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Adult Learning Disabilities Employment Resources (ALDER) ALDER is a not-for-profit community organization that provides employment services exclusively to youth and adults in the Toronto area who have Learning Disabilities and Learning Challenges. ALDER also serves employers with employees who have learning disabilities and learning challenges. ALDER’s professional team uses multiple techniques and accommodations to help employee-clients learn how to capitalize on their strengths and cope with their challenges. At every step, the entire ALDER team supports the client and provides assistance that respects and accommodates the client’s particular needs. Project Summary NegenIT conducted a Website Assessment Service on the ALDER website. Using our three step process we started the project with a “Context Determination”. In step 1, using workshops and interviews with key stakeholders, NegenIT quickly established the mission statement, as well as the policies and regulations that the website would be measured against, in this case W3C. We established a clear understanding of the type of people who would be accessing the website, as well as a clear understanding of the common disabilities and challenges that they face. In step 2, we tested for compliance against WCAG 1.0. In Step 3, we assessed and documented usability, as related to the type of disabilities that would be served. - During this phase we looked at the following:
- Electronic Documents (Downloadable files)
- Barriers to persons using assistive devices
- Effectiveness and ease of Navigation
- Functionality to allow users to change:
- Colour Contrast
- Font Size
- Sound
- Text Only
- Navigation aids
- Content style and messaging
- Ease of Use
Functionality - How to use the accessibility features
- With images turned off, we and check whether appropriate alternative text for the images is available.
- We use browser controls to vary font-size: verify that the font size changes on the screen accordingly.
- We tested with different screen resolution to verify that horizontal scrolling is not required.
- We change the display color to gray scale and observe color contrast.
- We use the web with a mouse and use the keyboard to navigate through the links and form controls on a page.
- Is information presented in a meaningful order if read serially? Can a user understand it?
During this time, we developed our Accessibility Implementation Guidelines for the ALDER assessment and subsequently, have refined them to reflect ongoing changes in compliance standards, e.g. WCAG 2.0 and the proposed Ontario standards. A Change plan was developed to address each area of the website. This included Recommendations to address each element of the accessibility, compatibility, compliance, standards and usability of the website. The implementation plan estimated all the resources needed to make the changes including: - Type of barrier, suggested solution to barrier, and costs to remove barrier.
- Priority of barrier removal based on usage of information and communications.
- Cost estimate for all website changes and proposed time frames.
- The reasoning behind the barrier removal.
- Resources and skills needed (staff, internal and external)
Testing and conversion program was creatred and developed, afterwhich, changes were made, tested and approved.
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