Best Practices: Deploying Section 508 in your organization

Transcription

1 Spring 2017 Section 508 Accessibility for Managers and Webmasters Best Practices: Deploying Section 508 in your organization How to make it easy to create accessible documents efficiently and within your budget. Presented by Bevi Chagnon PubCom.com Federal Contractors and Trainers for Federal Publishing January 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom.com

2 PubCom PO Box Takoma Park, MD You can reach us at , Bevi Chagnon Publishing rights granted to BJ Chagnon Corp, d/b/a PubCom Version Portions of this book previously appeared in other editions by Bevi Chagnon. Notice of Rights All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, by , as a PDF, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher, except for the inclusion of brief excerpts in a review. For Federal government publishers. If you wish to include any of the materials in this publication for reference in a contract or proposal, please send a written request to Bevi Chagnon at PubCom via to bevi@pubcom.com or by mail to the post office box listed above. Notice of Liability The information in this publication is distributed on an as is basis without warranty. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this course book, neither the author nor PubCom shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the instructions contained in this course book or by the computer software products described in it. Trademarks PubCom and Section 508 Accessibility Workshop are trademarks of the BJ Chagnon Corp. Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Reader, Adobe PageMaker, Adobe Dreamweaver, Adobe GoLive, and PostScript are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems, Inc. QuarkXPress is a trademark of Quark, Inc. Microsoft Office, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Word, Excel, Entourage, Outlook, Publisher, and PowerPoint are all registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Apple, Mac, Mac OS, Macintosh, and TrueType are trademarks of Apple, Inc. CorelDRAW is a registered trademark of Corel Corporation. The above and other terms mentioned in this course book that are known to be trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized. Other product names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. PubCom cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this publication should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 2

3 Contents 1. Overview of Accessibility: the law, the regulations, the people, and how Sec. 508 affects your organization....5 People and Accessibility... 6 What is accessibility?... 7 The numbers... 7 Overview of Section New standards will clear up the confusion... 9 What s covered by Section What s not covered by Section 508: Timeline Who controls Section 508? Section 508 and International Standards Section 508 vs. WCAG vs. PDF/UA Harmonization with international standards How US standards and guidelines are developed and enforced WCAG 2.0 Principles P O U R PubCom s Quick Summary for Accessible Documents The benefits to your organization What Makes an Electronic Document / ICT Accessible Structure + tags provide the core accessibility What <tags> Do Tables Example: Structure + Tags Samples of tags and structure How tags provide accessibility Putting Accessibility to Work What to do in MS Word Example: Word Formatting Styles Plan your Workflow and Sec. 508 Procedures How a Sec. 508 Workflow Works What are the options? Smart and Sane Sec. 508 Workflows Sane workflow #1 Word to PDF and Websites Sane workflow #2 Editor Sane workflow #3 in-house desktop publishing Who s on your team New positions for Sec. 508 quality control Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 3

4 5. Make It Easy Key points to keep in mind Key Strategies Organization Concerns Contracting Language and Federal Grants Contracting for Section 508 Remediation Services Standards for contract references Deliverables Define the deliverables from outsource contractors Deliverables from grant recipients Scans of Legacy Documents Native Files from Design and Printing Vendors About The Presenter Notes Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 4

5 1. Overview of Accessibility: the law, the regulations, the people, and how Sec. 508 affects your organization. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 5

6 People and Accessibility There are many disabilities, and there many different types of software and hardware that assist people who use computers. Examples: A blind person uses screen reader software that voices the text on the page and also announces the tag labels on the different parts of the document. Users are told which text is a heading, where the graphics are, and that they re reading a table of data. A disabled veteran, who has lost use of his arms and hands, uses an input device such as a trackpad that he taps with his forehead, to tap to different fields in a PDF form and fill in the information. A senior with glaucoma uses software that enlarges the document on the screen and changes the background color to increase the contrast, which makes it more legible for her to read. A deaf person uses the closed captioning on an audio-video clip to read a transcript of the narration. Regardless of the disability, these technologies require a standardized set of features in all documents and websites so that people can open, read, understand, and interact with the content. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 6

7 What is accessibility? Simply put, accessible means that a document, web page, or other file is readable by computers and devices used by people who are blind, physically disabled, or have another disability that interferes with their using a computer. The combination of software and hardware devices that assists disabled users is called assistive technology, adaptive technology, or AT for short. Some AT examples are: Screen readers and Braille printers for blind users; Magnifying software for low-vision users; Speech recognition software (speech-to-text) for disabled users; Mice, joysticks, and other pointing devices for physically disabled users; and Closed captioning for deaf users. The numbers No one can say exactly how many people use assistive technologies, but many in the industry estimate that 25-30% of our population (approximately million citizens) has a disability or impairment that makes it difficult to use a computer. The US Census Bureau s 2010 Census shows that 19% of the population has a disability. Disabilities can range from minor or temporary impairments to permanent disabilities. Think about your friends, family members, and colleagues who might have one of these very common conditions: Vision Nearsightedness Color blindness Macular degeneration Cataracts Glaucoma Total blindness Detached retina Strabismus (crossed eyes) Lasik surgery starbursts Mobility and Neurological Amputated fingers, hands, or arms Paralysis Essential tremors Repetitive stress injury (including carpal tunnel syndrome) Side effects from stroke, including tremors, partial paralysis, and poor physical coordination and dexterity Side effects from injuries, surgery, anesthesia, chemotherapy, medical treatments, and medications Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 7

