Archives West Accessibility Analysis Report - Final Report to CCD Team, 2017 June 09

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1 Archives West Accessibility Analysis Report Final Report to the CCD Team, 2017 June 09 EAD Database Working Group (EADDBWG) Anne Jenner, University of Washington (chair) Emily Hughes Dominick, University of Washington Donna McCrea, University of Montana Kate Thornhill, Oregon Health & Science University Jodi Allison-Bunnell, CCD Program Manager, Orbis Cascade Alliance (ex officio) Contents I. Executive Summary II. Recommendations A. Improve Archives West s accessibility before pursuing a VPAT B. Apache FOP 1.0 needs to be upgraded to the latest version. C. Pursue creating an Archives West VPAT III. Appendices A. Archives West Source Code Validation 1. WCAG 2.0 Level AA Validation Results 2. WAI-ARIA Validation Results B. Pursue creating an Archives West VPAT 1. Archives West VPAT 2. Archives West VPAT Roadmap 3. For Software Development Purposes Executive Summary The Spring 2017 EAD Database Working Group (EADDBWG) was charged to conduct an accessibility analysis of Archives West and complete a third-party inventory (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) or WCAG Level AA), and then report to the ULM Team on the most pressing issues to resolve and a timeline for doing so. Our Working Group s area of focus derived from a need for Archives West to support Orbis Cascade Alliance institutional partners with ADA-compliance mandates. To do this, Archives West source code needs to be updated to be in compliance with Section 508 using WCAG 2.0 Level AA conformance standards and verified using assistive technology devices and source code validators. Additionally, Archives West Apache FOP needs to be upgraded to the latest version to ensure finding aid XSL transformation to PDF complies with Section 508. After these changes, the Working Group recommends the Alliance complete a VPAT as a formal product document to show how accessible is Archives West according to Section 508. An Archives West VPAT would be self-disclosing document produced by the Alliance which details each aspect of Section 508 requirements and how Archives West supports each criteria. This report s recommendations and appendices give guidance for moving toward better performance now and in the future. 1

2 Recommendations The following are the Working Group s recommendations for moving forward with making Archives West for accessible to people with disabilities.. Improve Archives West s accessibility before pursuing a VPAT The following identifies what needs to be completed by a web developer to make Archives West more accessible to people with disabilities. Major areas for web developer improvement Add appropriate header sections to allow assistive technology aided navigation Apply WAI-ARIA techniques to conform with WCAG 2.0 Level AA Add alt tags to images Applying appropriate contrast ratio to text elements Add language indication Details about how the Working Group arrived to these conclusions are available in the appendices along with source code validations against WCAG 2.0 Level AA and WAI-ARIA. Apache FOP 1.0 needs to be upgraded to the latest version. There is a need to update Apache FOP to the latest version. This will allow PDFs to be in compliance with Section 508 standards. Once the upgrade is complete, XSL transformation to PDF should be tested with assistive technologies for quality assurance. An example of a PDF file presenting appropriately is the Smithsonian s Archives of American Art finding aid for the Poindexter Gallery - Pursue creating an Archives West VPAT It is recommended that the Alliance pursue the completion of a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) for Archives West. A VPAT is a document which evaluates how accessible a particular product is according to the Section 508 Standards. It is a self-disclosing document which details each aspect of the Section 508 requirements and how Archives West supports each criteria. No work should be conducted until after the web developer, hired in early FY18, has completed their work. It is highly recommended to always use assistive technologies when Archives West software development is completed. If it is decided to move forward then assistive technologies must be used to verify if the product functions properly. Validating source code is not enough when conducting a web accessibility analysis. 2

