What is Web Accessibility?

Web accessibility means access to the Web by everyone, regardless of disability.

Web accessibility includes:

• Web sites and applications
• that people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with;
• Web browsers and media players
• that can be used effectively by people with disabilities, and
• that work well with assistive technologies that some people with disabilities use to access the Web;
• Web authoring tools, and evolving Web technologies
• that support production of accessible Web content and Web sites, and
• that can be used effectively by people with disabilities.

Why is Web Accessibility an issue?

There are several reasons why Web accessibility is important:

use of the Web is spreading rapidly into all areas of society;

there are barriers on the Web for many types of disabilities;

millions of people have disabilities that affect access to the Web;

some Web sites are required to be accessible;

Web accessibility also has carry-over benefits for other users.

Who defines Web Accessibility and its use?

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) does in coordination with other organisations around the world. It pursues accessibility of the Web through five primary areas of work: technology, guidelines, tools, education and outreach, and research and development.

How does this affect The Local Channel and why does The Local Channel need to comply with this guideline?

The Local Channel believes that everybody should have a fair and equal access to the information presented within our portal. This is why we have adopted the W3C guideline as part of our Web compliance procedures.

The purpose of presenting this guideline within our portal is to demonstrate the levels to which we comply as well as areas where we do not. In certain circumstances it may be that a certain aspect is not applicable to us in which case it is duly noted in the schedule.

Where it is indicated that we do not meet a specific criteria of the guideline we will endeavour to advise you of what actions are pending to meet it in the future and our timescales for doing so. On this basis the document will be continually updated until such a time that we compliant whereupon the document will only then reflect modifications to the guidelines and our adherence where required.

The Local Channel reserves its rights to modify its approach to the guidelines if required to ensure that the portal remains functional. Where this is the case The Local Channel will seek alternative advice and actions to satisfy the guidelines.

What is The Local Channel’s current status in respect of Web Accessibility?

The Local Channel is compliant to Level 1 as identified in the schedule below. It is worth noting that in our next update on the site we will be automating certain aspects of the system. As a part of that release we will attain compliance to Level 2.

What are W3C’s priorities?

There are 3 priority checkpoints. Each checkpoint has a priority level assigned by the W3C working group based on the checkpoints impact on accessibility

[Priority 1]

A Web content developer MUST satisfy this checkpoint. Otherwise, one or more groups will find it impossible to access information in the document.

Satisfying this checkpoint is a basic requirement for some groups to be able to use Web documents.

[Priority 2]

A Web content developer SHOULD satisfy this checkpoint. Otherwise, one or more groups will find it difficult to access information in the document.

Satisfying this checkpoint will remove significant barriers to accessing Web documents.

[Priority 3]

A Web content developer MAY address this checkpoint. Otherwise, one or more groups will find it somewhat difficult to access information in the document. Satisfying this checkpoint will improve access to Web documents.

Some checkpoints specify a priority level that may change under certain (indicated) conditions.

For more information regarding the guidelines and their relevance please click here: W3C Guidelines

A breakdown of The Local Channel’s current status in relation to the guidelines is as indicated below.

Priority 1 Checkpoints

In General (Priority 1)

Yes

No

N/A

1.1 Provide a text equivalent for every non-text element (e.g., “alt”, “longdesc”, or in element content) This includes: Images, graphical representations of text (including symbols), image map regions, animations (e.g., animated GIFs), applets and programmatic objects, ascii art, frames, scripts, images used as bullets, spacers, graphical buttons, sounds (played with or without user interaction), stand-alone audio files, audio tracks of video, and video.

APP(1)

2.1 Ensure that all information conveyed with colour is also available without colour, for example from context or markup.

Done (1)

4.1 Clearly identify changes in the natural language of a document’s text and any text equivalents (e.g. captions)

User (1)

6.1 Organise documents so that they may be read without style sheets. For example, when an HTML document is rendered without associated style sheets, it must still be possible to read the document.

Done (1)

6.2 Ensure that equivalents for dynamic content are updated when the dynamic content changes.

Done (2)

7.1 Until user agents allow users to control flickering, avoid causing the screen to flicker.

User (2)

14.1 Use the clearest and simplest language appropriate for a site's content.

User (1)

And if you use images and image maps (Priority 1)

Yes

No

N/A

1.2 Provide redundant text links for each active region of a server-side image map.

Done (2)

9.1 Provide client-side image maps instead of server-side image maps except where the regions cannot be defined with an available geometric shape.

N/A

And if you use tables (Priority 1)

Yes

No

N/A

5.1 For data tables, identify row and column headers.

APP(2)

5.2 For data tables that have two or more logical levels of row or column headers, use markup to associate data cells and header cells.

APP(2)

And if you use frames (Priority 1)

Yes

No

N/A

12.1 Title each frame to facilitate frame identification and navigation.

APP(2)

And if you use applets and scripts (Priority 1)

Yes

No

N/A

6.3 Ensure that pages are usable when scripts, applets, or other programmatic objects are turned off or not supported. If this is not possible, provide equivalent information on an alternative accessible page.

N/A

And if you use multimedia (Priority 1)

Yes

No

N/A

1.3 Until user agents can automatically read aloud the text equivalent of a visual track, provide an auditory description of the important information of the visual track of a multimedia presentation.

