Section 508 Testing at the U.S. Census Bureau
Lawrence A. Malakhoff
September 26, 2008 

Notes: 
Good afternoon, today I’d like to share with you lessons learned in the course of testing Census Bureau applications for accessibility.

Relevance of Accessibility
•	Ability for persons with disabilities to have access comparable to the access available to others.
 
•	Section 508 applies to Census Bureau Internet & Intranet web sites, forms, surveys, and desktop applications.

•	Since June 2001, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires that federal agencies make their electronic & information technology accessible. (per  Section 508, 29 U.S.C. ‘ 794d)

Notes: 
Accessibility has been the law since June 2001.

It is (bullet 1)

Federal agencies, including the Census Bureau, must make their internal and external web sites, and web surveys accessible.  Inaccessible technology interferes with an individual's ability to obtain and use information.

Overview	
•	Properties of Accessible Applications
•	Accessibility Testing: Scope & Method
•	Screen Elements
•	Navigation Bars
•	Alternate Text
•	Question Structure
•	Tables
•	Visual Focus
•	Portable Document Format (PDF)
•	Barriers to Accessibility
•	Recommendations

Notes:
Here’s what I’m going to cover in today’s talk.

IMAGE of Iceberg
Notes:
Image from
www.ingovogelmann.com 

Think of the iceberg as your application.  Until June 2001, all developers had to worry about was the GUI without considering accessibility.

Accessibility can be considered the major part of the iceberg below the waterline.

Any link or button in a graphical user interface (GUI) can be clicked after moving the mouse there.
  
However, the computer mouse is a barrier to individuals without vision and to persons with a repetitive stress injury. 

Persons without vision use screen-reader software and their keyboard to listen to text on the screen. 

Screen-readers read text on web sites and software applications in a predetermined order, known as the tab order. 

Developers must take into account the linear nature of the interaction between the screen-reader software and the application when they create the instructions and form labels for users to perform their tasks.  I’ll give some examples later.

For today’s Federal applications to be used by the public, all functionality above and below the waterline must be met.

Properties of Accessible Applications
•	Must be usable.
•	Adherence to Section 508.
•	Screen-reader users experience the same visual sequence of questions, answer choices, skip patterns and instructions.
•	One version of the application that is accessible, not separate versions.
•	Accessibility part of the design process.

Notes:
1.	Usability testing would need to be done with test participants performing typical tasks with reported issues addressed.  If it’s not usable, it’s really not accessible.

2.	Applications must adhere to section 508 web guidelines.

3.	Does the text read in the same order when accessed by tabbing/arrow keys as a sighted person would read it?

4.	It is more efficient to create one accessible application rather than two versions, such as “text only” and “regular”.  Any changes would need to be made to both versions instead of just one.  A text alternative should only be considered as a last resort.

5.  Accessibility should be part of the design process from the beginning.

Accessibility Testing:  Scope & Method
•	Limited to persons with visual impairments.
•	Tested applications with Insight/InFocus 4.2.2.
•	Used the Job Access With Speech (JAWS) 9 screen reader to verify accessibility findings.
•	Tested related elements, HELP, FAQs, etc., with JAWS & Adobe Acrobat 8.
•	Screen-based and Scrolling applications

Notes:
1.	Although 508 regulations also cover motor difficulties, the focus at the CB was on Low vision & blind users using windows XP.

2.	Web surveys, E-Learning, and data dissemination sites.  Used software from SSB.  Evaluated in-house and contractor work.  Programmers/contractors do repair.

3.	Automated tools do not address all accessibility issues, so manual checks with JAWS are needed to evaluate the “directions and cues” to perform the task.  JAWS is the most commonly used screen-reader.  Occasionally, employees who use JAWS are involved in usability testing.  JAWS users helped test the 2010 Census internet short form.

4.	Necessary because respondents may browse this information at any time.

5.  I tested two types of web surveys, screen based and scrolling. 

1.	  A screen based form has one question per screen.  Navigation is done by using previous/next buttons.

1.	  A scrolling or paging application has all questions on one screen.  Navigation is done by scrolling up or down the form.

                Navigation Bars
•	Repetitive elements must have an option to be skipped.

•	Applies to site menus & navigation bars.

