Section 508: NIH Meeting (July 30, 2008)Prudence Goforth Dick Stapleton Web Communications and New Media Division
Agenda- Introduction
- Section 508
- NIH’s Compliance Issues
- PDFs: Myths & Guidance
- PDF Tools
- Word Docs: Myths & Guidance
- ZIP Files
| - Video Files
- Broken Links
- Archiving
- Unapproved Domain Names
- Fixing the Problems
- Section 508 Remediation Planning
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NIH Web Presence
Section 508: Why Comply?It’s the right thing to do: - 28,000,000 people in the United States—approximately 10% of the population—are deaf or hearing impaired.
- 11,400,000 people have visual conditions not correctible by glasses.
- 6,400,000 new cases of eye disease occur each year.
- 2,800,000 people are visually handicapped from color blindness.
- 1,100,000 people are legally blind.
- Add those with dexterity issues and we’re talking 20% of the U.S. population.
And it’s the law.
Letters of Non-Compliance- WHO:
- Accessing Digital America (ADA)
- A non-profit Section 508 advocacy organization
- WHAT:
- Determine U.S. government compliance with relevant accessibility standards and statutes
- WHEN:
- Survey of federal Web sites began October 1, 2007
- HHS/OGC received first Letters of Notice in November
Scope of the Problem- Initial HHS Web site inventory
- 1.6 million Web pages
- 22.4 million 508 issues
- Average of 14 accessibility issues/page
- 1 million broken links
- Average of almost 1 broken link/page
May grow significantly as OpDivs submit inventories Does not cover attached files (DOC, PDF, PPT, etc.)
NIH Broken Links & 508 IssuesSelected Web Sites | Number of HTML Pages Scanned* | Broken Links | 508 Issues |
---|
ClinicalTrials.gov | 22,463 | 56,291 | 33,828 | Genome.gov | 879 | 2,311 | 42,504 | Grants.nih.gov | 2,134 | 18,745 | 34,333 | NIHSeniorHealth.gov | 4,973 | 13,657 | 239,248 | www.jobs.nih.gov | 80 | 15 | 4,259 | Edrn.nci.nih.gov | 2,562 | 3,751 | 48,791 | | | | | NIH TOTAL→ | 725,786 | 1,308,429 | 20,433,281 | NIH Average Problems per Page | 1.8 | 28.15 |
Other NIH Document Types not Scanned: PDFs, WORD docs, ZIP file, PPTs *Last Scan Date: 5/30/08
Word Myths & Facts- Myth:
- Word DOCs are easier for people to use.
- Fact:
- Word DOCs require the user have MS Word. (Proprietary software)
- The Better Choice: Straight HTML
- Word DOCs should be the choice only when the file needs to be modified by the end user.
PDF Myths & Facts: Signed Documents- Myth:
- PDF files necessary to show signature.
- Fact:
- U.S. Code proscribes handling signature as text.
- The Better Choice: Straight HTML
PDF Myths & Facts: “Etched in Stone”- Myth:
- If I post the file as a PDF, no one can change it.
- Fact:
- There are any number of freeware and software apps that alter PDF was easily as HTML.
- The Better Choice: Straight HTML
- Use PDF when a formatted document needs to be reproduced by the end user.
Guidance: Making Accessible PDFswww.hhs.gov/web/policies/pdfaccessibility/index.html
Tools: Adobe Acrobat Pro Essential for making compliant PDFs- Department standard for creating and/or verifying 508-compliant PDF documents
Tools: Adobe Acrobat Pro v9 Who needs it; How to buy it- Single licenses are available through NIH
(www.cdwg.com/dhg). - Both v8 and v9 being shipped until v9 is onto approved software list
- Upgrade vouchers for v8 copies bought after 5/ 1)
- Not required on every desk top
- But needed by everyone who regularly creates PDF files for Web (or email sharing)
- Some offices may consolidate 508 PDF function
Tools: CommonLookSupplement to Adobe Acrobat Pro (advanced tool) - Valuable for tagging complex tables and other non-textual content
- Steep learning curve
- Limited need
Tools: JAWS / Window Eyes / ZoomText Screen Reader (Testing PDFs)- Window Eyes
- Easy to use ($895 retail)
- Inexpensive
- Best for forms
| | - ZoomText 2 Magnifier/Reader ($595 retail)
- Less expensive
- Easier to use
- Will catch all errors
| | - JAWS ($1,095 retail)
- Not the easiest to use
- Too smart! (corrects some errors w/o reporting)
- Available on GSA Schedule, contract number GS-35F-0330J ($866.15)
| |
Tools: HHS 508 Lab- Available to offices/programs lacking access to 508 remediation or testing tools
- Available for training
- Equipped with all major tools
- Adobe Acrobat Pro
- CommonLook
- Window Eyes (soon)
- JAWS
- ZoomText
- Policy Tester (soon)
All Videos Must Be CaptionedNIHSeniorHealth.gov: The Nun Study on Alzheimer’s Disease |
Quick: What’s the Most Visited Page on HHS Web Sites?
