├── Building-a-statement.md ├── GoodBadExamples.md ├── LICENSE ├── README.md └── Sample-Statement.md /Building-a-statement.md: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | # Building an Accessibility Statement 2 | 3 | ## Site accessibility checklist 4 | 5 | - do you have HTML5 headings? 6 | - color contrast 7 | - use of alt text 8 | 9 | ## Enhancements you might have missed 10 | 11 | - WAI-ARIA 12 | - Keyboard controls 13 | 14 | ## What we built this site with and why 15 | 16 | - If you use Drupal or have selected a Accessibility Ready WordPress theme, state that 17 | - We want users to know what you are using so that they can fix the problems they find in the right place 18 | 19 | ## If you run into difficulties 20 | 21 | - Use this webform, send us an email or reach out to us on our social media 22 | - This site will never be 100% accessibile, but working with you we will eliminate barriers to help us get closer 23 | - Good here to highlight that you have an accessibility coordinator 24 | 25 | ## What are our goals 26 | 27 | - We are seeking to be WCAG 2.0 AA compliant 28 | - We have incorporated elements of ATAG 2.0 AA to see that we are able to both engage people with disabilities in creating content and assist authors in creating more accessible content. 29 | 30 | ## Assistive technology we test with 31 | 32 | - Latest release plus one 33 | 34 | ## Make sure your alt text is properly structured 35 | 36 | - review it to see that it is in plain language & without jargon - run it through http://www.hemingwayapp.com/ 37 | - Test to see that it is the most accessible page on your site 38 | - Ensure this page is reviewed by a 3rd party 39 | - Spellcheck this page and ensure that if it has web forms there is proper validation 40 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /GoodBadExamples.md: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | # Some Example Language from Existing Accessibility Statements 2 | 3 | ## Good Examples 4 | 5 | ### Screen reader applications 6 | 7 | We recommend several screen reader applications for customers with vision disabilities: JAWS, VoiceOver and NVDA. On mobile devices, we recommend TalkBack for Android devices and VoiceOver for the iPhone and iPad. 8 | 9 | If you use Internet Explorer, use JAWS as your screen reader; if you use Firefox, then use NVDA as your screen reader. 10 | 11 | We update our recommendations when new versions of major software and browser are released. We can’t guarantee the best user experience if you decide to use software and browser versions that we don’t specifically recommend. 12 | 13 | You can improve your online experience by exploring these features and settings available in various assistive technology applications: 14 | 15 | Special characters–If it’s required by your screen reading application, enable settings to automatically read any of these special characters: @, #, $, &, ', ", /, |, _, { }, [ ] and words with tilde or grave accented characters. 16 | 17 | Symbols–If it’s required by your screen reading application, enable settings to automatically read these symbols: +, -, =, *, \, %, ^, ( ), < and >. 18 | Browsers 19 | 20 | We recommend using the most current version (or the version released just prior to) of Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox or Chrome. 21 | 22 | Use the browser controls to adjust the size and colors of content on a web page. We’ve designed our website content to work with these controls. 23 | 24 | ### If you use a screen reader 25 | 26 | Not everyone navigates websites in the same way, so we’ve designed our sites to work with screen readers. We use text (in ALT tags) to describe images. We use descriptive links (e.g. More about mortgages instead of Click here) so you know where the link takes you, and we don’t use frames which are difficult for screen readers and special browsers to interpret. 27 | 28 | ### Website Accessibility 29 | 30 | Most browsers have built-in accessibility features that Schwab.com supports, from the ability to change colors, contrast, and text size to using screen readers and skip controls. 31 | - To zoom in or out on a web page: 32 | - Windows OS: To zoom in, press CTRL + PLUS SIGN (+). To zoom out, press CTRL + MINUS SIGN (–). 33 | - Mac OS: To zoom in, press COMMAND + PLUS SIGN (+). To zoom out, press COMMAND + MINUS SIGN (–). 34 | - To change foreground and background colors: 35 | - Internet Explorer: Select Tools > Internet Options > General dialog page, and the Colors button. Check the dialog boxes to set individual preferences. 36 | - Firefox: Select Tools > Options. In the dialog box, select General > Fonts & Colors. 37 | - Opera: Select Tools > Preferences. In the dialog box, select Fonts and Page Style. 38 | - Safari does not currently have options to change text and background colors. 39 | 40 | If you have questions or concerns about the accessibility please call or email us. 41 | 42 | ### Website accessibility 43 | 44 | We’re always working to enhance our site and increase accessibility and usability for all of our customers. Our accessibility efforts are based on the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). 45 | 46 | ## Bad Examples 47 | 48 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /LICENSE: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | MIT License 2 | 3 | Copyright (c) 2018 accessibility 4 | 5 | Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy 6 | of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal 7 | in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights 8 | to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell 9 | copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is 10 | furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: 11 | 12 | The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all 13 | copies or substantial portions of the Software. 