Notes:
Navigation bars or menus are on every page.  A sighted user can disregard them, so a JAWS user needs a similar capability which is accomplished by using a “skip link”.

Skip links are needed wherever repetitive elements occur.  The skip link is a transparent graphical link positioned prior to the navigation bar.

Next I have some examples of managing alt text for images.

Unnecessary Graphics: Bullets
Notes:
Section 508 requires that graphics have a text description that can be accessed by a screen reader.  Graphics should be tagged in such a way to not add additional meaning.  Not all graphics should be tagged.

This example shows what the screen reader announces when fancy graphical bullets are used.  Software automatically generated this ALT text.  The screen reader user will hear every instance of the alt text for the bullet.

Use text, rather than graphic bullets, to avoid repetitive alt text such as “decorative bullet image”.

    Unnecessary Graphics: Spacers

Notes: 
Section 508 requires that graphics have a text description that can be accessed by a screen reader.  Graphics should be tagged in such a way to not add additional meaning.  Not all graphics should be tagged.

This example shows what the screen reader announces when spacer graphics are used. Software automatically generated this ALT text. Again, the screen reader user will hear every instance of the alt text for the spacer.

A sighted user skims over spaces, so a screen reader user should not have to hear this verbiage.

   Unnecessary Graphics: Line Dividers
•	Home
•	Contact Us
•	Help
•	FAQs
•	About
•	Tables
•	Publications

Notes:
Section 508 requires that graphics have a text description that can be accessed by a screen reader.  Graphics should be tagged in such a way to not add additional meaning.  Not all graphics should be tagged.

This example shows what the screen reader announces when line dividers are used. Software automatically generated this ALT text. The screen reader user will hear every instance of the alt text for the line.

A sighted user skims over lines, so a screen reader user should not have to hear this verbiage.

Optimizing Alternate Text

Notes:
Section 508 requires that graphics have a text description that can be accessed by a screen reader.  Graphics should be tagged in such a way to not add additional meaning.  Not all graphics should be tagged.

When 2 or more adjacent images occur, it is better to merge them into one image with brief alt text rather than alt text for each image.  Use “office chairs” instead of computer chair, reception chair, typing chair.

Labels using an Acronym
•	Problem:
“ALT text for MI is simply “MI”.  This may not be understood easily because it sounds like “my”.”

•	Recommendation:
“The ALT text for MI should be “Middle Initial” for Person 1 Name on this screen and the Household screen.”
                   
Notes:
This issue arose during accessibility testing of the Census Internet short form.

Sometimes it is better to expand the acronym or abbreviation for better understanding.  This will not affect the visual appearance of the screen.

Question Structure & Short Term Memory
•	Lengthy instructions can interfere with recall of original question.
•	Better to list topic, instructions, question, then response data entry field or options, in that order.

Notes:
1.	Because speech is linear, the first items mentioned tend to be the first items forgotten.  Sighted users do not have this problem because they can refer back to instructions easily.

2.	Listing the question topic first sets up context for instructions.  The question is asked with response options immediately following.

On the left is an example of a standard question, right is the new wording.  The most important text directly precedes the question.

Use Inferences to Streamline a Questionnaire.
•	Instructions.

•	Response options.

•	Question phrases.

Notes:
1.	Based on earlier answers, instructions, response options, and question phrases could be eliminated.

2.	In this example, if a respondent chose condition 2, they should not hear instructions for conditions 1 and 3 in the following question.

Use Inferences to Make Questionnaires Less Impersonal.
•	Use of “his”, “hers”, “he”, “she” is more engaging to the respondent.
•	Personal pronouns are preferable to a first name because they are less likely to be mispronounced by the screen reader.

Notes:
If gender is asked, this information could be used to infer more personalized dialogue for later questions.

Tables
•	Data tables occur in help or FAQs.

•	Data cells must be associated with row & column stubs to aid navigation.

•	Multiple row & column headers must be correctly associated. 

Notes:
1. We have a survey respondent who is blind looking for help in Vietnamese in Lake County.  This respondent has gone to a table listed in Help.  [Demonstrate how to get there.]

2. A blind respondent cannot see row & column headers for context when browsing.  This example is part of a much larger table, so a capability to hear table coordinates is essential.

