this article discusses World Wide Web accessibility for public libraries.
if your library is not accessible electronically, ask them to become so.
If you are ignored or the library refuses, go after the rascals.
kelly
URL: http://www.librarylaw.com/ADAWebpage.html
Reprinted from California Libraries A publication of the California
Library Association Vol. 9, No. 4 April 1999, pp 8-9
Does Your Library's Web Page Violate the Americans with Disabilities
Act?
by
Mary Minow, J.D., A.M.L.S.
"When blind people use the Internet and come across unfriendly sites,
we aren't surfing, we are crawling ... Imagine hearing pages that say,
'Welcome to ... [image]' This is the home of ... [image].' 'Link,
link, link.' It is like trying to use Netscape with your monitor off
and your mouse unplugged. See how far you'll get."
- blind user [using a text reader to interpret the
Internet](1)
The Issue
As library patrons access your library through the Internet, new
access issues arise. On the one hand, the Internet can make your
library's resources more accessible to some patrons with disabilities,
especially homebound patrons. On the other hand, ineffective web page
design can shut some patrons out, particularly patrons with visual
impairments. For example, without special coding, a text browser will
only display the word "image" when it reads a graphic image. If the
graphic is essential to navigating the site, the user can go nowhere
fast.
The Law
The Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted in 1990. Public
libraries are covered under Title II and private libraries are covered
under Title III. 42 U.S.C. Section 12101 et seq.
The ADA prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities,
and provides a private cause of action to patrons to enforce its
provisions.
Section 12132 states that "no qualified individual with a disability
shall, by reason of such disability, be excluded from participation in
or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or activities of
a public entity." Section 12131 (1) (A) and (B) defines a public
entity as any state or local government, or any department or agency,
special-purpose district, or other instrumentality of a state or
states or local government.
A recent complaint was filed by a visually impaired public transit
customer, claiming that the San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation
Commission website violates the ADA as it is inaccessible to his
screen reader, which translates text from the website.(2) A complaint
against San Francisco alleged that city kiosks were inaccessible to
people who are blind or deaf. The city and its vendor is now working
to resolve the problem.(3)
In a policy ruling dated 9/9/96, 10 NDLR 240, the Department of
Justice stated that state, local governments and the business sector
must provide effective communication whenever they communicate through
the Internet. The effective communication rule would apply to
libraries using the Internet for communication regarding their
programs and services.
Further, the Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education,
surveyed all California community colleges and libraries to address
technology issues for people with disabilities. In their
groundbreaking finding of January 1998, OCR directed that college
systems ensure that their campus (and library) web pages be
accessible. At the California Association for Seconday Education on
Disability Conference in October 1998, the Chancellor passed out
copies of the letters and his responses directing this effort.(4)
Toward a Solution: Universal Design Principles
When building a library out of bricks and mortar, to meet the
accessibility guidelines dictated by law, it's best to use universal
design principles. The guiding principle behind universal design is
the assurance that a building is usable equably by all people. More
often than not, well-thought out design not only opens a building to
people with disabilities, but also makes its use more convenient for
others as well. For example, ramps and elevators are used by patrons
in wheelchairs, are also appreciated by others, such as parents with
strollers.
Similarly, universal design principles in web page design can be
useful to a variety of patrons. Patrons who wish to display images can
choose to do so, while those with slow modems may choose not to
display them, if alternative text is provided.
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), a private standard-setting body
released a draft set of Unified Web Site Accessibility Guidelines. Of
primary importance in the guidelines are the use of alternative tags
to provide descriptions of images, concern for color contrasts,
avoidance of tables, and a simple separation between hyperlinks to
allow screen readers to understand them.
The City of San Jose, a national and international model for
accessible web page design posts its accessibility guidelines. Its ten
minimum requirements for web accessibility are summarized here:
1. Provide an Access Instruction Page for Visitors (includes email
hyperlink for visitors to communicate problems with web page
accessibility)
2. Provide support for text browsers or have an alternative text page
displaying the same information.
