Skip Maine state header navigation
A Publication Featuring The Information Services Technology of Maine State Government
| Volume V, Issue 11 | November 2002 |
|
|
 There are no boundaries to what we can accomplish with technology, when there are no barriers to block our access. |
Webmasters are recognizing the need to sharpen their skill sets. A topic of major discussion at the most recent "State Webmaster" meeting was the recognition that all citizens of Maine must have access to information posted on State of Maine web pages. In the coming months accessible technology tools, demonstrations, and education will aid state webmasters in making their respective web sites ADA compliant. It is the State of Maine policy that " information and services on Maine State Government web sites is designed to be accessible to people with disabilities. It is the responsibility of the agency and its web page developers to become familiar with the guidelines for achieving these standards and to apply these standards in designing and creating any official State of Maine web site."
To read the full policy: http://www.maine.gov/cio/accessibility/webpolicy.html
I’ve been doing web design for a few years now and, like many others, started out coding with Notepad and editing images with the freebie Lview back when 28.8 was considered blazing fast. It’s an exciting and ever changing field, but it wasn’t until I got involved with accessibility issues that I really felt connected with the field. Now I’m really hooked.
It’s so easy for the average person to get excited about the visual aspects of the web, which include movement, colors, and graphics. You can have these same effects and allow the page content to be accessible to more visitors to your site with the right coding.
Accessible websites offer freedom to those with disabilities. It’s sad that often the people who need the web the most, are the ones that are being barred from it by poor coding techniques. If I want to find research information, I can drive to the local library or bookstore, browse through the various forms of information, and then take my selected choices home to read. This isn’t easy for someone with limited or no vision, severe arthritis, or other illnesses. These people must depend on others to help them obtain simple things that most people take for granted. Accessible websites allow people with disabilities to find information, purchase items, and communicate with family, friends, and business associates, without asking for help. Accessible web design is their key to independence.
Like many State employees, I am just starting to learn the ins and outs of accessible design, and sharing information with others is the best way to learn. That’s why we’re starting the Accessible Web Design group. No one is an expert yet, but we’re hoping that the combined knowledge will help everyone from the designers to the users.
What: Accessible web design & discussion group
Who: State employees and vendors
When: Starting in November|
Where: 2hrs/month. 1 - 3 pm, (day and location to be determined)
Why: In 1998, Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act to require Federal agencies
to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with
disabilities. The Accessible Web Design Group will help the State’s website content
managers, designers, and outside vendors understand and implement Section 508, along with
guidelines adopted by the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) to help make web sites
accessible. To learn more about Section 508 and/or the W3C you can visit these links:
Section 508: http://www.maine.gov/CIO/accessibility/index.html and W3C: http://www.w3c.org/Consortium/
How:
Monthly tutorial pertaining to an accessibility feature
Leesa Lavigne is a second shift Computer Operator at the Bureau of Information Services. She also designs and promotes accessible web pages through her own site: http://www.loveitsimple.com.
By Mary Silva
State of Maine 2000 Census figures show that almost 30% of Maine’s population was 55 or older. (In 2001 it was estimated that with the aging population in the United States, 35% of our population may have some type of impairment and/or disability that would require some type of accommodation.) Taking into account our aging population, as well as those who may have physical or mental challenges who are not part of that population, clearly accessibile technology can make a difference in many of our citizens’ lives.
Accessible technology can mean that a senior who requires assistance in traveling can obtain state services on-line through our portal, without outside intervention; a visually impaired student has access to the same data on the internet that his peers do; an individual who is mentally challenged is provided with information in a format that he/she can more easily filter; and it can mean that someone who has limited mobility is provided with technology that will allow them to perform the same job as their fully mobile counterparts.
For all of these reasons accessible technology must continue to be a priority for the State. Individuals such as Leesa, with her skills and commitment to accessible web design, are one of the resources that will allow the State to "make a difference" in the lives of our citizens.
Keyboard Accessibility: If you cannot navigate through your site without a mouse, or if important information is presented only when the mouse hovers over a particular area, then you are excluding people from your site. Test your site by using the TAB, SHIFT + TAB, and ENTER keys to navigate your pages. If you can't do it, your site is inaccessible to most blind people and to some people with mobility impairments (e.g. little or no use of the hands).
http://www.webaim.org/discussion/#quicktip_note#quicktip_note
