University of Oklahoma Web Accessibility Guidelines
(as prepared by the 508 Task Force) updated 3/7/06

Introduction
It is the goal of the University of Oklahoma to create a Web community that is accessible to the widest range of users possible. All University Web pages, regardless of origin and including those associated with administration and services, courses of instruction, departmental programs, and institute-sponsored activities, should follow these Web accessibility guidelines.

Discussion
As the University of Oklahoma expands its use of Web technology for public awareness, recruiting, and administrative purposes as well as for supporting its educational and programmatic mission, it is important to recognize the diverse group of people for whom the University's Web presence may serve as the first or primary point of entry. This group may include community members, trustees, administrators, faculty, and students with varying educational backgrounds, technological skill levels, and computer equipment. Primary constituencies will include prospective and current members of the university community, on-site and remote learners, traditional and nontraditional students, and people with different physical, cognitive, and sensory capabilities.

The University of Oklahoma has established these Web accessibility guidelines as part of its ongoing commitment to a barrier free learning community. Compliance will allow the University to meet its ethical and legal obligations under The Americans with Disabilities Act, The Telecommunications Act of 1996, The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the Oklahoma Information Technology Accessibility Standards.

Universal Design
All University of Oklahoma Web pages should reflect an awareness of universal design principles.

Discussion
Universal design describes the process of creating products and services that are available and marketable to the widest array of users, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized accommodation.

Although universal design has received substantial attention in relation to services to people with disabilities, equal attention is now being given to the benefits accrued to other groups of users. Diverse groups of people who have benefited from universal design principles include left-handed people, shoppers with packages, and parents with strollers. In the context of these guidelines, it is apparent that populations utilizing computer technologies, including remote learners, people dependent on older or less capable equipment, and those who use emerging technologies benefit substantially from application of universal design principals.

Following is a brief list of the seven principles of universal design. Awareness of the principles of universal design helps providers to create systems and services that are accessible to special populations and more usable and convenient for everyone.

The Seven Principles of Universal Design

1.	Equitable Use. The design is appealing and useful to all users.
2.	Flexibility in Use. The design accommodates a range of user abilities and preferences.
3.	Simple and Intuitive. The design is easy to understand and use, regardless of a user's level of skill, knowledge or concentration.
4.	Perceptible Information. The design provides essential information to a user, regardless of his or her sensory abilities
5.	Tolerance for Error. The design minimizes consequences and hazards of accidental or unintended actions by the user.
6.	Low Physical Effort. The design may be used with a minimum of user fatigue.
7.	Appropriate Size and Space. Appropriate size and space are provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of user's body size, posture, or mobility.

The North Carolina State University Center for Universal Design http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/univ_design/princ_overview.htm provides an excellent overview and history of universal design. A text only version is included in Appendix A of this document. For more information, visit this site or those listed in the RESOURCES section of this document.

Accessible Web Design
All University of Oklahoma Web designers should make every reasonable effort to follow accessibility guidelines developed by World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative. The following is a list of the W3C universal design checkpoints:

1.	Provide equivalent alternatives to auditory and visual content.
2.	Don't rely on color alone.
3.	Use markup and style sheets properly.
4.	Clarify natural language usage.
5.	Create tables that transform gracefully.
6.	Ensure that pages featuring new technologies transform gracefully.
7.	Ensure user control of time-sensitive content changes.
8.	Ensure direct accessibility of embedded user interfaces.
9.	Design for device independence.
10.	Use interim solutions.
11.	Use W3C technologies and guidelines.
12.	Provide context and orientation information.
13	Provide clear navigation mechanisms.
14.	Ensure that documents are clear and simple.

Discussion
Web designers apply the principles of universal design to create pages that are accessible to people with disabilities and appealing and usable to diverse groups of users. There are many sites that provide guidelines for accessible Web design. Most of these are based on the guidelines developed and maintained through the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative.