8 Brain neurological disorders, including epilepsy, tumors, and seizures from overstimulation Brain damage from meningitis, Lyme disease, dengue fever, and other infections Brain damage from concussions and other injuries Neurological disorders, including Parkinson s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), ALS (Lou Gehrig s disease), Huntington s disease, and Alzheimer s disease Migraine headaches Cognitive Dyslexia Learning disabilities, such as ADHD Concussions Dementia Hearing Deafness Hearing loss Tinnitus Accessibility is not just for those who are blind. It s for everyone. And it s for every digital technology, too. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 8

9 Overview of Section 508 In the 1990s, as more of our information was migrating to the Internet and computer technologies, Section 508 was developed to prevent discrimination against disabled federal employees and citizens who use assistive technologies (AT). With roots in the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA, 1968) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, 1990), Section 508 refers specifically to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which was amended in 1998 during the Clinton administration and put into force in The original Section 508 standards published in 2000 covered only website information, and unfortunately, documents and other types of file formats fell into a gray area. Given that during the past 16 years, new technologies have come into wide use such as smartphones, tablets, and other new technologies much of our government information slips through the cracks of the original 2000 standards. Consequently, every agency has a different interpretation of Section 508 s requirements; some agencies require all documents to be accessible, while others don t. New standards will clear up the confusion The new revisions to Section 508 (the ICT Refresh ) released in January, 2017 and taking effect in January, 2018, remove these gray areas and standardize everything for the entire Federal sector. All agencies will need to meet the same set of standards, government-wide. Also, the new Federal standards formally incorporate the two international accessibility standards WCAG 2.0, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, and PDF/UA (universal access, ISO ) into our federal Section 508 requirements. With all forms of electronic information now under established standards, there will be few differences between agencies. References: Sec WCAG PDF/UA and Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 9

10 What s covered by Section 508 New term: ICT Information and Communications Technology includes all forms of communication, including websites, document files, , and telecommunications. Nearly everything created, procured, or maintained by the Federal government will be covered by the new revisions, not just websites: All electronic information, o o o regardless of the software used to create it, regardless of the file format it s in (Word, PDF, PowerPoint, HTML, etc.), or the method of distribution (published on a website, stored on a file server, distributed via , burned to a CD, or any other digital format) All ICT created by all Federal agencies, as well by the US Postal Service, military departments, government corporations, government-controlled corporations, any other establishment in the Executive branch, and any independent regulatory agency. (Sec. 508: E201.1 Scope) All electronic information created by Federal contractors (only those created with Federal funds, not their corporate or public documents). All electronic documents created by recipients of Federal grants (only those created with Federal funds, not their organization s documents). Part E205 of the revised Sec. 508 standards defines these categories of ICT: E205.2 Public Facing. All public facing content must be accessible. E205.3 Non-public facing content, when it constitutes official business and is communicated by an agency in one or more of the following 8 categories: 1. An emergency notification. 2. An initial or final decision adjudicating an administrative claim or proceeding. 3. An internal or external program or policy announcement. 4. A notice of benefits, program eligibility, employment opportunity, or personnel action. 5. A formal acknowledgement or receipt. 6. A questionnaire or survey. 7. A template or form. 8. Educational or training materials. What s not covered by Section 508: Printed documents. Press-quality files destined for print contractors and GPO presses. ICT created by agencies that are part of a national security system. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 10

11 Records maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) unless they are public facing. ICT created by the General Accounting Office (GAO) or the Federal Election Commission (FEC). ICT created by state and local governments, the District of Columbia government, and US territories. (However, states are individually adopting the Federal Section 508 standards, and we expect that in a few years, the Federal standards will trickle down to them.) ICT created by the private sector (corporations, individuals, etc.). Timeline On January 18, 2017, the US Access Board posted the final rule in the Federal Register and it took effect 90 days later on March 20, It becomes required on January 20, The Rehabilitation Act mandates that federal agencies incorporate the standards into their policies and directives within 6 months of when they are published in the Federal Register. Who controls Section 508? As with all Federal legislation, the 1998 amendment does not specify how to make information accessible - only that it must be accessible. The US Access Board [ is the Federal office that creates the Federal standards and guidelines on how to achieve the goals of the law. As technologies evolve, they adjust and revise the standards as needed. Keep in mind that the Access Board develops standards and guidelines for all disability access, not just ICT, including: Architectural (e.g., curb-cuts, wheelchair ramps, and other forms of physical access); Transportation (e.g., federally regulated buses, vans, vessels, and trains); Medical diagnostic equipment (e.g., examination tables and radiological equipment); and Communications and IT (e.g., websites, office documents, computer software, computer hardware, and telecommunications equipment). The Access Board s responsibilities have expanded as our US laws aim to protect the rights of all disabled people in a variety of venues. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 11