14 | 15 | THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR 16 | IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, 17 | FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE 18 | AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER 19 | LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, 20 | OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE 21 | SOFTWARE. 22 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /README.md: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | # Accessibility Statement - Accessibility Information Page 2 | 3 | Most accessibility statements suck. They are boiler-plate documents which don't provide a useful snapshot about what an organization is doing to remove barriers to access. 4 | 5 | My hope is that by developing a template collectively we can define best practices. 6 | 7 | Accessibility statements can be useful as a step help defend yourself against accessibility lawsuits (especially in the USA) but what is important is demonstrating that you are actively working to reduce barriers for your users. This is something that is key for any customer/client focused organization. 8 | 9 | 10 | ## An Accessibility Information Page should: 11 | - State that inclusion is important value to the organization 12 | - State the accessibility guidelines that the site is working to achieve 13 | - Outline exceptions (such as legacy PDF files) 14 | - Explain what has been done to make the site more accessible 15 | - **Include information about other accessibility services** 16 | - Outline what accessibility enhancements have been made to make them more discoverable 17 | - Highlight the technology stack and if accessibility played into it's selection - if an open source libraries (like Drupal) was used, it is worth metioning that 18 | - If you use automated testing tools, tell us which ones you use - explain how those are complimented with manual testing 19 | - **Have an easy, accessibile way to contact the web admins if someone runs into a barrier (possibly including a phone number)** 20 | - **Provide details about the organization’s web accessibility policy** 21 | - If there is an accessibility coordinator or committee, provide contact information 22 | - Highlight goals for assistive technology supported (ie. latest & previous versions) 23 | - **Have statement linked to from every page on the site in the footer or header** 24 | - Affirm that the organization is aware that this is a journey and that improvements are being made regularly 25 | 26 | **Bold** text references to [lflegal's guide](http://www.lflegal.com/2013/02/access-info-pages/#ideal) 27 | 28 | 29 | ## Bonus points if: 30 | - If an audit was done on the site, it would be beneficial to say who did it and when 31 | - If it was tested with assistive technology, it would be useful to know what versions and when. 32 | 33 | ## Ontario Government Accessibility Reports 34 | 35 | - Large organizations in Ontario will be required by the [Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility_for_Ontarians_with_Disabilities_Act,_2005#Ontarians_with_Disabilities_Act) to create an Accessibility Report and [make it available to the public](http://www.slaw.ca/2019/09/12/time-to-review-your-accessibility-plans-and-prepare-to-file-a-report-in-2020/). An Accessibility statemnet is a logical place to have this. 36 | 37 | ## European Union Public Sector Accessibility Regulations 38 | - [Tetra Logical: Public Sector Accessibility Regulations](https://tetralogical.com/articles/public-sector-accessibility-regulations/) 39 | 40 | ### Holland 41 | - [Dutch Fill-in Assistant Accessibility Statement](https://www.toegankelijkheidsverklaring.nl/) 42 | 43 | 44 | ## UK Gov Encourages government sites to publish an accessibility statement 45 | 46 | To comply with the requirements of the Directive public sector bodies must publish an accessibility statement. The statement must: 47 | - be in an accessible format 48 | - be updated frequently 49 | - use the model accessibility statement adopted by the European Commission (this will be provided by December 2018) 50 | 51 | The accessibility statement must include the following: 52 | - a list of any parts of the website or app that aren’t accessible, an explanation of why, and links to accessible alternatives 53 | - a feedback mechanism that can be used by any person to tell the public body about content in the website or app that doesn’t meet the accessibility requirements 54 | - a link to the enforcement procedure to which recourse may be had in the event of an unsatisfactory response to the notification or the request 55 | 56 | From their 2018 [Open consultation](https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/accessibility-of-public-sector-websites-and-apps-new-duties-and-regulations/consultation-information-and-questions#publish-an-accessibility-statement) and the [final report](https://gds.blog.gov.uk/2018/11/21/public-sector-website-accessibility-statements-what-you-need-to-know/). [UK Legislation](http://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2018/1523/annex/annotations/1/adopted) 57 | 58 | 59 | ## Resources 60 | - http://www.lflegal.com/2013/02/access-info-pages/ 61 | - http://www.lflegal.com/accessibility/ 62 | - http://www.lflegal.com/2017/03/update-csun17/#best 63 | - http://www.lflegal.com/2013/02/access-info-pages/#ideal 64 | - http://www.hassellinclusion.com/2012/05/write-accessibility-statement/ 65 | - https://www.nomensa.com/blog/2009/writing-an-accessibility-statement 66 | - https://www.accessibilitystatementgenerator.com/ 67 | - https://www.w3.org/WAI/planning/statements/ 68 | - https://www.w3.org/WAI/EO/wiki/Accessibility_Statements_Requirements 69 | - http://nda.ie/Resources/Accessibility-toolkit/Accessibility-Statement-Template/ 70 | - http://juicystudio.com/displayarticle.php?page=writing-a-good-accessibility-statement.php 71 | - https://pressbooks.library.ryerson.ca/dabp/chapter/creating-an-accessibility-statement/ 72 | - https://www.microassist.com/digital-accessibility/the-value-of-digital-accessibility-statements-a-checklist-for-getting-started/ 73 | - https://blog.tenon.io/sample-post 74 | - https://disabilityin.org/resource/digital-accessibility-statement-best-practices/ 75 | - https://uxdesign.cc/accessibility-statements-855ce1b65993 76 | - https://www.digitala11y.com/accessibility-statement-generators-roundup/ 77 | 78 | ## Government Policies 79 | - https://gds.blog.gov.uk/2018/11/21/public-sector-website-accessibility-statements-what-you-need-to-know/ 80 | - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/make-your-website-or-app-accessible-and-publish-an-accessibility-statement 81 | - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sample-accessibility-statement 82 | - https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32018D1523 83 | - https://digital.gov/resources/required-web-content-and-links/#accessibility-statement 84 | 85 | ## Notable Examples 86 | - https://georgia.gov/accessibility 87 | - https://www.steward.org/accessibility 88 | - https://www.canadapost.ca/cpc/en/our-company/about-us/corporate-responsibility/accessibility.page 89 | - https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19/covid-alert/accessibility-statement.html 90 | - https://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/website-accessibility-statement.html 91 | 92 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /Sample-Statement.md: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | # Accessibility Statements 2 | 3 | Examples and tasks for useful Accessibility Statements 4 | 5 | ## Links 6 | 7 | 8 | ## Simplified Statement 9 | 10 | We are always improving our website. We aim to meet or exceed universal design best practices and web accessibility standards. We follow and support Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA. 11 | 12 | To provide accessible web experiences, we strive to: 13 | - Make our content and navigation easy to see 14 | - Make it easy to interact using a mouse, keyboard, and/or touch screens 15 | - Provide text and visual alternatives for sounds 16 | - Provide text and audio alternatives for visuals 17 | - Support popular assistive technology (like JAWS, NVDA and Dragon Naturally Speaking) 18 | - Support using assistive technologies to navigate and access content 19 | - Support the use of native accessibility features on mobile devices and tablets 20 | 21 | We have built the site so that there is meaning structured into the pages so they are as inclusive as we can make them. As a result, mobile and assistive technology users will have a better experience. We provide HTML headings to provide a hierarchy of the content on a page. Pages include Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) Landmarks to highlight different content regions. These structures give screenreader users information they need to navigate our content. 22 | 23 | Blind and low vision users often cannot see the images we use. It is important for our team to see that the meaning conveyed by those images is available in a textual form. We provide alt-text for images to help screenreader users to understand their meaning. 24 | 25 | We want our users to get the most out of our site and so try to leverage approaches that are inclusive and flexible. Where we can we have included Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) as they are a more accessible and mobile friendly image format. 26 | 27 | Every effort is made to have links written so that they make sense even out of context. For keyboard-only users the first link in every document is a "Skip to main content" link. This allows the user to skip over the navigation to the main content for the page. 28 | 29 | This site is built on Drupal 8. This is a Content Management System (CMS) has had extensive accessibility improvements. Drupal is has very accessible web forms by default. Drupal 8’s web forms are designed to help users, even when they make a mistake when filling in the form. All form controls are clearly labeled for all abilities. 30 | 31 | Users can choose if they want the text of the site to be bigger or smaller to suit their needs. Eight percent of men are colorblind, so we cannot convey information only with color. We use images or text along with color to see that nobody is excluded. 32 | 33 | Users can adjust the size of the text by using a feature that is already built into all major browsers: 34 | - Press Ctrl & + to increase the page size. 35 | - Press Ctrl & - to decrease the page size. 36 | - Press Ctrl & 0 (zero) to reset the page size to the web page's default size. 37 | 38 | Our team creates practices that allow us to constantly improve our accessibility. We use some automated testing tools including Siteimprove and WebAIM's WAVE to test our site. We engage with accessibility experts to ensure we are using best practices. We also do manual testing to see that our sites are as accessible as we can make them. Finally, we do user testing with people with disabilities to find where we can improve. 39 | 40 | We work to support both the latest release and the previous release of popular assistive technology and web browsers. 41 | 42 | If you find anything on our sites or apps difficult to use, please let us know. 43 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------