The University of Washington's DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking & Technology) Center Provides an excellent overview of key points in accessible Web design at their site, World Wide Access: Accessible Web Design (http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Technology/universal.design.html) A text only version is provided in Appendix B in this document. For more information about accessible Web design, visit this site or those listed in the RESOURCES section of this document.

University Support Services for Users

Any users, regardless of disability status, who have difficulty in utilizing Web-based services, should contact the Helpdesk at (405) 325-HELP.

APPENDIX A
North Carolina State
Center for Universal Design
THE PRINCIPLES OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN
http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/univ_design/princ_overview.htm
Version 2.0 4/1/97

Compiled by advocates of universal design, listed in alphabetical order:
Bettye Rose Connell, Mike Jones, Ron Mace, Jim Mueller, Abir Mullick, Elaine Ostroff,
Jon Sanford, Ed Steinfeld, Molly Story, and Gregg Vanderheiden
Major funding provided by: The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation
Research, U.S. Department of Education
Copyright 1997 NC State University, The Center for Universal Design

UNIVERSAL DESIGN:

The design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.

The authors, a working group of architects, product designers, engineers and environmental design researchers, collaborated to establish the following Principles of Universal Design to guide a wide range of design disciplines including environments, products, and communications. These seven principles may be applied to evaluate existing designs, guide the design process and educate both designers and consumers about the characteristics of more usable products and environments.

The Principles of Universal Design are presented here, in the following format: name of the principle, intended to be a concise and easily remembered statement of the key concept embodied in the principle; definition of the principle, a brief description of the principle's primary directive for design; and guidelines, a list of the key elements that should be present in a design which adheres to the principle. (Note: all guidelines may not be relevant to all designs.)

PRINCIPLE ONE: Equitable Use
The design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities.
Guidelines:

1a.	Provide the same means of use for all users: identical whenever possible; equivalent when not.
1b.	Avoid segregating or stigmatizing any users.
1c.	Provisions for privacy, security, and safety should be equally available to all users.
1d.	Make the design appealing to all users.

PRINCIPLE TWO: Flexibility in Use
The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities.

Guidelines:

2a.	Provide choice in methods of use.
2b.	Accommodate right or left handed access and use.
2c.	Facilitate the user's accuracy and precision.
2d.	Provide adaptability to the user's pace.

PRINCIPLE THREE: Simple and Intuitive Use
Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user's experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level.

Guidelines:

3a.	Eliminate unnecessary complexity.
3b.	Be consistent with user expectations and intuition.
3c.	Accommodate a wide range of literacy and language skills.
3d.	Arrange information consistent with its importance.
3e.	Provide effective prompting and feedback during and after task completion.

PRINCIPLE FOUR: Perceptible Information
The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user's sensory abilities.

Guidelines:

4a.	Use different modes (pictorial, verbal, tactile) for redundant presentation of essential information.
4b.	Provide adequate contrast between essential information and its surroundings.
4c.	Maximize "legibility" of essential information.
4d.	Differentiate elements in ways that can be described (i.e., make it easy to give instructions or directions).
4e.	Provide compatibility with a variety of techniques or devices used by people with sensory limitations.

PRINCIPLE FIVE: Tolerance for Error
The design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended
actions.

Guidelines:

5a.	Arrange elements to minimize hazards and errors: most used elements, most accessible; hazardous elements eliminated, isolated, or shielded.
5b.	Provide warnings of hazards and errors.
5c.	Provide fail-safe features.
5d.	Discourage unconscious action in tasks that require vigilance.

PRINCIPLE SIX: Low Physical Effort
The design can be used efficiently and comfortably and with a minimum of fatigue.

Guidelines:

6a.	Allow user to maintain a neutral body position.
6b.	Use reasonable operating forces.
6c.	Provide fail-safe features.
6d.	Minimize sustained physical effort.

PRINCIPLE SEVEN: Size and Space for Approach and Use
Appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use
regardless of user's body size, posture, or mobility.