12 Section 508 and International Standards People often confuse the US Federal Section 508 standards with the international accessibility standards, known as WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and PDF/UA (PDF Universal Accessibility). They re related, but not the same. Remember, when the revised Section 508 standards are fully implemented in January 20, 2018, the international WCAG and PDF/UA standards will be incorporated by reference into our US standards. Section 508 vs. WCAG vs. PDF/UA Section 508 is the US Federal law that requires that all Federal information be accessible. It is mandatory, not voluntary, for all Federal agencies. Note: States, academic institutions, corporations, and other entities are voluntarily adopting the Federal standards but are not required to do so. Section 508 specifically incorporates WCAG 2.0 and PDF/UA-1 as the standards for US federal accessibility. Section 508 guidelines are at: WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is the international standard for accessible websites created by the non-profit World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). WCAG is not a law, but instead is a set of guidelines that are voluntarily adopted by governments around the world, as well as academic institutions, corporations, and other public entities. Although its name says Web content, WCAG is in fact technology neutral and applies to documents and other forms of ICT, not just websites. The full WCAG guidelines are at: PDF/UA (PDF Universal Accessibility) is the international standard for accessible PDFs created by the nonprofit PDF Association. The PDF/UA guidelines are at: Note: WCAG lists over a hundred standards, initially developed for websites. Many of these do not apply to Word files, PDFs, and other documents. Therefore PDF/UA was developed specifically for accessible PDFs. PDF/UA coordinates with WCAG. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 12

13 Harmonization with international standards With the new Section 508 standards proposed in February 2015, the Federal government will formally adopt the international WCAG and PDF/UA standards into our Federal standards, following the practice of many other governments worldwide. WCAG and PDF/UA are included by reference into our federal standards: Note that our Section 508 standards include much more than what WCAG and PDF/UA cover; US standards include telecommunications, hardware, software, and banking ATMs, among other items. The forthcoming Section 508 revisions will harmonize US standards in 2 ways: 1. US standards will harmonize with international standards for ICT. 2. All US Federal agencies will use the same set of ICT standards. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 13

14 How US standards and guidelines are developed and enforced Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 14

15 WCAG 2.0 Principles P O U R WCAG (the international accessibility standards for websites) categorizes accessible content into four principles: POUR: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust. We ve reproduced below a summary of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 from Perceivable Provide text alternatives for non-text content. Provide captions and other alternatives for multimedia. Create content that can be presented in different ways, including by assistive technologies, without losing meaning. Make it easier for users to see and hear content. Operable Make all functionality available from a keyboard. Give users enough time to read and use content. Do not use content that causes seizures. Help users navigate the document and find content. Understandable Make text readable and understandable. Make content appear and operate in predictable ways. Help users avoid and correct mistakes. Robust Maximize compatibility with current and future user tools. For more information, see: Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 15

16 PubCom s Quick Summary for Accessible Documents The law is our starting point, but interpreting the law and putting it into action is the main task. PubCom has identified 10 core features that must be in all accessible documents to meet Section 508 and the WCAG POUR guidelines: 1. Text is live and readable by devices. Graphical text and scans are not readable. 2. The document is tagged. Tags label the parts of the document for computer technologies, such as screen readers, search engines, and EPUBs. 3. The correct tag is on each part. For example, headings that are tagged <P> (body text) are not correct because they misinform and confuse the user. Headings must be tagged with <H1> through <H6>. 4. The tags and elements are in a logical reading order so that information is either read out in the correct, logical sequence, or is tabbed through in the correct sequence. There are 2 types of reading order that must be correct in each PDF Tag Reading Order and Structure/Architecture Reading Order. 5. Graphics have alt-text so they can be perceived and understood by users. 6. Color can t be the only way to convey information, and contrast between text and its background must be sufficient. 7. Tables are correctly structured and tagged. 8. Audio and video are captioned (closed captioning). 9. Navigation aids such as PDF bookmarks, TOCs, hyperlinks, and headings must be tagged so that users can find and navigate to the sections they re looking for. 10. Metadata (document properties) must identify the document for AT, search engines, content management systems, and operating systems (such as Windows Explorer and Apple Finder). The benefits to your organization Most of these features are part of the EPUB3 international standard for EPUBs. These features are used by search engines to read, index, and catalog websites and documents. Many of these features help all users, whether or not they use assistive technologies, so your documents have better SEO (search engine optimization). These are international standards that work across many different types of media, including HTML, so your document has a better chance of being published across multiple types of media. They mesh with the technologies used for responsive designed media, such as websites that convert from desktop computer screens to mobile devices. They form the basis of automated publishing which can streamline your publishing across print, web, and digital media. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 16

