[music]
>> Equidox PDF Accessibility Solutions — Reach Everyone.
[music]
In today's technological society,
the internet is part of our daily lives.
We all shop, learn, conduct our personal business,
and enjoy entertainment and recreation online.
Access to digital information is more important than ever.
Digital accessibility is about reaching everyone
in your target market.
People with disabilities make up 20 to 25 percent
of the U.S. population.
Some disabilities are easy to perceive,
such as a person in a wheelchair or who has a guide dog.
Others, such as the deaf,
may not be obvious at first glance.
Some disabilities are not obvious at all,
such as people with dyslexia,
cognitive issues, brain trauma, or mental health conditions.
And some people with disabilities appear
and are quite capable
but still have difficulty with some tasks.
There are also temporary disabilities,
such as injuries or conditions that make performing daily tasks
a bit more challenging.
So it is important to be mindful that ensuring you can reach
everyone is something that needs to be done all the time,
not just when we perceive that assistance is needed.
Equal access is one of the tenets of the federal laws
and regulations about people with disabilities.
These are divided into two major areas —
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Section 508 applies to any federal employees
or members of the public who need access
to government information and communication technology.
This includes government websites.
The Americans with Disabilities Act covers public accommodation,
including organizations with public websites.
There are also accessibility laws for many states as well.
There have been a great number of lawsuits
in the past few years regarding website accessibility,
and that number has increased year over year.
Understanding digital accessibility
as a means to equal access
requires more than just a concept;
a set of rules or guidelines is required.
The set of guidelines to which
the largest number of organizations refer to
is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
developed by the international organization
known as the World Wide Web Consortium, or W3C.
This organization is made up of members from around the globe,
and the guidelines they have developed —
usually referred to as WCAG —
have been accepted by many countries worldwide.
WCAG guidelines are not simply a checklist of do's and don'ts.
The guidelines consist of a number of best practices,
which are based on four requirements
for maximum accessibility
so digital information can reach everyone.
The first is Perceivable, meaning that all functions
must be able to be perceived by the user.
That means all buttons must be labeled.
There must be no area of the website or digital document
that a user cannot reach using any means,
be it a mouse, keyboard, or voice activation.
The visible elements should have proper contrast,
and users should have the ability to enlarge the content.
The second is Operable.
All functions must be able to be completed by any user.
For example, there should be no function that requires a mouse
but cannot be completed with the keyboard.
Next is Understandable.
The content should not be so complicated
that it is difficult to understand.
Users should be able to complete the task
contained on a website with a reasonable level of effort.
Simpler is assumed to be better in order
to benefit the largest number of users.
Last is Robust.
This means that the website or document
will function using a variety of browsers,
a variety of technology, and continue to function
despite technological updates or advances.
For example, a website should work properly
on a laptop, tablet, smartphone,
and using whatever assistive technology is best for the user.
No user should be excluded from access
simply by virtue of the method with which they do so.
Digital accessibility is about reaching everyone,
being inclusive, and goes beyond a checklist
to include new and changing technologies.
Making your website and digital documents accessible, compliant,
and usable not only meets the letter of the law,
but makes your digital information available
to the broadest possible audience.
To learn more about how to make your digital content
more accessible, visit us at www.equidox.co.