As of 1 January 2014, under the AODA, public sector organizations shall make new internet websites and web content on them conform with the World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 to Level A. This requirement will extend to Level AA on all websites by 1 January 2021.
Web accessibility requirements refer to the navigation, design, and coding considerations that help visitors using different types of web-enabled devices and visitors with disabilities use the website. The requirements of WCAG 2.0 provide criteria to assist in making websites perceivable, operable, understandable and robust for persons with various types of disabilities. These four principles are described in more detail below:
- Perceivable: web-based content and interface components must be presented in ways that all users can perceive. This takes into consideration the effect of colour, size, typeface and sound.
- Operable: all users must be able to simply and accurately manipulate all interface and navigation components, taking in account how they operate their computers.
- Understandable: content and interfaces must be clear so that all people can understand a website. Consistency of interface elements, intuition in appearance and operation, and plain language are part of this principle.
- Robust: robust websites can be reliably interpreted by a wide variety of browsers, devices and assistive technologies.
Reference
General
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0
- Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)
- Accessible Rich Internet Applications (WAI-ARIA) 1.1
- Google Web Fundamentals - Accessibility
- WebAIM's WCAG 2 Checklist
UofT and Physics Department
- Accessibility information for U of T: https://hrandequity.utoronto.ca/inclusion/accessibility/
- For web site creators and maintainers, more information is available at: UofT Website Accessibility Compliance Requirements
- For raw HTML content maintainers: Accessibility Info for Static Web Content Creators/Maintainers
Need Help?
If you are a content maintainer in the Physics Department and have more questions about accessibility, please contact Julian Comanean at icom@physics.utoronto.ca.