will be. • Why use WCAG 2.0 language? • We know we will be harmonizing… • We do not know the details of how! • WCAG 2.0 is stable (December, 2008)

37. WCAG 2.0 Virtues • Publically vetted, lots of input • 9+ years active work! • Attention paid to plain language • But there is still a learning curve • WCAG 2.0 Success Criteria • Written to be technology neutral • Written so they can be evaluated as true/false statements

38. WCAG 2.0 Virtues, Continued • Robust Linked Resources • Understanding Documents • Intent • Background Material • Examples • References • How To Meet Documents • Sufficient Techniques • Common Failures • http://w3.org/tr/wcag

39. 1.1.1 Non-text Content • All non-text content that is presented to the user has a text alternative that serves the equivalent purpose • 502.2.1 Equivalent Purpose (draft p. 54) • Word 7 • Context → Size → Alt Text

40. 1.1.1 Non-text Content Exceptions • Sometimes “descriptive identification” is or other specific text alternative is required: • Controls, Input • Time-Based Media • Test • Sensory • CAPTCHA • Decoration, Formatting, Invisible • ALT="" • Usually, the above exceptions are concerns for web and software developers, not document authors.

41. 1.3.1 Info and Relationships • Information, structure, and relationships conveyed through presentation can be programmatically determined or are available in text. • 503.2 Information, Structure, and Relationships (draft p. 57) • Word 7 • tabbing vs. tables • formatting vs. styles

42. 1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence • When the sequence in which content is presented affects its meaning, a correct reading sequence can be programmatically determined. • 503.3 Logically Correct Reading Sequence (draft p. 57) • Word 7 • Text Boxes vs. Paragraph Borders

43. More Examples • 1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics: Instructions provided for understanding and operating content do not rely solely on sensory characteristics of components such as shape, size, visual location, orientation, or sound. • 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum): The visual presentation of text and images of text has a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 • 1.4.4 Resize text: Except for captions and images of text, text can be resized without assistive technology up to 200 percent without loss of content or functionality.

44. Contact us • Want more information? • 800-872-2253 (voice) • 800-993-2822 (TTY) • 508@access-board.gov • http://www.access-board.gov