3 To get to this end goal of creating a VPAT, the Working Group provides the following recommendations: Hire web accessibility experts to ensure Archives West is in compliance with Section 508 and have them complete a VPAT. If accessibility experts cannot be used then recommendations for a 2-year task force, including a web developer and professionals who have experience and/or knowledge with web accessibility, is provided. Experience needed for task force members are listed. If a task force is formed, a 2 year roadmap outlining a software development cycle is provided. This development cycle should not be implemented until after identified Archives West accessibility issues from this report have been remedied and tested. The dates provided are placeholders not requirements. Lists of finding aids, assistive technologies, and other technologies to use during the software development cycle and completing a VPAT. Decisions on what to use will be up to the task force. Details about how the Working Group arrived to these conclusions are available in the appendices. Appendices Archives West Source Code Validation The 2017 EADDBWG met with Curtis Wyant, the Alliance s Information Technology Manager to understand how the Archives West web application is constructed. Next, finding aids and other pages were selected based on top page hits using Google Analytics. Then source code was validated using a MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015) running OS X El Capitan Version , Google Chrome, Google Chrome Accessibility Developer Tools extension, and AChecker. Archives West s web front-end is built with Bootstrap to make an interactive front-end web application with Javascript, HTML5, and CSS. Google Chrome Accessibility Developers Tools extension was used to valid source code against WAI-ARIA (Web Accessibility Initiative-Accessible Rich Internet Applications Suite). WAI-ARIA was selected to validate source code because its implementation defines a way to make interactive web content and web applications more accessible to people with disabilities. It also supports WCAG 2.0 Level AA conformance. In addition to validation against WAI-ARIA, WCAG 2.0 Level AA validation was performed using AChecker to show how Archives West performs. WCAG 2.0 Level AA validation results are found in a shared 3

4 Google Drive folder. Screenshots and URLs for WAI-ARIA page validation are available below. WCAG 2.0 Level AA Validation Results WCAG 2.0 Level AA validation results can be found in this Google Drive folder - WAI-ARIA Validation Results Home page Contact page 4

5 Search term that results in facets across multiple repositories Water Short finding aid without digital objects Cheney Land and Water Company Records Finding aid with digital objects Alfred Gordon Erickson Photograph Collection 5

6 Finding aid with multiple series Pat Williams Papers A box and folder list within a finding aid - Arthur J. McLean Papers, Pursue creating an Archives West VPAT An overview and recommendations for VPAT completion to meet Section 508 Standards. Archives West Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) It is recommended that the Alliance pursue the completion of a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) for Archives West. A VPAT is a document which evaluates how accessible a particular product is according to the Section 508 Standards. It is a self-disclosing document which details each aspect of the Section 508 requirements and how Archives West supports each criteria. It is highly recommended to use assistive technologies when evaluation and quality assurance is done to Archives West, especially while pursuing a VPAT. 6

7 1) Hire experts in VPAT Section 508 web accessibility standards to conduct accessibility system evaluation using assistive technologies, implement and test needed system changes, and complete an Archives West VPAT 2) Create a specific EADDBWG Accessibility Task Force separate from the regular Working Group to focus on completing a VPAT in 2 years with the aid of a front-end web developer experienced in creating and/or maintaining web accessible applications. EAD Database Working Group Accessibility Task Force members should meet the minimum requirements. OR Knowledge of technical requirements for developing accessible web applications using JQuery/Javascript, HTML5, and CSS. Experience with website accessibility issues, including but not limited to Section 508, WCAG Level AA conformance, WAI-ARIA, and/or VPAT specifications. Knowledge of how to use assistive technology devices including, but not limited to screen readers, screen enlargement software, speech output, printers, visual alternatives, and alternative entry and selection options. Knowledge of Encoded Archival Description, particularly the Alliance s EAD Best Practices, and the workflows of institutions that participate in the Archives & Manuscripts Collections Service. Archives West VPAT Roadmap The roadmap below is a recommended for completing a VPAT in 2 years. This roadmap outlines a technology project timeline supporting software development. This project plan is broken into two cycles that include evaluation and testing, implementation, and verification. Once Archives West conforms to WCAG Level AA then a VPAT will be completed. As previously mentioned this roadmap contains placeholder dates to demonstrate an overview timeline for completion. No work should be conducted until after the hired web developer in early FY18 has completed their work July/August Set expectations for 2 year project Create project timeline, determine roles and responsibilities, and high-level actions Review VPAT requirements, discuss its sections, and determine what areas are not in Archive West s scope. Define the evaluation scope including a list of all sites and sub-sites to be included in the review, the minimum set of browsers and assistive technology that will be supported. 7