17 2. What Makes an Electronic Document / ICT Accessible Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 17

18 Structure + tags provide the core accessibility The document s structure which is a logical reading order with elements labeled by tags allows screen readers and other assistive technologies to navigate and read documents correctly. That means that the user can navigate to specific sections of the document, read everything that has content, and understand the document s hierarchy. Let s take a simple example to demonstrate what structure means to someone who is blind and uses a screen reader to read a document. This example shows what sighted people see. The visual design of the headings give sighted users visual clues about their importance (in other words, the hierarchy and structure of the document). Larger text, color, centered alignment, and white space help us figure out the main headings and subheads, and what s most important. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 18

19 The following example is what a blind person sees if the document isn t structured and tagged. It s just text that runs on and on. Screen readers and their users can t see that the fonts are bolded or in color or are larger. They can t see the centered alignment of some of the headings or the extra white space that surrounds them. And without tags, they can t see the photo at all. All the visual clues sighted users take for granted are unseen by screen reader users, so they rely on structure and tags to let them know what s what. You might think that it would be easy for someone who is blind to figure out the title, author s byline, and subheads. And you re right, many would in this simple My Best-Selling Novel example. But when the document is more complex, figuring out the structure and hierarchy of the information can be impossible. What <tags> Do Tags add a label to each graphic and paragraph of text. For those who are blind and use screen readers, each paragraph or part of the document is announced by the screen reader, which states what type of text is being read, such as Heading 1, List, or Figure. Alt-text is part of the <Figure> tag, and it describes the photo or graphic for those who can t see it. Note: screen readers are software programs that translate written text into spoken words for vision-impaired users. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 19

20 Tags help define the structure, hierarchy, and logical reading order of the document. For example, the <H1> tag can be applied to each chapter title in a book, which would then let screen readers know when they are beginning a new chapter. That same <H1> tag can also be used to navigate to all the chapters in the book. In this brochure example shown in Adobe Acrobat Pro, the tags and structure in the left panel will lead the screen reader in a logical order from the brochure s title on the cover through the rest of the brochure. The combination of both structure (for logical flow of information) and tags (identification of the elements) lets AT users and computers read and navigate the document. Tags will let the screen reader know which paragraphs are headings (subheads), bullet lists, body text, hypertext links, tables, and other items. Tags also help all AT users navigate the document faster. For example, AT users can skip from heading to heading or bring up a list of links in the document. Alt-text attributes on the photos describe the visuals so that blind users know what information is conveyed through them. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 20

21 Tables In this example of a table and its tags in a PDF, structure helps a person using a screen reader navigate throughout the table <TH> tags let screen reader software identify the column and row headers so that the user knows what column or row he/she is reading at any point in the table. Note: to see the tag tree on the left, the PDF must be opened in Acrobat Pro. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 21

22 Example: Structure + Tags We ll use our first simple example (My Best-Selling Novel) to demonstrate how structure and tags work together to build an accessible document. Note that only tags are indicated, not formatting information such as font, color, font size, or white space. The user can choose to hear the tags read aloud, which would indicate heading 1, heading 2, and the figure s caption. The alt text in the <figure> tag would be read aloud because the photo itself can t be read by screen readers. Screen readers have various features for the user to change the voice when reading bold and italic, skip to the headings only, skip to the hypertext links, and other helpful tools that take advantage of tags. In the example below, red <tags> are those that are automatically recognized by screen readers and other assistive technologies. <H1>My Best-Selling Novel <P>By Fame Uz Author <H2>Chapter 1 <P>It was a dark and stormy night, when the chimes of the ancient grandfather clock that stood tall and elegant in the foyer, sounded for the last time. Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong. <H3>The stage is set <P>It was midnight. A full moon poured its crystal photons through the grand palladium window at the top of the landing, bathing the gold-plated spiral staircase banister in a steely glow while the Austrian crystal chandelier dangled above on its gossamer-like brass chain, tinkling gently in the soft breeze from the French doors that stood ajar below. <P>Suddenly, a shot rang out. A hound wailed with fear in the distant village. And a tiny crystal from the chandelier plummeted to the marble mosaic floor 20 feet below where it shattered into a million shards before coming to rest in a pool of fresh blood. <FIGURE ALT= Photo: crystal chandelier. CAPTION= Figure 1: The lit chandelier hanging in the foyer. > <H3>The plot thickens <P>Our mysterious journey continues as our hero enters the ghastly scene beneath the crystal chandelier. To be continued Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 22

23 Samples of tags and structure Below, the styled MS Word version of this example. The Word style for Heading 1 is highlighted. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 23

24 Below, in Adobe Acrobat Pro, it shows tags, structure, and tag reading order. When the PDF is exported from Word, the style for Heading 1 is converted to the <H1> accessibility tag shows below. Note: Many more features and tags are needed to make PDFs accessible, but these sample tags, structure, and reading order are the primary ones. How tags provide accessibility Adobe, WCAG, and other standards organizations have defined a set of tags for accessibility. When we use these tags in our documents, assistive technologies are programmed to understand them and provide the accessibility that users need. Think of them as a set of rules for everyone, including document creators (like you), AT users, and manufacturers of different computer technologies like AT. Document creators use the same set of tags that assistive technologies are expecting to encounter in documents. And assistive technology users expect the same set of tags, and, therefore, recognize the tags and understand the content. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 24

