Beyond WCAG 2.0 - Effective Inclusive Design Through Testing
presented by Jack Armley!
We do everything online, so all should have access regardless of whether they’re on a super fast Macbook Pro or a mobile with low bandwidth. The same is true for users who augment their regular setup with Assistive Technology (AT) such as Screen Readers, to ensure they can still navigate websites. They could have visual impairment, low motor skills or a form of colour blindness for example. These differences can be lifelong, temporary (like a broken arm) or can happen at a later stage in life (like cataracts).
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0) help web builders create a more inclusive experience. Its recommendations aim to ensure a site will work for those of varying ability, who may use ATs. They are useful, but aren’t a silver bullet. We all know that the best way to check something works within a particular browser/device is: “Test, test test!” Opening a screenreader and using it to navigate a page highlights the cracks and bottlenecks, and will bring into sharp focus why the WCAG guidelines are so important.
We’ll look at how you can use Screen Readers to test your pages to create a more inclusive experience. We’ll also look at how more complex patterns can be achieved through responsible use of WAI-ARIA.
Aims:
• To understand who benefits from an inclusively built website.
• To illustrate the importance of some key WCAG 2.0 guidelines through Assistive Technology demoing.
• To show how more complex interactions are made accessible for all through WAI-ARIA (Web Accessibility Initiative - Accessible Rich Internet Applications).
About Jack Armley:
I'm a front-end developer and accessibility advocate with the CSE (Client Side Engineering) team here at Expedia. I work with a team of super smart folk on the UI Toolkit, a component library that has grown to become a benchmark for accessibility and best-practice within the company. In my spare time I attend hackathons and meetups, hanker after shoes I can't afford and spam Instagram with drawings of bears.
Slides can be found here: [ Ссылка ]