N/A

1.4 For any time-based multimedia presentation (e.g., a movie or animation), synchronize equivalent alternatives (e.g., captions or auditory descriptions of the visual track) with the presentation.

N/A

And if all else fails (Priority 1)

Yes

No

N/A

11.4 If, after best efforts, you cannot create an accessible page, provide a link to an alternative page that uses W3C technologies, is accessible, has equivalent information (or functionality), and is updated as often as the inaccessible (original) page.

N/A

In General (Priority 2)

Yes

No

N/A

2.2 Ensure that foreground and background colour combinations provide sufficient contrast when viewed by someone having colour deficits or when viewed on a black and white screen. [Priority 2 for images, Priority 3 for text].

3.1 When an appropriate markup language exists, use markup rather than images to convey information.

3.2 Create documents that validate to published formal grammars.

3.3 Use style sheets to control layout and presentation.

3.4 Use relative rather than absolute units in markup language attribute values and style sheet property values.

3.5 Use header elements to convey document structure and use them according to specification.

3.6 Mark up lists and list items properly.

3.7 Mark up quotations. Do not use quotation markup for formatting effects such as indentation.

6.5 Ensure that dynamic content is accessible or provide an alternative presentation or page.

7.2 Until user agents allow users to control blinking, avoid causing content to blink (i.e., change presentation at a regular rate, such as turning on and off).

7.4 Until user agents provide the ability to stop the refresh, do not create periodically auto-refreshing pages.

In General (Priority 2) Continued

Yes

No

N/A

7.5 Until user agents provide the ability to stop auto-redirect, do not use markup to redirect pages automatically. Instead, configure the server to perform redirects.

10.1 Until user agents allow users to turn off spawned windows, do not cause pop-ups or other windows to appear and do not change the current window without informing the user.

11.1 Use W3C technologies when they are available and appropriate for a task and use the latest versions when supported.

11.2 Avoid deprecated features of W3C technologies.

12.3 Divide large blocks of information into more manageable groups where natural and appropriate.

13.1 Clearly identify the target of each link.

13.2 Provide metadata to add semantic information to pages and sites.

13.3 Provide information about the general layout of a site (e.g., a site map or table of contents).

13.4 Use navigation mechanisms in a consistent manner.

And if you use tables (Priority 2)

YES

NO

N/A

5.3 Do not use tables for layout unless the table makes sense when linearised. Otherwise, if the table does not make sense, provide an alternative equivalent (which may be a linearised version).

5.4 If a table is used for layout, do not use any structural markup for the purpose of visual formatting.

And if you use frames (Priority 2)

YES

NO

N/A

12.2 Describe the purpose of frames and how frames relate to each other if it is not obvious by frame titles alone.

And if you use forms (Priority 2)

10.2 Until user agents support explicit associations between labels and form controls, for all form controls with implicitly associated labels, ensure that the label is properly positioned.

12.4 Associate labels explicitly with their controls.

And if you use applets and scripts (Priority 2)

YES

NO

N/A

6.4 For scripts and applets, ensure that event handlers are input device-independent.

7.3 Until user agents allow users to freeze moving content, avoid movement in pages.

8.1 Make programmatic elements such as scripts and applets directly accessible or compatible with assistive technologies [Priority 1 if functionality is important and not presented elsewhere, otherwise Priority 2.]

9.2 Ensure that any element that has its own interface can be operated in a device-independent manner.

9.3 For scripts, specify logical event handlers rather than device-dependent event handlers.

In General (Priority 3)

Yes

No

N/A

4.2 Specify the expansion of each abbreviation or acronym in a document where it first occurs.

4.3 Identify the primary natural language of a document.

9.4 Create a logical tab order through links, form controls, and objects.

9.5 Provide keyboard shortcuts to important links (including those in client-side image maps), form controls, and groups of form controls.

10.5 Until user agents (including assistive technologies) render adjacent links distinctly, include non-link, printable characters (surrounded by spaces) between adjacent links.

11.3 Provide information so that users may receive documents according to their preferences (e.g., language, content type, etc.)

13.5 Provide navigation bars to highlight and give access to the navigation mechanism.

13.6 Group related links, identify the group (for user agents), and, until user agents do so, provide a way to bypass the group.

13.7 If search functions are provided, enable different types of searches for different skill levels and preferences.

13.8 Place distinguishing information at the beginning of headings, paragraphs, lists, etc.

13.9 Provide information about document collections (i.e., documents comprising multiple pages.).

13.10 Provide a means to skip over multi-line ASCII art.

14.2 Supplement text with graphic or auditory presentations where they will facilitate comprehension of the page.

14.3 Create a style of presentation that is consistent across pages.

And if you use images and image maps (Priority 3)

YES

NO

N/A

1.5 Until user agents render text equivalents for client-side image map links, provide redundant text links for each active region of a client-side image map.

And if you use tables (Priority 3)

YES

NO

N/A

5.5 Provide summaries for tables.

5.6 Provide abbreviations for header labels.

10.3 Until user agents (including assistive technologies) render side-by-side text correctly, provide a linear text alternative (on the current page or some other) for all tables that lay out text in parallel, word-wrapped columns.

And if you use forms (Priority 3)

YES

NO

N/A

10.4 Until user agents handle empty controls correctly, include default, place-holding characters in edit boxes and text areas.