Guidelines:

7a.	Provide a clear line of sight to important elements for any seated or standing user.
7b.	Make reach to all components comfortable for any seated or standing user.
7c.	Accommodate variations in hand and grip size.
7d.	Provide adequate space for the use of assistive devices or personal assistance.

Please note that the Principles of Universal Design address only universally usable design, while the practice of design involves more than consideration for usability. Designers must also incorporate other considerations such as economic, engineering, cultural, gender, and environmental concerns in their design processes. These Principles offer designers guidance to better integrate features that meet the needs of as many users as possible.

Copyright 1997 NC State University, The Center for Universal Design

APPENDIX B

The University of Washington
DO-IT Center (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking & Technology)
WORLD WIDE ACCESS: ACCESSIBLE Web DESIGN
(http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Technology/universal.design.html)

General Page Design. Designing a well organized Web site helps visitors navigate through the information presented.

Maintain a simple, consistent page layout throughout your site.
A consistent design and look makes it easier for visitors to locate the specific information they seek. For example, a feature presented on every page, such as a standard navigation menu or logo for the site, should always appear in the same place. A carefully planned organizational scheme will help everyone use your site. A clear, consistent presentation will especially assist people with visual impairments or learning disabilities who have difficulty following disorganized presentations.

Keep backgrounds simple. Make sure there is enough contrast.
People with low vision or colorblindness, or those using black and white monitors, can have difficulty reading information at sites with busy backgrounds and dark colors. Some background images and colors obscure text and make reading difficult. Make sure that there is enough contrast between your text and the background of the page. Choose background, text and link colors carefully, and always test your site by viewing it at different resolutions and color depths. For example, you can change your monitor settings to a resolution of 640x480 and 16 colors for one test, and change to 1024x768 and 24 bit color for another.

Use standard HTML.
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is the standard code used to create Web sites. HTML was designed to be a universal format outside the bounds of proprietary software and computer operating systems. The code works via tags that tell a Web browser where to find and how to display information. While nonstandard tags exist, using standard HTML as defined by the W3C will ensure that your content can be accessed by all browsers used by visitors to your site. Avoid tags, features and plug-ins that are available to only one brand or version of a browser.

Design large buttons.
Small buttons marking links can be difficult targets for visitors with mobility impairments that result in restricted hand movements. Larger buttons can make it easier for all visitors to select the links on your page. Test how your buttons appear and operate with a variety of monitor sizes and at different screen resolutions.

Caption video and transcribe other audio.
Multimedia formats that include audio can present barriers to people with hearing impairments as well as to people with less sophisticated computer systems. Provide captions and transcriptions for these resources so visitors who cannot hear have an alternative method for accessing the information.

Make links descriptive so that they are understood out of context.
Visitors who use screen reading software can adjust their software to read only the links on a page. For this reason, links should provide enough information when read out of context. Use a more descriptive phrase than "click here" as a link or next to a graphic used as a link. For example:
<A HREF="./about.htm">Click here</A> for information about our company.
will present "Click here" as the link. However,
<A HREF="./about.htm">Information about our company.</A>
will display "Information about our company." as the link text.

Include a note about accessibility.
Notify site visitors that you are concerned about accessibility by including a Web access symbol on your page (see Resources list). Include a statement about accessibility and encourage them to notify you with their accessibility concerns. For example, the DO-IT home page includes the following statement:

"The DO-IT pages form a living document and are regularly updated. We strive to make them universally accessible. You will notice that we minimize the use of graphics and photos, and provide descriptions of them when they are included. Video clips are open-captioned, providing access to users who can't hear the audio. Suggestions for increasing the accessibility of these pages are welcome."

Graphical Features
People who are blind cannot view the graphical features of your Web site. Many people with visual impairments use voice output programs with nonstandard browsers (such as pwWebSpeak or Lynx) or graphical browsers with the feature that loads images turned off. Include text alternatives to make the content in graphical features accessible. Described below are guidelines for providing alternative text for various types of visual features.

Include appropriate ALT/LONGDESC attributes for graphical elements on your page.

