The E-World of People

The E-World of People Who Live With Disabilities

INFORMAITONAL HANDOUT

Presented by WeCo (The Wehrman Collaborative, LLC)

Web Site, Document and Online Accessibility Specialists

President, Lynn 855-849-5050 x1

More information at: theweco.com or on Twitter: WeCo5

WHAT IS WEB ACCESSIBILTY?

Photographs in this publication are courtesy of Laurie Schneider Photography

We all agree that web sites work well when people find them useful to learn about information and services they want and need and are able to perform functions that make their lives easier. However, people who live with disabilities may have specific challenges when accessing web sites and other online venues such as forms and webinars, because they access the internet in a different way. These challenges in access prompted laws to ensure that all people have access to electronic information, regardless of their disability. These laws apply to every group that reaches out to the American public including government, non-profit and for-profit.

WeCo is a mission-based for-profit company that was started, in part, to give people working to make their communications accessible, direct access to people who live with disabilities. It is our goal to help you understand that creating accessible online venues is not only possible, it is extremely attainable. Developers and content managers need only to learn about how people living with disabilities use computers and access the internet and consider different options in designing online venues. The built in bonus is that when an online venue is more accessible to people who live with disabilities, it becomes much easier for people who don’t live with a disability to use as well. Everyone benefits from accessible design!

ACCESS LEGISLATION 101

There are two main pieces of access legislation that touch the work of electronic communication professionals. They are listed below with a brief explanation:

This law applies to all organizations who work with the public: government, non-profit and for-profit. Covering infrastructure, such as accessibility to public buildings, is only part of this law. It also states that communications must be accessible to people who live with disabilities on the same level as it is to people who are not disabled. The communications covered in this law include web sites, email, electronic documents and other forms of communication such as webinars.

©The Wehrman Collaborative, LLC December 4, 2012

UNAUTHORIZED USE AND DISTRIBUTION OF THIS DOCUMENT IS PROHIBITED

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THE REHABILITIATION ACT OF 1973: SECTION 508

This law applies to organizations which receive federal dollars, including private organizations who contract with the government for services and those who are recipients of federal program funds. Often referred to as “Section 508” this law contains a much more prescriptive list of communication requirements for web sites and other online venues than the Americans with Disabilities Act. In many ways, this is a plus because it creates a “check list” of sorts that can be followed to create accessible communications for any organization.

NAVIGATING THE INTERNET WITH A DISABILITY

Having a working knowledge regarding the challenges people living with disabilities face when using the internet will help you better understand how to develop your venues for accessibility. Next is a listing of challenges, and devices people use to meet these challenges.

©The Wehrman Collaborative, LLC 12/4/2012 UNAUTHORIZED USE IS PROHIBITED

Motor Skill-Related Devices:

•Sip and puff switch

•Trackball

•Roller/joy stick

•Aerobic and foot mouse

oFinancial forms

•Mouse-dependent sites oNumerous pages, links and

attachmentsoScrolling for content

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•One option for receiving information

•Automatic movement and refresh

•Sound interfering with screen reader use

THANK YOU FROM WECO’S ACCESSIBILITY TEAM

WeCo’s Team of Accessibility Specialists are not only trained in the techniques that make web sites, software, document and other online format accessible to people living with disabilities, we live with disabilities ourselves! Your organization can benefit from our unique “inside perspective” and can also feel good about working with a mission-based company which provides employment to people who may have been overlooked by traditional work environments.

Thank you for attending our presentation today and don’t hesitate to ask us questions and take advantage of our free and low-cost tools and services listed on the next page!

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