25 3. Putting Accessibility to Work Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 25

26 What to do in MS Word Let s sort through all the previous techno-babble and cut to the chase: What do you have to do in Word to make accessible documents? Here are 6 easy steps that have the biggest impact on accessibility: 1. Use Word s formatting styles to format your text. Never ever E-V-E-R use manual formatting because it fowls up the process of making clean, accessible documents, as well as converting them to HTML, XML, EPUB, and other digital formats. 2. Keep the heading levels logical. Heading 1 is the top-level heading usually reserved for the document or section title. Heading 2 is usually the 1st level subhead, and headings 3-6 are the succeeding subheads. And don t jump around the headings: if there s a heading 3, then there must be a heading 2 before it and a heading 1 before that. 3. Put Alt-text on all graphics. Photos, illustrations, logos, statistical charts, maps if it s any kind of graphic, it must have Alt-text on it. 4. Anchor graphics and text boxes in the correct sequence. This affects the reading order of the content. Best to anchor them either at the end of a paragraph (after its reference in the body text), or between paragraphs. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 26

27 5. Set the metadata for the document in File/Properties. Fill in the fields for: Author (usually your agency) Title (Exact title that s on the cover) Subject ( characters) Keywords (unlimited, separated by semi-colons) 6. Use Word s built-in automatic features for: Footnotes/Endnotes Table of Contents Hyperlinks Cross-References Headers & Footers This isn t a complete list of tasks, but it covers most basic documents. If your documents are most complex, you re about 80% accessible with the above tasks alone. It s not that much more to complete the accessibility, even for highly complex Word documents. Example: Word Formatting Styles To get you started, here are some sample sets of formatting styles. Example 1: Basic internal report with text and graphics. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 27

28 Example 2: From an accessible Word template for a complex technical report with extensive tables. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 28

29 4. Plan your Workflow and Sec. 508 Procedures Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 29

30 How a Sec. 508 Workflow Works Each Federal agency is required to fully meet Section 508 standards for websites, documents, social media, , and all other forms of communication. Let s discuss the best way to do that at your agency. Imagine you are building a house. You put up the framing and floors, insulation, and drywall. Then you install carpeting, paint the walls, and decorate throughout the house. However, you haven t installed the plumbing, heating, AC, or electrical. So now you tear open the walls, install the utilities, and redo all the wallboard, painting, and decorating. It will take much more time to retrofit and fix the problems. You won t meet your original deadline. And it will cost additional money, but the quality of the job won t be as good as it should be. Does this make sense? Sure doesn t! But that s what the Federal government does every time it outsources PDFs to contractors to remediate for accessibility. A lot of time and money is spent fixing documents that should have been built correctly from the start. In order to make a 508-compliant document, you have to know how to build one from the ground up using the correct procedures and software tools. These procedures aren t just for compliance they are also best practice for any publication, whether for electronic distribution or printing. And they don t require any special tools, just the ordinary software you ve been using all along. What are the options? Pass the documents along to the Web team and they ll get everything ready because they have magic buttons that quickly add 508 to your PDF, PPT, and DOCX documents. Sure hope you re laughing you read this! Pass the documents to outside contractors to remediate. They have the special software that can easily fix the files. There is software that helps remediate PDFs, but it doesn t do the entire job. Remediation must be hand-worked for each and every tag in the document. Takes a lot of time, which means a lot of money to fix PDFs and DOCXs after they are made. Estimate 3-4 times the original cost of the document to remediate it for Section 508 compliance. Create accessible documents from the start, beginning with the first word in MS Word. The accessibility trickles down from author to editor to designer to PDF to webmaster, creating a completely accessible workflow. See the sane workflows that follow. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 30

31 Smart and Sane Sec. 508 Workflows Sane workflow #1 Word to PDF and Websites 1. Writer or subject matter expert (SME) creates the original Word file, PowerPoint, or Excel spreadsheet and uses the basic tools in the software to structure and style the document with accessibility in mind. 2. Writer or SME writes the first draft of captions for graphics, alt-text for graphics, and the file s metadata. 3. Editor polishes the document, as well as the captions for graphics, alt-text for graphics, and the file s metadata. 4. Editor exports an accessible PDF. After the PDF is checked for accessibility by either the editor or a Section 508 technician, the document is passed along to the web team. 5. Web team posts the accessible PDF on the agency s website. They also have the option of taking the accessible Word file and converting it to HTML for live text on the website. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 31