Broken Links: What To Do- Try to fix it
- Check the URL for typos (rare)
- Try to find the appropriate page or file being linked
- Delete it or comment it out
- Record the link
- Notify the page owner
- Reinstate if replacement link is found
508 Compliance: Clean Out the Basement
Archive Outdated Content 508 Exempt!Header: Footer:
508 Compliance: Clean Out the BasementThis is your very best friend. Use it wisely. Use it a lot.
- Eliminate old PDFs and DOCs
- Eliminate PowerPoints
- Eliminate old videos, Webinars & podcasts
- Ask yourself, “Is retaining this content worth the cost of making it 508 compliant?”
Unapproved Domain Names
Web Inventory
508: Contracting Language- Acquisition policy provides language applicable to Statements of Work (SOW) or Performance Work Statements (PWS)
- Covers all Web sites & content for Web sites
- Covers communications materials including reports, documents, charts, posters, and audio or video materials
- Placed on a department-owned or department-funded Web site
- Intended for public or internal use
508: Grants Language
508: HHS Guidance & Standardshttp://www.hhs.gov/web/508/index.html
508: “Accommodations”- Provide on-demand access
- Braille
- Large type
- Someone reads the content
- Web Council Committee to determine guidance
- Document size
- Document Complexity
- Potential demand for content
- On-demand accommodations has its own cost
508: “Accommodations”- Provide access to help on file-by-file basis
- Approval required from WCD before doing this
508 Compliance & Remediation (C&R) PlanFive-year Phased Approach
508 Compliance & RemediationPlan Implementation Priorities - Web infrastructure (html code)
- Demand (most viewed or downloaded)
- Interactivity (forms and training)
- Agency/OPDIV mission critical
- Disabled audience specific
What’s Next?- Stay focused when dealing with 508 issues
- 508 is the law; we must comply
- 508 is the right thing to do
- Serving the disabled is integral to HHS mission!
- Review your business processes – build in compliance and maintenance [all contracts]
- Prepare to be brutal with your Web
- 20% of your pages do 90% of your work
- 25% of your pages do nothing
- Delete or archive non-compliant legacy content!
508 Compliance & Remediation Site Cleanup- One major cornerstone of remediation is the removal of expendable Web sites and legacy files
- Deleting obsolete sites and content
- Archiving dated sites and content
- Eliminating orphan sites
- Removing duplicate content or pages
- Consolidating disorganized content
- Is this page/site/file worth the cost of remediation?
508 Standards/GuidanceThe following standards are planned or in development: - Alternative Text/Long Description
- Audio *
- Excel Files
- File Formats and When to Use Them
- HTML Tables
- Converting Scanned PDFs to OCR **
- How to Use Watchfire Policy Tester *
- Image Maps *
- Interim Approval for Non-Compliant Documents
- Making PowerPoint 508 Compliant
- Plug-ins
- Regulation and Federal Register Notices
- Skip Navigation – Standards and Policy
- Compressed Files *
- Managing Old Content *
* Out for comment ** Not started
508 Training Course Development- Testing Document Accessibility
- Creating Accessible Word Processing Documents (and email!) I & II
- Creating Accessible PDF Documents I & II
- Creating Accessible Power Point files
- Creating Accessible HTML I & II
- Creating Accessible Excel Files
- Creating Accessible Multimedia
- 508 and Contracting
- Developer Certification
508: Checking Compliance
WCD Enterprise-wide Support- Compliance and remediation management
- Inventory and progress reports: monthly
- Tools: analysis, selection and instruction
- Guidance: step-by-step instructions
- Standards
- Training: 12 modules planned
- Acquisition language/verification assistance
- We are the 508 “Help Desk”
WCD Enterprise Supportwww.hhs.gov/web/508
WCD 508 Contacts
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