Category: Marketing Agency

Marketing Agency

1.3 Getting the Most Out of this Book

A variety of elements have been added throughout the book to aid your learning. These are described here.

Your Accessibility Toolkit

Throughout the content, we’ve identified elements that should be added to the Accessibility Toolkit you will be assembling as you keep reading. These elements will include links to resource documents and online tools, as well as software or browser plugins that you may need to install or introduce your staff to. These will be identified in a green Toolkit box like the following:

Toolkit: Provides useful tools and resources for your future reference.

Technical Details

Though the book has been developed with much of the technical details of accessibility excluded, there are places throughout the content where important technical information has been included. These details are contained in the blue Technical boxes. It’s a good idea for those managing web accessibility efforts to be aware of some key technical elements of implementing digital accessibility, so they understand what technical staff should know.

Technical: Aimed more at technical staff, typically containing HTML code samples.

Key Points

Important or notable information will be highlighted and labelled in Key Point boxes such as the one that follows. These will include “must know” information.

Key Point: “Must know” information and interesting points.

Try This

Try This boxes contain activities designed to get you thinking or to give you first-hand experience with something you’ve just read about.

Try This: Typically a short interactive exercise.

Readings & References

Readings & References: These boxes provide links to various web resources for optional reading on the topics being discussed.

Challenge Tests

These short tests are included throughout the chapters to help you reinforce what you are learning.

Activities

Activities include mostly self-reflection. If you would like to participate in discussions on the topics raised in these activities, you can enroll in the course on which this book is based: Digital Accessibility as a Business Practice.

Try This: Skip ahead to the end and read through the Book Recap for a high-level summary of the topics covered here.

1.2 This Book Will Be Helpful to…

Managers

This book is aimed primarily at those who are responsible for implementing accessibility at an organizational level. These people tend to be managers, but may also be accessibility specialists, whose role it is to oversee the implementation of accessibility strategies and awareness throughout an organization.

Web Developers

Web developers may also wish to read this book to expand their understanding of the organizational aspects of implementing accessibility, extending their role as an IT accessibility specialist, often being the person who leads the implementation of accessibility culture in an organization.

Everyone Else

While managers and web developers are the primary audience for this book, anyone who has an interest in the aspects of implementing accessibility culture in an organization will find this book informative.

1.1 Getting Started

This chapter is an orientation and provides the information you need to successfully learn from this book. Though we do not talk about digital accessibility in this chapter, it is still important to read through it.

Key Point: In this book the main focus is on digital accessibility. We may use the word “accessibility” on its own, which in the context of this book should be interpreted as meaning “digital accessibility.”

Introduction

  1. Learning Outcomes
  2. Suggested Prerequisites
  3. Required Technology
  4. Book Structure
  5. Storyline
  6. Suggested Readings
  7. Beyond This Book
  8. Disclaimer

Learning Outcomes

Welcome to Digital Accessibility as a Business Practice. We are glad that you are learning about this important topic!

By the time you complete this book, you should be able to:

  • Communicate business cases for digital accessibility.
  • Identify how people with disabilities access IT systems and digital content.
  • Identify elements of your business IT environment where attention to accessibility is needed.
  • Recognize how key accessibility guidelines in WCAG 2.0 can be leveraged.
  • Identify accessibility requirements when working with international clientele.
  • Choose resources staff in various roles can use to learn about accessibility.
  • Implement accessible hiring practices.
  • Describe employee accommodation within the context of digital accessibility.
  • Develop an IT accessibility plan and policy.
  • Identify training for employees in varied roles.
  • Write and evaluate digital accessibility requirements in procurement contracts and RFPs.
  • Put together an accessibility committee, and/or assign an accessibility champion.
  • Identify basic digital accessibility issues in web content and electronic documents.
  • Develop a policy document to guide a digital accessibility implementation plan and a strategy to sustain its impact on organizational change.

(More specific learning objectives are included with each chapter.)

Key Point: Though this book has some focus on web accessibility as it pertains to those who reside in Ontario, Canada, most of what is covered in the book will be relevant regardless of where you are in the world. Where we do provide Ontario specific information, take it as an opportunity to compare what Ontario is doing with the efforts in your country or region.

Suggested Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites to successfully learn from this book. However, basic familiarity with the principles of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0) will be beneficial.

To learn more, read through the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and the Introduction to WCAG.

Required Technology

You will need the following applications to apply the knowledge and complete the activities listed in this book:

  • A word-processing application (e.g., Microsoft Word, OpenOffice, Google Docs)
  • A PDF reader (e.g., Adobe Reader)

Book Structure

This book is made up of the introductory section that you are reading now, plus six chapters.

Throughout chapters there are a number of short Challenge Tests that will help reinforce what you are learning. They are interactive with instant feedback in the web ebook, with a text-based alternative and answer key in the other formats.

Storyline

Throughout the book, a storyline about “The Sharp Clothing Company” will unfold, and, as a project manager for the company, you will investigate what the company must do to create a “digital accessibility culture.” The company will be introduced in Chapter 2, and the story will continue from there.

Readings & References

There are many Readings & References boxes mentioned throughout the book that expand on the content being presented. You are encouraged to explore these resources, but you will not need to know them to be able to understand the contents of this book.

Readings & References:

Beyond This Book

For those who would like to go beyond what they’ve learned in this book, The Chang School offers Professional Web Accessibility Auditing Made Easy and Web Accessibility for Developers, two courses aimed at a more technical audience.

Disclaimer

The information presented in this book is for instructional purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any particular issue, including compliance with relevant laws. We specifically disclaim any liability for any loss or damage any participant may suffer as a result of the information contained. Furthermore, successful completion of activities in this book does not result in formal accreditation or recognition within or for any given field or purpose.