Accessibility in the News—11/03/16
In this issue of Accessibility in the News (AITN), news and commentary on web accessibility lawsuits and demand letters feature heavily (particularly with retailers and community banks. There’s also a list of 240 website accessibility lawsuits since 2015); colleges and universities ramp up accessible design in online courses and web environments; and both on and off campus, tools facilitate providing accessible web content.
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Do-It-Yourself Accessibility
10/19 | Source: Campus Technology | Higher Ed, Online Learning, Accessibility Tools | Florida
One of the nagging issues with online course content is accessibility. There is clearly a universal need for making content accessible, but few course creators have the time, resources or expertise to make it happen.
To bridge that gap, the University of Central Florida built an open source tool that helps faculty discover and repair accessibility issues in their online courses. The Universal Design Online Content Inspection Tool, or UDOIT (pronounced “You do it”), scans course content within the institution’s Canvas learning management system and identifies potential problems. Items on the accessibility checklist include appropriate use of headings in page structure, alternative text for images, table headers, color contrast and video captions. Some errors or suggestions even come with a “UFIXIT” feature, which allows the instructor to correct the accessibility issue right there, on the spot, from within UDOIT…
University of Texas at Arlington Libraries launch first Texas History of Disability website
10/30 | Source: Global Accessibility News | Higher Ed, Disability History | Texas
The University of Texas at Arlington Libraries announced a new website showcasing the Texas Disability History Collection on October 26. Documents, videos, images and oral histories emphasizing the work of various disability advocates who were students, faculty or staff at UTA are featured. The site also reaches beyond the University’s walls to include images and documents on the local, state, regional and national levels.
“UTA Libraries is the only repository in the state focused on collecting Texas disability history materials,” said Brenda McClurkin, department head of the UTA Libraries Special Collections. “In addition to documenting UTA’s pre-eminent role in making higher education accessible to students with disabilities, the Texas Disability History Collection is comprised of materials in wide-ranging formats including maps, government reports, graphics, photographs and artifacts drawn from collections of personal papers and organizational records, University archives, Texas Labor archives, the Texas Political History Collection, and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives. The compilation provides a historical perspective into the 19th century and earlier.”…
Georgia state government earns national recognition for web accessibility
10/30 | Source: Open Source | Government, Accessibility Awards | Georgia
The state of Georgia was nationally recognized last month by the National Association of State CIOs for its Accessible Platform Initiative. The initiative is the first step in Georgia’s drive to improve access to all its digital properties. It updated code and designs on the state’s enterprise web platform to meet modern accessibility guidelines in a move that impacted nearly 80 state websites.
The national recognition for this initiative is not only a feather in Georgia’s cap, it’s yet another win for open source software and a testament to the benefits of an enterprise web platform. Opensource.com has published articles in the past about Georgia’s enterprise platform as a service, as well as the product strategy for the platform. While a push for improved accessibility would never be possible without vision, strong teamwork, and cross agency collaboration with accessibility experts, the work itself could be achieved and scaled within a fairly short timeline due to the technology structure behind it…
Federal Website Lawsuits Spike; Community Banks Get Demand Letters
10/31 | Source: Seyfarth Shaw | Accessibility Litigation, Retail, Banking | U.S.
The number of federal lawsuits alleging inaccessible websites continues to increase, along with the number of law firms filing them. Businesses should seek advice now on how to manage risk in this chaotic environment.
As we predicted, website accessibility lawsuits and threatened claims have become big business for the plaintiffs’ bar. More law firms are filing lawsuits or sending demand letters alleging individuals with disabilities are denied access to a business’s goods and services due to inaccessible websites than ever. The number of lawsuits filed in federal court since the beginning of 2015 has surged to at least 244 as of October 20, 2016. Retailers have been the most popular targets, followed by restaurant and hospitality companies…
Additional Resources
Nett Technologies Inc. Launches a Newly Redesigned Website
10/31 | Source: Military Technologies | Website Press Release | Ontario, Canada
Continuing in the long-standing tradition of having the most advanced and informative website, Nett Technologies has ensured its new website also adheres to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). “When we initially began brainstorming the wants and needs for a new website, it became very apparent that, in addition to being the industry leader for emission control product and service solutions, we also needed a website which aligned with Nett’s philosophy of providing a caring and nurturing environment for all. With that certainty in mind, it was vital to have a website that is fully accessible,” continues Mr. Stojkovic. As a WCAG compliant website, Nett Technologies has taken the steps to ensure its website is accessible and usable by individuals who have visual, motor/mobility, auditory or cognitive differences…
Out-of-state law firms target websites in South Dakota
11/1 | Source: KSFY | Accessibility Litigation | South Dakota
Out-of-state law firms known for suing hundreds of businesses across the country for websites they claim don’t meet ADA standards are targeting people in South Dakota. Lawyers with Davenport Evans in Sioux Falls are working with Click Rain to protect South Dakotans by educating them about what they can do to protect themselves from litigation.