32 Sane workflow #2 Editor 1. Writer or SME creates the original Word file (or PowerPoint or Excel) and uses basic MS Office tools to structure and style the document with accessibility in mind. 2. Writer or SME writes the first draft of captions for graphics, alt-text for graphics, and metadata. 3. Editor polishes the document, as well as the captions for graphics, alt-text for graphics, and the file s metadata. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 32

33 Sane workflow #3 in-house desktop publishing 1. Writer or SME creates the original Word file (or PowerPoint or Excel) and uses basic MS Office tools to structure and style the document with accessibility in mind. 2. Writer or SME writes the first draft of captions for graphics, alt-text for graphics, and metadata. 3. Editor polishes the document, as well as the captions for graphics, alt-text for graphics, and the file s metadata. 4. Editor passes the Word file to the graphic designer. 5. Designer imports the styled, accessible Word file into Adobe InDesign and lays out the document with accessibility in mind. Most of the accessibility features built into the original Word document can pass into the InDesign layout file, but other accessibility features must be added in InDesign. 6. Designer exports an accessible PDF from the layout file, checks it for accessibility, and passes it along to the web team. 7. Web team posts the accessible PDF on the agency s website. 8. From the same layout files, the designer exports a press-quality PDF which is sent to GPO and print vendors. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 33

34 Who s on your team Several agencies are developing new positions and titles for staff that have the additional training needed for Sec. 508 compliance. Here are the traditional roles: Writer/Author/SME (subject matter expert) Editor VIS/Graphic Designer Web Developer New positions for Sec. 508 quality control 508 Technician for Word and PowerPoint These are highly functional and capable administrative staff who are very comfortable with computers and are looking to learn something more, maybe be eligible for a pay grade or step increase. They are more experienced than the average word processor and administrative assistant. These technicians have advanced training in Word and PowerPoint, and also have advanced technical training in accessibility. They have skills to, for example: Make templates in MS Word and PowerPoint. Make master documents for multi-chapter Word documents, and ensure that TOCs, footnotes, endnotes, cross-references, hyperlinks, and other items are compliant. Write Alt-text for basic graphics. (Technical/statistical graphics require that the author write the Alt-text.) Write meta data for the document. (Description and keywords should be written by the author.) Review and check DOCX and PPT files for 508 compliance. Export accessible PDFs from Word and PowerPoint. Use JAWS, NVDA, and other basic assistive technologies (AT) to test documents. Identify serious errors and be able to send files back to the author with details of the errors, how to correct them, etc. In other words, be able to assist authors in how to create compliant files from the start. Remediate DOCS, PPT, and PDF files for compliance. When necessary, be the interface between the agency s 508 office and the authors. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 34

35 508 Technician for Adobe InDesign These are highly functional and capable desktop publishing/production technicians who are very comfortable with computers, Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Acrobat Pro. They are looking to learn something more, maybe be eligible for a pay grade or step increase. They have more technical expertise than most graphic designers, artists, desktop publishers, and VISs. They have had advanced training in InDesign, Acrobat, and Creative Suite, and also have advanced technical training in accessibility. They have skills to, for example: Make and maintain InDesign templates. Make books for multi-chapter InDesign documents, and ensure that TOCs, footnotes, endnotes, and other items are compliant. Have advanced training in InDesign s advanced features, such as footnotes, tables, hyperlinks, interactivity, cross-references, master pages, paragraph/character/object styles, and TOCs, as well as PubCom s recommended construction techniques for accessibility. Write Alt-text for basic graphics. (Technical/statistical graphics require that the author write the Alt-text.) Write meta data for the document. (Description and keywords should be written by the author.) Review and check InDesign layout files for 508 compliance. Export accessible PDFs from InDesign. Use JAWS, NVDA, and other basic assistive technologies (AT) to test documents. Identify serious errors and be able to send files back to the VIS with details of the errors, how to correct them, etc. In other words, be able to assist VISs in how to create compliant files from the start. Remediate InDesign and PDF files for compliance. When necessary, be the interface between the agency s 508 office and the VISs. Note: Don t make the mistake of thinking that one 508 technician can review both Word and InDesign files. These files require 2 different sets of knowledge, experience, and skills. There s very little overlap between the two types of files, other than in the PDFs themselves. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 35

36 Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 36

37 5. Make It Easy Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 37

38 Key points to keep in mind As you develop your office s Sec. 508 strategy, make it as easy as possible for staff to do their part of the tasks. Easy ensures that people will adjust and adopt the new tasks and workflow. Therefore Create accessible templates for recurring reports and publications. Don t make everyone reinvent the wheel for each project. Everyone needs a refresher class in Word so that they can use its tools to make accessible documents. Consider a full day of training, or at least a half-day. Your point people for accessibility will need substantial training in Word, PowerPoint, and Acrobat, as well as in accessibility topics such as document structure, tagging, and PDF remediation. Your design staff needs complementary training in advance tools in Adobe InDesign and Acrobat. Don t leave them out of the process! Here are our best strategies for bringing Sec. 508 to your office. 12 Key Strategies 1. Retrofitting anything always costs more than if the project had been built correctly from the start. A lot more. Save money and time by doing Sec. 508 right the first time can t be added to a document. Rather, it s a set of features and construction methods that are built into the document from the start. Everyone in the workflow must be accountable for creating accessible documents. It s not a task that can be handed off to the next person in the workflow. 3. Accessibility starts with the first word in MS Word. The writers, SMEs, and editors must build in at least the basic features for accessibility. 4. Build in as much accessibility as possible into the source document. It will save a lot of time and money! Otherwise the accessibility problems will need to be corrected each time a PDF is exported from the source file. Recognize that every document goes through several iterations of approval and review before it is finalized and cleared for public publishing. Don t waste time! Do it right from the start every time. 5. Editorial changes must be made in the source file, not the PDF. If the edits are done in the PDF instead of in Word or InDesign, the accessibility features in the PDF will break. It can be so bad that the accessibility sometimes has to be redone from scratch. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 38