ALT attributes work with HTML image tags to give alternative text descriptive information for graphical elements of a Web page. The alternative text helps visitors understand what is on the page if they are not viewing the graphic. This could be because they are blind and using a text-based browser or a graphical browser with the image loading feature turned off. The bold text in the following example shows what an ALT attribute looks like in HTML:

<IMG SRC="./doitlogo.large.gif" ALIGN=MIDDLE ALT="[DO-IT LOGO]">

When a sighted visitor views the page with a graphical browser, he will see a picture of the DO-IT logo. When someone who is blind visits, his voice output program will read [DO-IT LOGO]. This gives him a clear idea of what is on the page. In addition, any visitor coming to the site using a text-based browse will understand that there is a DO-IT logo there instead of the more ambiguous "image," the default result when no ALT attribute is used. ALT attributes should be short (less than 5 words) as browsers sometimes have difficulty displaying lengthy ALT text.

When using text to describe complex graphs or charts, or to transcribe sound files containing speech or lyrics, summarize the information next to the element, or consider using the LONGDESC attribute which provides for more detailed text than ALT. Lengthy descriptions can also be linked to an external document or immediately follow the graphic or sound element.

Include menu alternatives for image maps to ensure that the embedded links are accessible.
In an image map (also called ISMAP) a part of a picture can be clicked to activate a link to another page. For example, on a map of the United States, a visitor might click on an image of the state of Oregon to find information about the state. If the Web page developer has not included an alternative menu, visitors using text-based browsers can be totally blocked from the site, or sent on a wild goose chase clicking unlabeled links. The following example does not include an alternative menu for the image map.

<HTML>
<TITLE>Our Library Page</TITLE>
<BODY>
<A HREF="home.map">
<IMG SRC="images/home.jpg"ismap </A>
</BODY>
</HTML>

When viewed through a graphical browser, such as Netscape Navigator® or Internet Explorer® , a beautiful picture of a floor map of a library appears. The visitor can choose selected areas of the library to view. But, when a visitor using a text-based browser visits the site, this is what he sees:

Our Library Page
[ISMAP]

At this point the visitor is stuck, as text-based browsers will not interpret the hypertext links embedded in the image map. His only option is to back out of the site. A visitor who uses a text-based browser, perhaps because he is blind, can't get to your information unless an alternative is provided. The accessibility of an image map depends on the software used as a Web site's server. Check with your system administrator to find out about the capabilities of your Web server software. Some server software will automatically render text links for image maps while other versions won't. Providing text alternatives to image-based links will ensure image maps are usable to the widest audience.

Include descriptive captions for pictures and transcriptions of manuscript images.
Providing ALT text for an image is sufficient for logos and graphics that contain little information content. However, if the graphics provide more extensive information, adding captions and transcriptions is important for those who cannot see your page because they are using a text-based browser or they have turned off the graphics loading feature of their browser. This includes people who are blind. If you are not sure how critical a particular image is to the content of a page, temporarily remove it and consider the impact of its loss.
If you present information in an image format, such as a scanned-in image of a page of a manuscript, be sure to also provide a transcription of the manuscript in a straight text format. This alternative is useful for many visitors, including those with visual impairments and those with learning disabilities who may have difficulty reading the original document.

Use a NULL value for unimportant graphics.
Some graphical elements may add no content to a page and can be bypassed from viewing by using an ALT attribute with no text. By using just two quotation marks with no content, you can reduce the amount of distracting text when a page is viewed with graphics capabilities turned off or with a text-based browser. For example, the HTML for a divider bar could be:

<IMG SRC="./purplebar.gif" ALIGN=MIDDLE ALT="">

Sighted visitors will see the divider bar, while those visiting via a text browser will see/hear nothing.

Provide audio description and transcripts of video.
If your multimedia resources provided on your site include video, people who cannot see will be unable to use this information unless it is provided in an alternative format. A text transcription provided with the video will give a visitor who cannot see, or who doesn't have the appropriate viewing software, access to the information in your video clip.