Attorney Tiffany Miller, says businesses are in a vulnerable position. Currently the US Department of Justice has no regulations when it comes to website ADA accessibility, but there is language in the Americans with Disabilities Act that says a business cannot discriminate against an individual with a disability with an inaccessible website. While many people might not know what to do to become ADA compliant, these out-of-state law firms have a case if a person with a disability cannot access a website.
“These plaintiffs firms are running tests on their websites that can show whether or not there are barriers for individuals with disabilities and if barriers exist they’re just generating these demand letters or lawsuits automatically,” Miller explained…
Tools for Developing Accessible Websites
11/1 | Source: Bitsofcode | Accessibility Tools
Building websites that are accessible can be challenging for developers like myself that have never had to use any assistive technologies. Unlike visual issues such as layout which can be easily seen, accessibility issues can very easily go unnoticed if we don’t have the correct tools to test for them.
There are a few tools I use regularly for this purpose that greatly help, so I thought I would share them. Because I do the vast majority of my development in Chrome, this list is biased to tools for Chrome in particular…
Companies Face Lawsuits Over Website Accessibility For Blind Users
11/1 | Source: The Wall Street Journal | Accessibility Litigation, Retail | Pennsylvania
The disability lawsuits started hitting the Pittsburgh federal courthouse last July, all claiming corporations’ websites violated the law by not being accessible to the blind. The first round came against household names such as Foot Locker Inc., Toys “R” Us, Brooks Brothers Group Inc., and the National Basketball Association. Later suits targeted lesser-known retailers including Family Video Movie Club Inc. and Rue21 Inc.
All told, about 40 nearly identical cases have landed in front of the same federal judge, Arthur Schwab, all brought by one local law firm, Carlson Lynch Sweet Kilpela & Carpenter LLP…
Additional Resources
Closed captions, transcripts aid learning for almost all students
11/1 | Source: PHYS | Higher Education, Online Learning | Oregon
Most college and university students who use closed captions and transcripts on video and multimedia find them helpful as a learning tool, despite them not regularly being made available, according to new research from Oregon State University. One of the first surveys of its type, of 2,124 students across 15 public and private universities nationwide, found that 98.6 percent of students say captions are helpful, with 75 percent of them noting that they use captions as a learning aid in face-to-face and online classrooms. For video transcripts, students referenced the tool as a learning aid 85 percent of the time.
More than half of students surveyed said captions help by improving comprehension. The most common reasons students use captions are to help them focus, retain information and overcome poor audio quality of the videos, while transcripts are often used as study guides and to find and retain information…
U.S. Supreme Court orders dismissal of deaf Texans’ suit against state
11/1 | Source: The Texas Tribune | Government, Accessibility Litigation | Texas
An effort by five deaf Texans to force the state to offer sign-language interpreters at driver’s education courses has met its end in the nation’s highest court. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ordered the dismissal of lawsuit, Ivy v. Morath, that sought to hold Texas accountable for discrimination against people with disabilities — even when it farms out public programs to private vendors.
But the justices left open the possibility that a similar case could bubble up again. Texas requires first-time driver’s license applicants under the age 25 to take classes that are typically conducted by private companies. Because Texas requires the classes, the 2011 lawsuit argued, the state should ensure that deaf students have interpreters under the Americans with Disabilities Act…
Web accessibility group helps make Penn State more inclusive
11/1 | Source: PennState | Higher Education, Accessibility Support | Pennsylvania
Browsing the internet is something many take for granted. It’s easy to hop on a computer or smartphone and start clicking and reading. But for people who are visually impaired — along with those with other disabilities — it’s a little tougher. They often rely on technologies like screen readers to help them navigate the internet.
While these tools are helpful, they only work if websites are “accessible,” which means they have been designed, developed and coded to work with these technologies. It’s another thing to keep in mind in the long process of creating web pages and content, but it’s essential to making sure everyone can access all the online information Penn State has to offer.
To help make Penn State more inclusive, the IT Accessibility Team — or “ATeam” — in Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) within the Office of the Vice Provost for Information Technology is working with people and departments across the University to help test and better design websites and other content for accessibility…
Access Israel // Including Everyone
11/2 | Source: Haaretz | Innovation and Awareness | Israel, Brazil
This past September, when people with disabilities from all over the world competed at the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the Access Israel team was invited to Rio by the Israeli Embassy in Brasilia to show a different side of Israel.
