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WAI: Strategies, guidelines, resources to make the Web accessible to people with disabilities

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Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) Home

1. Introducing Accessibility
2. Guidelines & Techniques
3. Managing Accessibility
   1. Policy Resources
   2. Business Case
   3. Implementing
   4. Presentations and Training
      1. WAI Presentations
      2. Developing Presentations and Training
         1. Accessibility Topics
         2. »Presentation Outlines
         3. Workshop Outline
      3. Making Presentations Accessible
   5. Technical Papers
4. Evaluating Accessibility
5. WAI Groups
6. About WAI

Example Outlines for Web Accessibility Presentations
[Editor's draft in progress - updated 20 August 2010]

Introduction

This page provides example outlines of four web accessibility presentations. It shows how you can use the Accessibility Topics as building blocks for different types of presentations.

Presentation outlines on this page:

1. Introducing web accessibility (20 minutes for any audience)
2. Web accessibility business case (10 minutes for senior management)
3. Using an accessible web (1 hour for people with accessibility needs)
4. Accessible web design (2 hour lecture during semester-long web design course)

Note: See also How to Make Your Presentations Accessible to All for guidance on making your presentations and training accessible to people with disabilities and others in your audience.

1. Introducing web accessibility (20 minutes for any audience)

Example scenario: general overview of web accessibility, as one of several short presentations from a panel of speakers.

Notes:

• Introducing Web Accessibility can be adapted for many different types of audiences, including technical or non-technical, managers, developers, designers, people with disabilities, disability advocates, procurement officers, and others
• Handout: WCAG 2 at a Glance

The audience will:

• Understand the meaning and importance of web accessibility
• Learn how people with disabilities use the web and about the barriers encountered on websites that are not well designed
• Be able to explain aspects of the business case for web accessibility, and know where to find more resources

Sample outline:

(The first level links go to the Accessibility Topics page with resources, notes, and other details.)

• Introducing web accessibility topic (5 minutes)
  • Describe what web accessibility is and why it's important
  • Mention the WAI guidelines as the international standard for making the Web accessible
• How people with disabilities use the Web topic (10 minutes)
  • Discuss some of the scenarios from How People with Disabilities use the Web and/or Show some short videos of people with disabilities using the Web
  • Mention a range of other barriers [draft] that some people experience
• Business case for web accessibility topic (5 minutes)
  • Introduce aspects of the business case that are most relevant to your audience such as
    • the demographics of the disability marketplace
    • the carry-over benefits of universal design
    • the changing demographics
    • any policy requirements that might apply locally
  • Point to the case studies of accessibility improvements

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2. Web accessibility business case (10 minutes for senior management)

Example scenario: short presentation during a senior management meeting to introduce the business case for web accessibility.

Notes:

• Handout: WCAG 2 at a Glance

The audience will:

• Understand the meaning and importance of web accessibility
• Appreciate the additional benefits of web accessibility such as improved mobile web access, search engine optimization (SEO), etc
• Understand the policy landscape and liabilities associated with web accessibility
• Know about case studies and successful corporate accessibility policies and practices

Sample outline:

(The first level links go to the Accessibility Topics page with resources, notes, and other details.)

• Introducing web accessibility topic (4 minutes)
  • Describe what web accessibility is
  • Briefly introduce demographics using demographics of the disability marketplace OR the changing population demographics
  • Mention a range of barriers from How People with Disabilities use the Web
• Business case for web accessibility topic (6 minutes)
  • Introduce the carry-over benefits of universal design highlighting some of the additional business benefits that accrue to accessible websites, including:
    • better access by older people
    • better access by mobile users
    • improved search engine optimization (SEO)
  • Give a brief policy overview if relevant for the organization's locale or markets, mentioning national legal requirements and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
    -- OR --
    Introduce the social factors that an organization might consider and mention web accessibility as an aspect of corporate social responsibility
  • Highlight some of the case studies of accessibility improvements

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3. Using an accessible web (1 hour for people with accessibility needs)

Example scenario: presentation for non-technical people (such as users, trainers, or accessibility advocates) about web accessibility and accessibility features of computers, browsers, and websites.

The audience will:

• Gain some familiarity with the range of devices and adaptive strategies used by people with disabilities and older users
• Begin to understand what an accessible website offers
• Know that there are WAI guidelines that address accessibility
• Appreciate they can approach an organization about barriers encountered

Sample outline:

(The first level links go to the Accessibility Topics page with resources, notes, and other details.)