Consider other options for making graphical features accessible.

Some Web designers make an image accessible by placing a hyperlink "D" (for description) immediately before or after an image that links to another page with an image description. At the end of each description another hyperlink returns the user to the original page. This method should be used with caution as it can add unnecessary navigational complexity to the site.

Some organizations with graphic-intensive Web pages provide a separate text version of their site to ensure accessibility. This adds a great deal of maintenance time and complexity as two versions of a site must be updated. It also segregates site visitors according to the type of equipment they use to access the Web. As much as possible, design a single version of your site so that it is accessible to all visitors.

Special Features
Use tables and frames sparingly and consider alternatives.
Most screen reader programs read from left to right, jumbling the meaning of information in tables. Some blind visitors can interpret tabular information, but it is best to look for other ways to present the information to ensure that visitors with visual impairments can reach your data. In the same vein, frames often present logistical nightmares to text-based screen reading software and make it difficult for visitors to share URLs of pages that may be buried within a frame structure. Evaluate whether frames are truly necessary at your site. If no alternatives to frames are available, ensure that frames are labeled with the TITLE attribute; provide a text alternative with NOFRAMES; and use the TARGET = "_top" attribute to ensure useful Uniform Resource Location (URL) addressing is provided for each interior frame.

Provide alternatives for forms and databases.
Some combinations of browsers and screen readers encounter errors with nonstandard or complex forms. Always test forms and databases with a text-based browser. Include an e-mail address and other contact information for those who cannot use your forms or database.

Provide alternatives for content in applets and plug-ins.
As future versions of software develop, applets (such as programs created with JavaScript®) and plug-ins (such as Adobe Acrobat®) may provide accessibility features. However, many of these programs are currently not accessible to people using text-based browsers. To ensure that people with visual and hearing impairments can access your information, provide the content from these programs in alternative, text-based formats. When using JavaScript, make sure to employ the built-in accessibility features within the Java Developer's Kit.

APPENDIX C: RESOURCES

UNIVERSAL DESIGN

Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST). Universal Design for Learning
http://www.cast.org/udl/
CAST, an educational, not-for-profit organization focuses on the opportunities for equitable access provided by technology. The UDL pages apply the principles of Universal Design to create "a new paradigm for teaching, learning, assessment and curriculum development." . The central practical premise of UDL is that a curriculum should include alternatives to make it accessible and appropriate for individuals with different backgrounds, learning styles, abilities, and disabilities in widely varied learning contexts." The site provides an explanation of basic principles, theory, research, models, and applications.

Center for Universal Design, The North Carolina State University. Environments and Products for All People. Welcome!
http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/Web_policy.html
NCSU provides an excellent overview and history of universal design. A text only version is included in Appendix A of this document. Especially effective is the link to the Seven Principles of Universal Design (http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/univ_design/princ_overview.htm)

Ohio State University. Fast Facts for Faculty: Universal Design for Learning
http://www.osu.edu/grants/dpg/fastfact/undesign.html
This is the top pick for quick tips on utilizing the basic elements of good teaching as the basis for universal design for all learners. This is an excellent site, with information clearly and succinctly presented.

Trace Research and Development Center, University of Wisconsin. General Concepts, Universal Design Principles and Guidelines.
http://www.trace.wisc.edu/world/gen_ud.html
Provides a brief rationale, overview of audience, and links to sites offering universal design guidelines, explanations of the universal design process from corporations such as NYNEX, Sun and Pacific Bell, and references and resources, including major universal design projects. Read Universal Design... What It Is and What It Isn't
(http://trace.wisc.edu/docs/whats_ud/whats_ud.htm), a cogent - and wonderfully brief - overview of universal design.

ACCESSIBLE Web DESIGN
The following Web sites will provide a good starting point for learning how to create Web pages accessible not only to persons with disabilities, but to everyone.

