SECTION 508 > WCAG 2.0HOW WILL COMPLIANCE TESTING CHANGE?

Barry Johnson

Senior Accessibility Consultant

Deque Systems

Wednesday May 15, 2012 – 9:00 am

Listening is an Art We Should All Strive to Learn

Learning Objectives:

Participants will learn about testing techniques to comply with WCAG 2.0.

Participants will understand how the change in 508 standards will affect them.

Participants will explore how WCAG 2.0 will provide a more accessible result than the current 508 standards.

Participants will discuss and compare notes on approaches to testing for the refresh.

What do I know?

Programmer/Developer for 20 years Working on web & software accessibility

since 1990 Worked at FAA & DoT, HHS, DHS and now ED Assisted DoT in implementing A11y policies

as well as AccVerify/Repair across all dot.gov properties

Worked with William at HHS ASPA/WCD on their Compliance and Remediation Guidelines.

Where Are We?

For the past decade we have all been working to ensure our websites are Section 508 compliant to the current 1194.22 & .21 standards. Now, as the 508 refresh approaches, we are going to be faced with some new challenges as some of the features we have been "passing" on our tests are not acceptable under the 2.0 Guidelines.

Where are we Headed

E207.2 WCAG Conformance.  User interface components and content of platforms and applications shall conform to Level A and Level AA Success Criteria and Conformance Requirements specified for web pages in WCAG 2.0 (incorporated by reference in Chapter 1).

http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/refresh/draft-rule.htm#_Toc310327562

ISO/IEC 40500:2012

The Challenge

The challenge for the US Federal Government Agencies as the new standards are released is going to be changing the way they validate compliance.  Specifically for web accessibility they will need to re-train their accessibility testers, edit their testing methodologies, update their testing tools, and retrain their developers. 

Current Section 508

Most of us know “The 16” by heart and the Software Standards… 1194.22 (a) – (p) 1194.21 (a) – (l)

The current tools / toolbars help with 1194.22

Some help test .21 Inspect A-Viewer

Current Section 508

Guide to the Section 508 Standards for Electronic and Information Technology

http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/guide/1194.22.htm

What should we be getting ready to do?

The “refresh” and WCAG 2.0 What is added / What are the differences What is the difference between “A”, “AA” &

“AAA”? Easy Harder Hardest

Refresh is mapping to “A” & “AA” How should this change our testing

approach?

What is Added?

Keyboard Accessibility Form Errors Live Captions Link Meaning

Change in Focus

An a11y friend recent said:“We are changing from a product type focus to a product features focus”

WCAG 2.0 - POUR

1 Perceivable 2 Operable 3

Understandable 4 Robust

How to Meet WCAG 2.0

Sufficient Techniques Links to examples

Advisory Techniques Examples – some with links, some not

Failures Examples – some with links, some not

http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref/

Layers of Guidance

The Guidelines Under each principle there is a list of

guidelines that address the principle. There are a total of 12 guidelines.

Card Deck

Success Criteria

Under each guideline, there are Success Criteria that describe specifically what must be achieved in order to conform to this standard. They are similar to the "checkpoints" in WCAG 1.0. The Success Criteria are written to be technology neutral.

Sufficient and Advisory Techniques

Technology Neutral Guidance & Examples Multiple Techniques are provided

Warning!

Although content may satisfy the Success Criteria, the content may not always be usable by people with a wide variety of disabilities. Professional reviews utilizing recognized qualitative heuristics are important in achieving accessibility for some audiences.

Changes in Testing Tools

Upgrade all of your tools Latest WAT 2011 Latest WAVE Toolbar Latest Web Developer

Toolbar Latest Firebug Add-in Updated Fireeyes /

Worldspace

Guidance on Applying WCAG 2.0 http://www.w3.org/TR/wcag2ict/

4. Comments by Guideline and Success Criterion

http://www.w3.org/TR/wcag2ict/#wcag2ict_comments_principles-guidelines-sc

Comparison Chart/Roadmap

Discussion Time

Let’s talk and compare notes…

Thank you

Thank you for coming today. Stay tuned for changes – uh, I mean

“Updates” - as the government moves to the refresh and WCAG 2.0 Guidelines.

Follow the A11y “Tribe” on Twitter Search #a11y Follow the speakers here at AccessU

Connecting with Deque

Twitter LinkedIn Web Email @dequesystems Deque Systems deque.com info@deque.com