• Introducing web accessibility topic (5 minutes)
  • Describe what web accessibility is
  • Introduce the different ways people with disabilities and older people use the web
    - discuss some scenarios and/or show some short videos
• How people with disabilities use the web topic (25 minutes)
  • Discuss and illustrate the range of adaptive strategies and assistive technologies, using Better Web Browsing: Tips for Configuring Your Computer
  • Demonstrate the Before and After Demonstration with adaptive strategies and talk about the differences in the 'after' version, highlighting some of the features an accessible website should have
• Components of web accessibility topic (10 minutes)
  • Talk about content being perceivable, operable, understandable and robust (POUR), and discuss some of the paraphrased WCAG 2 guidelines from WCAG 2 at a Glance in terms of what to expect
  • Show an integrating slide from 'components of web accessibility' and introduce the idea that there are international guidelines for web accessibility
• Promoting web accessibility topic (5 minutes)
  • Introduce contacting organizations with inaccessible websites and explain that access to information is a right
• Questions (15 minutes)
  • Leave plenty of time for questions and discussion.

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4. Accessible web design (2 hour lecture during semester-long web design course)

Example scenario: lecture/presentation on web accessibility as part of a full semester's introductory course on general web design skills.

Notes:

• Handouts: WCAG 2 at a Glance and WAI Web Accessibility Resources

Learning objectives:

After the lecture and exercise, students should be able to:

• Describe various ways people with different disabilities and older users use the Web
• List the factors in the business case for web accessibility and the additional benefits that might apply
• Identify barriers in using the web and identify solutions that would improve the situation
• Refer to the WAI website to obtain technical guidance about accessibility when developing a website
• Refer to appropriate processes, techniques, and tools to evaluate websites for accessibility

Sample outline:

(The first level links go to the Accessibility Topics page with resources, notes, and other details.)

• Introduction to web accessibility topic (5 minutes)
  • Describe what web accessibility is
• How people with disabilities use the web topic (15 minutes)
  • Show some videos of people with disabilities using the Web and discuss different situations and barriers
    and/or discuss scenarios from How People with Disabilities use the Web
  • Briefly discuss other barriers from How People with Disabilities use the Web to balance the video or scenarios
  • Introduce the components of web accessibility, and the role of authoring tools and user agents in creating and accessing web content
  • Give disability a personal connection by asking how many of the students' grandparents are online and experiencing any difficulties
• Business case for web accessibility topic (15 minutes)
  • Introduce the demographics of the disability marketplace, and some demographic and changing abilities material from Web Accessibility for Older Users
  • Talk about the carry-over benefits of universal design and discuss the various factors in the business case for web accessibility
• Designing accessible websites with WCAG 2 topic (45 minutes)
  • Show the "before" parts of the Before and After Demonstration and discuss the barriers that exist
  • Introduce WCAG 2.0 principles and guidelines and demonstrate the How to Meet WCAG 2.0 (Quick Reference) showing failure, success and advisory techniques, and the links to explanations in Understanding WCAG 2.0
  • Show the "after" parts of the Before and After Demonstration and discuss the improvements
  • Introduce a variety of WAI Resources including Better Web Browsing: Tips for Configuring Your Computer
• Evaluation for web accessibility topic (40 minutes)
  • Introduce the evaluation of websites for accessibility and discuss the value of tools and manual assessment
  • Demonstrate some browser-based initial evaluation techniques and some evaluation tools
  • Introduce the role that testing with users plays
  • Display a badly designed website (ask for nominations, but have one in reserve), and have students critique the site and discuss how to fix the problems

Suggested advance reading for students:

• Accessibility - W3C
• How People with Disabilities use the Web
• Developing a Web Accessibility Business Case for Your Organization

Homework assignment suggestion:

• Ask students to fix some web pages (possibly from the Before and After Demonstration), using How to Meet WCAG 2.0, and describe the barriers addressed and solutions applied.

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Status: Editor's draft in progress - updated 20 August 2010.
Please send comments to wai-eo-editors@w3.org (a publicly archived list)

Document Information

Draft last updated: 20 August 2010 [changelog]
Editors: Andrew Arch and Shadi Abou-Zahra. Previous editor: Judy Brewer. Contributors: Shawn Henry, Sharron Rush, Heather Hasner, Michael Stenitzer, Jennifer Sutton, and participants of the WAI-AGE Task Force and Education and Outreach Working Group. Developed as part of the WAI-AGE Project (IST 035015) funded by the European Commission under the 6th Framework.

[Contacting WAI] Feedback welcome to wai-eo-editors@w3.org (a publicly archived list).