3. Provide a second version of any document in Portable Document
Format (PDF). Use an accessible format such as ASCII or text HTML.
Include the word "PDF" in the hyperlink description to any PDF
document.
4. Attach "ALT" tags to graphic images so that screen readers can
identify the graphic.
5. Provide a "D" hyperlink to a description of a photograph that
contributes to the content of a page.
6. Caption all audio and video clips by using "CC" hyperlinks.
7. Provide descriptive words in any link text. Do not use words like
"this" or "click" alone.
8. Provide an alternative mechanism for online forms, such as a phone
number or email address.
9. Provide an Alternate Document Format Notice (To obtain this
information in an accessible format, please call XXX voice or XXX TTY)
if users are required to download software not accessible by a screen
reader.
10. Avoid the use of frames and tables which cannot be read
intelligently by screen readers. If tables are used, post an
Alternative Document Format Notice.(5)
Other Electronic Resources
A California library that provides access to electronic resources
beyond the Internet must also ensure that it does not discriminate in
providing access to individuals with disabilities. This includes not
only physical access to terminals, but also an obligation to provide
effective communication of the electronic resources therein.
Resources
Bobby, a web-based service that analyzes the accessibility of a web
page http://www.cast.org/bobby/
Leslie M. Campbell and Cynthia D. Waddell, "Electronic Curbcuts: How
to Build an Accessible Web Site" available at
http://www.prodworks.com/ilf/ecc.htm
Cannon, Robert, "Does Your Web Page Violate the American Disabilities
Act?" available at http://www.best.com/~tstms/webada.html and at
http://adlaw.ljx.com/legislation/does_web_page_violate_ada.html
City of San Jose World Wide Web Page Disability Access Design
Standards http://www.ci.san-jose.ca.us/oaacc/disacces.html
"Is Your Site ADA-Compliant? . . . or a Lawsuit-in-Waiting?" Internet
Lawyer 11/98 available at http://www.internetlawyer.com/ada.htm
State of California. Accessible Web Design. Useful page of links to
diagnostics and guidelines. http://www.ca.gov/access/howtoweb.html
Waddell, Cynthia "Applying the ADA to the Internet: a Web
Accessibility Standard." available at
http://www.isc.rit.edu/~easi/law/weblaw1.htm
W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (Draft)
http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-WAI-PAGEAUTH/
Lastly, be alerted that a major conference entitled "Understanding the
Digital Economy" in May will feature Cynthia Waddell who has been
commissioned to write a White Paper entitled, "The Growing Digital
Divide in Access for People with Disabilities." The draft of the paper
will be posted May 1 at
http://www.ita.doc.gov/industry/otea/utde/index.html
____________________________________________
Sidebar
Getting Started: Two Ways to Check Your Library's Web Page
Accessibility
First Way: Turn off images in your browser.
In Netscape, Edit/ Preferences/Advanced/ then uncheck the box that
says "automatically load images." Note: If you have a dial-up
connection, you will notice that pages load much faster.
See if you can read and navigate your web page without the images.
Second Way: Check Your Page by using the Bobby Website.
1. Point your browser to http://www.cast.org/bobby/
2. Fill in the blank with your library's URL and press Submit
3. Bobby analyzes your web page's accessibility based on the working
draft of the W3C's WAI Page Author guidelines and provides you with
feedback, including suggested fixes.
_________________________________________________________________
1. Cynthia Waddell, "Applying the ADA to the Internet: a Web
Accessibility Standard." written and presented on June 17, 1998 at the
American Bar Association national conference. Available at
http://www.isc.rit.edu/~easi/law/weblaw1.htm quoting NY Times
Cybertimes, 12/1/96.
2. S. Connolly, "Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act
in Cyberspace," Cyberspace Lawyer, January 1999 p. 8.
3. "Web focal to blind man's complaint," USA Today Tech Report
01/26/99 available at
http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/ctd831.htm
4. Interview with Cynthia Waddell, March 10, 1999.
5. City of San Jose Disability Access Standards Page available at
http://www.ci.san-jose.ca.us/oaacc/disacces.html
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