The visit to Brazil, a result of the strong cooperation formed between Access Israel and the Israeli Foreign Ministry, proved once again that integration, accessibility and inclusion go beyond differences in language, culture and politics. Imagine dozens of smiling kids experiencing accessibility and learning about how they too can help improve inclusion and integration of people with disabilities into society – all with smiles on their faces…
Having more trouble reading websites? You’re not alone
11/2 | Source: CBC News | Aging, Technology | Canada
Do you ever squint at your smartphone, or have trouble reading text on a website? It’s not just you. As CBC Radio technology columnist Dan Misener explains, parts of the web really are getting harder to read. The big factor is contrast — the difference between the lightest colours and the darkest colours. If you have pure black text on a pure white background, that’s very high-contrast, and comparatively easy to read.
But recently, there’s been a trend in website design towards lower-contrast websites. That means a smaller difference between light and dark, which can make text more difficult to read. In recent years, a number of designers, technologists, and web accessibility experts have highlighted this issue. But it’s getting renewed attention because of an essay by well-known developer and technology writer Kevin Marks, called “How the Web Became Unreadable.”…
Kander Debuts New Website for Voters Ahead of Election Day
11/2 | Source: Webster County Citizen | Government, Elections | Missouri
Secretary of State Jason Kander today unveiled a new website to help voters find their voting information. The Missouri Voter Outreach Center allows voters to view their candidates and measures that will appear on their ballot, find their districts and look up their polling place in one location. This new, fully accessible website can be found online at VoterOutreach.sos.mo.gov.
“The Voter Outreach Center makes it easier than ever for voters to prepare for Election Day by reviewing their sample ballots and looking up their polling place,” Kander said. “I’m pleased to offer this resource ahead of the November 8 general election, and I encourage all Missourians to visit the site.”…
Cornell University E.A. Explores Changing Academic Calendar, Encourages Web Accessibility
11/2 | Source: The Cornell Daily Sun | Higher Education | New York
Jeramy Kruser, research and technology transfer representative at large, proposed ensuring a “standard of web accessibility” across all Cornell websites. Specifically, his resolution aims to bring Cornell’s websites up to the standards of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which mandates that government electronic and information technology must be accessible to people with disabilities, including visual and auditory impairments.
As a part of a larger campus accessibility package initiated by the Student Assembly, the website accessibility plan was proposed to “get a foot in the door and set a base standard for accessibility for all websites in the cornell.edu domains,” Kruser said. Due to insufficient resources at the time, this initiative was not passed along with the S.A. package…
Consulting With Canadians on a Federal Accessibility Legislation
11/3 | Source: Slaw | Government, Legislation | Canada
Between July 2016 and February 2017, the federal government is consulting Canadians on planned federal accessibility legislation. The goal of the law would be to promote equality of opportunity and increase the inclusion and participation of Canadians who have disabilities or functional limitations in all areas of everyday life. It is expected that the new legislation will incorporate many features from Ontario and Manitoba’s accessibility laws that would include the process or processes that the Government would use to develop the accessibility standards, as well as the areas or activities to which the standards would apply.
It is also important to note that the federal accessibility legislation is in addition to obligations under the Canadian Human Rights Act duty to accommodate persons with disabilities to the point of undue hardship. The federal government is seeking input to develop the planned new Canadians with Disabilities Act, including:..
Creating the accessible website
11/3 | Source: GCN | Government, Translation, Accessibility Tools| Illinois
Like many cities, Marion, Ill., has its share of residents who don’t speak English or have poor reading skills, visual impairments or dexterity issues – any of which can make a government website hard to use.
To make the Marion website more accessible and useful to residents, the city installed software on that adds speech, reading and translation capabilities. TextHelp’s Browsealoud uses a human-sounding voice that reads website content aloud in multiple languages…
WSJ Highlights 240 Website Accessibility Lawsuits Since 2015 – Top 5 Mistakes They Didn’t Mention
11/3 | Source: Fredrikson & Byron | Accessibility Litigation | U.S.
In addition to the 240 lawsuits, hundreds and perhaps thousands of website operators have received demand letters, with more demands and lawsuits expected. The U.S. Department of Justice and multiple courts have agreed with the position of the plaintiffs. Because of the legal grey area and conflicting court decisions, lawsuits are not easily dismissed and the costs of lawsuit defense may be substantial, driving settlements.
Settlements typically include a financial payment and a requirement to improve the accessibility of the website to disabled users using electronic screen readers and other technology…
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