Alliance for Technology Access. Designing and Understanding Accessible WWW Pages
http://www.ataccess.org/rresources/webaccess.html
Provided by the Alliance for Technology Access, this site describes how to create Web pages for people with specific disabilities, including vision, hearing, learning/cognitive, physical and economic. It also
provides access to resources that discuss barriers to Web accessibility based on disability.

Center for IT Accommodation (General Services Administration)
http://www.itpolicy.gsa.gov/cita/
This site provides federal standards and guidelines concerning accessibility, as well as links to resources concerning specific disabilities, accessibility tools, legislation, and assistive technology.

Equal Access to Software and Information (EASI)
http://www.rit.edu/~easi/access.htm
Partially funded by the National Science Foundation, this page contains links to a variety of useful sites, including tutorials on accessible Web design, "IBM Guidelines for Writing Accessible Applications Using 100% Pure Java," Adobe Accessibility Plan for PDF and Acrobat links, and resources of particular interest to users with disabilities. There is particular emphasis on blind and visually impaired users.

Trace Center, University of Wisconsin. Designing a More Usable World - for All.
http://trace.wisc.edu/world/
The Trace Research & Development Center, University of Wisconsin, provides an excellent single source for information and links to resources about universal design, including guidelines, legal resources, and other disability sites.

University of Washington. DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) Center. World Wide Access: Accessible Web Design
http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Technology/universal.design.html)
The DO-IT Center provides an excellent overview of key points in accessible Web design (A text only version is provided in Appendix B in this document). This is a clearly presented and simplified summary of the W3 Web Accessibility Initiative Guidelines.

Viewable with Any Browser: Accessible Site Design
http://www.anybrowser.org/campaign/abdesign.shtml
Carl D. Burstein mounted this page as part of the "Viewable with Any Browser" Campaign. It's purpose is to discourage Web design that works with only a specific browser. This site explains, clearly and succinctly, techniques for increasing the accessibility of commonly used Web page elements and includes well-chosen examples and links to additional resources.

World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0.
http://www.w3.org/WAI/
The World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative, in coordination with organizations around the world, pursues accessibility of the Web through five primary areas of work: technology, guidelines, tools, education and outreach, and research and development. Getting Started: Making a Web Site Accessible <http://www.w3.org/WAI/gettingstarted> provides an excellent step-by-step guide. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 <http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WebCONTENT/>, Checklist of Checkpoints for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines <http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WebCONTENT/full-checklist.html>, and examples for implementing the Checkpoints.

WebABLE! WebABLE Services.
http://www.Webable.com/#Main Content
WebABLE! is a privately owned corporation which provides this comprehensive site arranges resources in categories that include seminars and workshops, general accessibility guidelines, tools and utilities, alternative Web browsers, and much more.

EVALUATION, ASSESSMENT, AND REPAIR TOOLS

Accessibility Tools for PDF Documents
http://access.adobe.com/
Adobe Systems Inc. offers a suite of Web tools for making PDF documents accessible to persons with disabilities.

Watchfire WebXACT
http://webxact.watchfire.com/
Based on the WAI's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0, WebXACT is a free online evaluation tool that analyzes individual Web pages for accessibility, as well as quality, privacy and other criteria.

Lynx Viewer
http://www.delorie.com/Web/lynxview.html
Offered by Delorie Software company, this freely available "service allows Web authors to see what their pages will look like (sort of) when viewed with Lynx, a text-mode Web browser."

World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). Evaluation, Repair, and Transformation Tools for Web Content Accessibility.
http://www.w3.org/WAI/ER/existingtools.html
W3C provides access (without evaluation or endorsement) to three categories of tools: evaluation tools, which analyze pages or sites and provide reports regarding accessibility; repair tools, which assist the author in making the pages more accessible once problems have been identified; and filter and transform tools, which directly assist users (rather than authors) of Web pages. See also:

World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). HTML Validation Service.
http://validator.w3.org/
This free service allows the user to enter individual Web addresses and the automated system "checks HTML documents for conformance to W3C HTML and XHTML."