39 6. Who s part of the team? Who s writing the documents? Who s editing them? Designing them? Who creates the data for statistical materials? These are the team members that must know how to make Federal documents accessible. They all must do their part to meet accessibility requirements. Accessibility is not one person s job it s everyone s job. 7. Get ahead of the law. Start making all documents accessible from today onward. Don t wait for the law to kick in. 8. In theory, the original source Word file should be just as accessible as the final public PDF. Disabled co-workers need to access these working files, and the public needs to access the public-facing versions. Compliant source files also convert to other technologies more easily, such as to HTML for websites, for EPUBs, and for design and layout in Adobe InDesign. They re also more compliant for CMS (content management systems). It s impossible to export a Sec. 508 compliant PDF from a source file that isn t compliant. Compliant source file = compliant PDF. 9. Make progress on your legacy documents. Set up a small team to review your existing documents and decide which ones are most critical to make compliant first. Eventually, your entire library of public-facing documents will need to be accessible, but start with the most often-used documents or those that are most important to your agency s mission. 10. Writers, editors, and designers must master their software tools and use them correctly in order to build accessible documents. Sloppy craftsmanship leads to non-compliant documents that are expensive and time-consuming to fix. 11. Everyone in the workflow needs training. Writers and editors need training in making accessible Word documents and PDFs. Designers need training in making accessible InDesign layouts and PDFs. Webmasters need training, too. 12. Writing the file s metadata and the Alt-Text for graphics is an art as well as a craft. Specially trained editors are the best people to do this task, but all authors should write at least draft versions because they are the only people who truly understand the significance of their graphics. 13. Software tools must be current. Older versions of MS Office, Acrobat, and Adobe Creative Suite have outdated tools that do not make fully accessible PDFs. In older versions, the back-end programming that converts a document to PDF is incorrect and creates flawed PDFs. These problems are significant and might not be identified by the average accessibility tester. Latest versions to use, as of early 2016, are: MS Office 2016 (Windows only, Mac/Word-to-PDF doesn t work) Adobe Creative Suite CC-2015 (Mac or Win) Acrobat Pro DC (a.k.a. version 12) Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 39

40 CommonLook by NetCentric can help remediate difficult, complex PDFs, but is not necessary. 14. Accessibility is not as difficult as you think. A modest investment in software training pays off in 3 ways: 1) Team members learn to create accessible documents, 2) They learn to use their software programs more efficiently, which helps boost overall productivity, and 3) The agency s files can flow more seamlessly from one technology to another, or from one person in the workflow to the next. Therefore, the benefits and productivity gains keep multiplying. Everyone wins. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 40

41 6. Organization Concerns Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 41

42 Contracting Language and Federal Grants Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) will be updated within 6 months of the new Section 508 standards. However, the current FAR already incorporates Section 508 requirements for information technologies. From FAR Subpart 39.2: c) When acquiring EIT, agencies must ensure that (1) Federal employees with disabilities have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access and use by Federal employees who are not individuals with disabilities; and (2) Members of the public with disabilities seeking information or services from an agency have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access to and use of information and data by members of the public who are not individuals with disabilities. [ ] Additionally, the proposed Section 508 standards address the scope: E201.1 Scope. ICT that is procured, developed, maintained, or used by agencies shall conform to the 508 Standards. [ ] The broad language in both FAR and Section 508 encompasses any ICT procured from or created by outside Federal contractors, as well as reports and other ICT from recipients of Federal grants. The language in Federal contracts and grants must refer to Section 508 standards, which later this year will include WCAG and PDF/UA by reference, so there will be no need for contracts and grants to detail what s required. Referring to Section 508 itself (or including it by reference) will be sufficient in your contracts. Summary: Our US Section 508 standards Incorporate the international WCAG 2.0 standards for web ICT Incorporate the international PDF/UA-1 standards for PDFs Include other US legislation (e.g., for telecommunications) Will include and/or be adjusted by court rulings, legal precedents, and other US legal actions. Apply to many more items than those defined in WCAG. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 42