8 Select a representative sample of pages to be included in the detail accessibility audit. September/October Overview of how the Archives West application is technically constructed Explore the target website to document the different types of templates, functions, and content used. During this step, document the different types of technologies relied upon such as Flash, JavaScript, and WAI-ARIA, etc. Audit the selected sample to identify any areas that do not conform to Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 level AA. This will include an assessment of the level of support for assistive technologies and browsers defined for testing November/December Audit the selected sample to identify any areas that do not conform to Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 level AA. This will include an assessment of the level of support for assistive technologies and browsers defined for testing 2018 January/February Audit the selected sample to identify any areas that do not conform to Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 level AA. This will include an assessment of the level of support for assistive technologies and browsers defined for testing March/April Audit the selected sample to identify any areas that do not conform to Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 level AA. This will include an assessment of the level of support for assistive technologies and browsers defined for testing Begin document findings along with detailed recommendations on how to fix the identified issues. May/June Finish documenting findings along with detailed recommendations on how to fix the identified issues. Hire developer fix the accessibility issues on the pages included in the accessibility audit and on all other pages in the site. July/August The developer begin fixing the accessibility issues on the pages included in the accessibility audit and on all other pages in the site. September/October Begin quality assurance testing to ensure the changes have been made and meet the accessibility requirements. The developer make changes as needed fixing the accessibility issues on the pages included in quality assurance testing November/December Conduct final quality assurance test to ensure the changes have been made and meet accessibility requirements 8

9 2019 January/February Begin completing a VPAT for Archives West March/April Finish VPAT for Archives West May/June Submit VPAT to Jodi/ULM For Software Development Purposes The top 3 web browsers are required for testing. These browsers were selected based on Archives West s Google Analytics Operating systems???? Browsers to use during testing Chrome Safari Firefox Use the following pages for evaluation and testing. These are the same pages used for WAI-ARIA and WCAG 2.0 conformance code validation Pages to use during testing Home page Contact page Search term that results in facets across multiple repositories Water Short finding aid without digital objects Cheney Land and Water Company Records Finding aid with digital objects Alfred Gordon Erickson Photograph Collection Finding aid with multiple series Pat Williams Papers A box and folder list within a finding aid - Arthur J. McLean Papers, Assistive technologies listed below support testing a system that needs to meet the needs of people with disabilities. These technologies are r ecommendations from University of Washington - Assistive Technology Used by DO-IT Scholars Low Vision 23" monitors Screen enlargement software: MAGic Freedom Scientific; ZoomText AI Squared Blindness 9

10 Printers: Romeo Attache Pro Enabling Technologies Scanner and software: Open Book Freedom Scientific; Kurzweil 1000 Kurzweil Educational Systems Screen reading software: JAWS Freedom Scientific; Window-Eyes GW Micro Mobility Impairments Alternative entry options: Dragon NaturallySpeaking Nuance; Mouth stick various manufacturers; Sip and Puff Switch Enabling Devices Alternative pointers: Joystick, trackball various manufacturers; Headmouse Origin Instruments; HeadMaster Prentke Romich Company Keyboard adaptations: Co:Writer Don Johnston; IntelliKeys Mayer-Johnson; Switch Click USB AbleNet; WiViK Prentke Romich Company Learning Disabilities Scanners and software: WYNN Freedom Scientific; Kurzweil 3000 Kurzweil Educational Systems Skills enhancement software: Word processing with spelling and grammar checking various manufacturers; Writing/brainstorming/organizing software Inspiration Speech output: Write Out Loud Don Johnston; Texthelp Texthelp Systems Hearing Impairments Visual alternatives: Visual alternative to system sounds for Mac Apple Visual alternative to system sounds for Windows Microsoft End of Report 10