3. Tables with multiple headers must be correctly associated with each other and the corresponding data cell.

Focus is shown when tabbing

Notes:
Web pages show the current focus with a box with dotted lines around the link or button.  This is usually not an issue with web pages.

JAWS users know what the current focus is because links and buttons are announced every time the tab key is pressed.

Software applications often do not show focus.

Both software applications and web pages sometimes do not tab in a logical order.  

There are no automated tools to check for correct tab order, so correct tab order is checked by visual inspection.

HTML Is More Accessible Than Portable Document Format (PDF).
•	Users must wait for Adobe Reader to load before accessing any PDF content.
•	When a PDF file is opened, the screen reader does not always detect text, depending on the version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.
•	PDF tables take much longer (several minutes) to load and be available to the screen-reader than HTML tables.
•	Cannot easily “retrofit” PDF files to be accessible

Notes:
1.	PDF files are designed so they are not modified easily.  

2. When a PDF link is clicked, the user exits browser mode and enters the Adobe Acrobat Reader mode with all new commands and structure.  Sighted users have had difficulty accomplishing simple tasks, such as printing, because two print menu options are available.

3. The standard government configuration desktop is overwhelmed when PDF table is loaded.  To the JAWS user, there is no feedback on the progress of loading a table and may believe their computer has frozen.

4. PDF files must be made accessible first before posting to a web site.  It is impossible to make a table in a PDF file accessible after it was pasted in as an image.

Barriers to Accessibility
•	Incorrect or missing ALT text for images
•	Unlabeled form fields and buttons
•	Tab order that does not match the visual reading order, sometimes requiring back-tabbing
•	Tables not properly tagged
•	Showing the current cursor position (focus)
•	Lack of navigational skip links
•	Free browser plug-ins (MicroSoft’s Word, PowerPoint, and Excel viewers)

Notes:
Here’s a summary of the main issues I have encountered during testing that present barriers to accessibility.

Users must wait (and wait) for the Adobe Reader to load before viewing content.  Sometimes content must be viewed off-line.

Recommendations
•	Questions should be structured to accommodate short term memory issues.
•	Alt text should not add additional meaning beyond what an able-bodied user sees.
•	Create one accessible application instead of versions with & without graphics.
•	Infer question wording from earlier responses.
•	HTML is preferable to PDF for documentation.
•	Use accessible design templates.

Notes:
Assume all users have limited short term memory.

Do not tag decorative and formatting graphics.

Text based version does not always get updated on a timely basis.

Accessibility to questions was similar on scrollable & screen based applications, but a screen based form has the advantage of using inferences to customize the questions.

Users must wait (and wait) for the Adobe Reader to load before viewing content.  Sometimes content must be viewed off-line.

Excel does not permit easy table navigation.

Word – can’t read tables, HTML

PowerPoint cannot be used directly, must be converted to rich text format (RTF) file or pasted into a word.  After conversion to a webpage, content is more difficult to access because of bloated code than if it were initially created as an HTML web page.

Accessible design templates are available in Dream Weaver and Front Page.

Census Partners
•	Multimedia Working Group
•	Educational Services Branch
•	Website Services & Coordination Staff
•	X-12 Arima Group 
•	Management Services Office
•	2010 Census Manager Training Program
•	Master Address File/Tiger SW Developers

Notes:
I am currently working with these groups at the Census Bureau.

MWG:  Apply 508 standards to Census multimedia – Flash content.

ESB:  test E-Learning applications for accessibility - title 13 training

WSCS:  Check CB websites for accessibility

X-12:  Check desktop apps written in C#

MSO:  Census in Schools application for kids

DSCMO:  Census Challenge CBT 

MAF/Tiger mapping application inherently visual but enhanced keyboard navigation

Resources
•	Good web design:
–	 www.usability.gov 

•	JAWS screen reader:
–	www.freedomscientific.com

•	Accessibility evaluation: 
–	www.ssbtechnologies.com

•	Accessible Tables:
–	www.jimthatcher.com/webcourse9.htm

•	Accessible Forms:
–	www.webaim.org/techniques/forms/

Contact Information
Lawrence A. Malakhoff
301-763-3688
lawrence.a.malakhoff@census.gov

Notes:
I am here to help.

There is no charge for an accessibility evaluation.

Call or email with your request.