43 Contracting for Section 508 Remediation Services If organizations and government agencies plan to outsource Section 508 services, they will need to develop some core language to include in all contracts. This won t be your usual service contract. Agencies also need to vet qualified vendors for this service. Too many are pressing magic buttons to create supposedly compliant files, but when those files are thoroughly tested by users, they fail. Examples: One vendor hired by an agency typed Photo as the alt-text on all graphics, regardless of what the graphic portrayed. Another agency s jobs had typos and grammar errors because it was outsourced overseas to non-englishspeaking technicians. Neither agency had any recourse with the vendors because, technically, they met the letter of the current law; there was Alt-text, but it wasn t very useful. There is no one way to remediate a PDF or other file; there s no one-size-fits-all solution, there s no software program that does it easily. Each document must be evaluated and remediated. No evaluation or checking software can check for items like color, contrast, logical reading order, or the correct tags. These items must be checked by humans. Standards for contract references Your contract language should incorporate these standards as needed: For website material, reference WCAG 2.0 at For documents (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and PDFs), reference PDF/UA-1 at now-published/ For EPUBs, reference the EPUB3 standard at Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 43

44 Deliverables Define the deliverables from outsource contractors Your contract language should define the specific files that should be delivered to your agency: The original source files, remediated as needed for Sec. 508 accessibility. These would be fully accessible Word, PowerPoint, Excel, or InDesign source files. One or more fully compliant PDFs that pass at least 2 of these certifications: o o o o The internal Adobe Acrobat checker in the latest version of Acrobat Pro. PAC, available at NetCentric s CommonLook, available at Axaio s Made To Tag (for Adobe InDesign only), available at Deliverables from grant recipients Include language in all grant agreements that specifies Section 508 compliance of: All materials, reports, and other documents returned to the government agency or organization. All websites and public information distributed to the public by the contractor or grantee. Because Federal funds were used to create and distribute those materials, they are covered by Section 508 requirements. All proposals, RFQs, RFPs, etc., submitted to your agency or organization. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 44

45 Scans of Legacy Documents OCR (optical character recognition) of legacy documents depends on many factors: the quality of the original document, the scanner, and the software that interprets the scanned document. Ideally, all scanned documents should be double-proofed; that is, 2 proofreaders working together. One proofreader reads the original document, including all of its punctuation, caps, and symbols while the other reads the scanned version. Acrobat s built-in OCR program does as good a job as any other program, but it s far from perfect. Also, these OCR PDFs are difficult to make accessible. The live text is hidden on a layer above the scan (which is a graphic). Where Acrobat could interpret the text you will have live text, but where it couldn t, the graphic shows through and this is not accessible. It s also difficult to add tags and other accessibility features. The best solution is to scan the document, OCR it, and then export from Acrobat into MS Word format where it can be professionally edited and prepared for Section 508 compliance. Note that Section 508 allows for grandfathering of legacy documents. Determine which of your organization s legacy materials should be upgraded for 508 compliance. Most won t need to be. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 45

46 Native Files from Design and Printing Vendors Ideally, all files from design and print vendors should be press compliant. Design vendors should provide: Native InDesign files Press-compliant PDF 508-compliant web PDF However, at this time, few designers in the US can produce Section 508-compliant versions of their graphic design layouts. Ensure that contractors understand your contract s requirements for accessible deliverables. Print vendors who are returning corrected files from a press job should provide: Corrected native InDesign files Corrected press-compliant PDF 508-compliant PDF from the corrected InDesign files Suggestion: encourage print and design vendors to acquire the skills to produce accessible, Section 508-compliant files. Plus, include language in all outsourcing contracts that requires the return of complete, native files so that your organization can use them for creating a 508-compliant PDF. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 46

47 7. About The Presenter Bevi Chagnon is an information architect, designer, and technologist. A long-time contractor and trainer for GPO (US Government Publishing Office), she has worked with the majority of Federal government agencies on their publications and digital media. Many of you know her from her classes at GPO s Institute for print and digital publishing software. Through her consulting firm, PubCom.com, she works not only with government agencies, but also nonprofits, corporations, major publishers, independent publishers, designers, and editorial firms. Bevi is also a frequent contributor on publishing-related technical lists and forums. Her qualifications for Section 508 include: Long career in publishing, including: art direction, production management, editing, graphic design, printing, prepress, distribution/fulfillment, new media, and publication management 35 years in Federal government publishing Computer programming MBA, management and finance concentrations Affiliation with major software manufacturers for several decades GPO contractor for 20+ years, trainer, and consultant for the GPO Institute Lifelong knowledge of people with disabilities and assisting them with various assistive technologies Bevi Chagnon at Bevi@PubCom.com PubCom s Accessibility Workshop series of classes are listed at Introduction to Accessibility Managing a Section 508 Publishing Workflow Word + PDF InDesign + PDF 508 PDF Forms Section 508 Remediation of PDFs Section 508 for Writers and Editors PubCom provides Section 508 services to publishers, including remediation of documents, testing and review, template design, training, and consulting. Design + Technology for Communication 2017 Bevi Chagnon PubCom 47