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New in Website Accessibility – WCAG 2.1

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In June 2018, the World Wide Web Consortium issued an expanded version of  the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (“WCAG”) 2.0, adding 17 new success criteria. The new criteria, called the WCAG 2.1, is an extension of the WCAG 2.0 standards and updates include ones relating to mobile devices; disabilities that affect vision, such as low vision; and disabilities that affect cognitive function, such as attention deficit disorder and age-related cognitive decline.

This 60-minute webinar will cover the recent changes to the WCAG and outline the aspects that will and will not change as a result of this refresh. Participants will gain knowledge about the goals of the new standard and the 17 new success criteria that have been added to the standard to support these goals. 

It was very informative and provided better understanding of the changes. Thank you!

Learning outcomes

By completing this webinar, participants will:

  • Learn about the overarching goals of WCAG 2.1 
  • Understand the process behind the development of the new standard
  • Learn about the 17 new success criteria in the WCAG 2.1
  • Receive information about plans to integrate WCAG 2.1 into legislation internationally.
  • Learn about the proposed changes in the latest update – WCAG 2.2

Great presentation as always. 🙂

Accommodations available upon request. 

Website Accessibility Requirement (AODA)

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By January 1, 2021, all designated public sector organizations, as well as private and nonprofit organizations with 50 or more employees in Ontario, must ensure their internet websites and web content on those sites conform with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Level AA, other than:

  • success criteria 1.2.4 Captions (Live); and
  • success criteria 1.2.5 Audio Descriptions (Pre-recorded).

“Internet website” is defined in the AODA as a collection of related web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that are accessible to the public.  “Web content” includes documents such as Word, PDFs, and PowerPoint presentations. 

The requirements apply to:

  • internet websites and web content, including web-based applications, that an organization controls directly or through a contractual relationship that allows for modification of the product; and
  • web content published on an internet website after January 1, 2012.

Private/non-profit organizations with less than 50 employees in Ontario are not required to meet this requirement.

Request a quote to get a website accessibility audit.

 

Accessibility Compliance Report

By December 31, 2020, all designated public sector organizations, as well as private and nonprofit organizations with 20 or more employees in Ontario, must file an Accessibility Compliance Report.

The purpose of the report is to confirm for the Government of Ontario that your organization has met its current accessibility requirements under the AODA.  It contains such questions as:

  • Does your organization have written accessibility policies and a statement of commitment?
  • Does your organization provide appropriate training on the AODA Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation and the Human Rights Code as it pertains to people with disabilities?
  • Does your organization have a process to provide accessible formats and communication supports to people with disabilities in a timely manner and at no extra cost?

Learn more about how to submit your Compliance Report.

New in Website Accessibility – WCAG 2.1

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In June 2018, the World Wide Web Consortium issued an expanded version of  the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (“WCAG”) 2.0, adding 17 new success criteria. The new criteria, called the WCAG 2.1, is an extension of the WCAG 2.0 standards and updates include ones relating to mobile devices; disabilities that affect vision, such as low vision; and disabilities that affect cognitive function, such as attention deficit disorder and age-related cognitive decline.

This 60-minute webinar will cover the recent changes to the WCAG and outline the aspects that will and will not change as a result of this refresh. Participants will gain knowledge about the goals of the new standard and the 17 new success criteria that have been added to the standard to support these goals. 

It was very informative and provided better understanding of the changes. Thank you!

Learning outcomes

By completing this webinar, participants will:

  • Learn about the overarching goals of WCAG 2.1 
  • Understand the process behind the development of the new standard
  • Learn about the 17 new success criteria in the WCAG 2.1
  • Receive information about plans to integrate WCAG 2.1 into legislation internationally.

Great presentation as always. 🙂

Webinar Recordings: Participants can choose to get access to the webinar recordings. A link will be sent the same day as the live session and viewing will be available for 7 days. 

  INCLUDED IN THE WEBINAR:

  • High quality instruction by a Web Accessibility Specialist
  • Resources about WCAG 2.1
  • Official recognition for your participation (that you can share on LinkedIn, Facebook or your resume)

Accommodations

Accommodations available upon request. 

Web Accessibility for Content Managers

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It can sometimes be challenging to know what accessibility efforts can be implemented on a content level vs. those that are dependent on the platform where your content exists. In this 60-minute webinar, we will differentiate between platform and content level issues and dive deeper into techniques you can use to make your content more accessible. This is a high-level, platform agnostic information session.

High level overview that also provided specific, useful examples. Gave us tools to learn more on our own, without bogging down the session.

Good range of examples for discussion. Very informative. Thanks for the resource links, too!

Topics include:

  • How WCAG applies to web content issues.
  • Accessibility considerations for Text (eg. reading level), Images (eg. Text alternatives), and Multimedia (eg. Captioning + descriptive transcripts).
  • Interactive exercises to identify potential accessibility barriers in content and how these can be addressed.

It was interactive. Thanks for asking US questions!

Take Away:

Participants will be given a handout listing website accessibility tools and other key references.

Wide range of content presented with images to make it easy to follow.

Optional Webinar Recordings: Participants have the option of purchasing access to the webinar recording for 7 days following the live event.

  INCLUDED IN THE WEBINAR:

  • High quality instruction by a Web Accessibility Specialist
  • A chance to ask questions
  • Digital Certificate of Completion for registered participants

 

Accessible Website Creation

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This webinar provides a technical explanation of how to create accessible website content. Web developers will come away with a deep understanding of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, the AODA requirements for website accessibility, and how to achieve WCAG 2.0 conformance.  

Learning outcomes

By completing this webinar, participants will:

  • Gain an in depth understanding of WCAG 2.0 structure: Principles, Guidelines and Success Criteria
  • Become familiar with established techniques for meeting WCAG conformance
  • Get an introduction to WAI ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Application) markup
  • Learn about tools and resources for creating accessible content

Prerequisite:  Some basic knowledge of HTML is required for this course. 

Optional Webinar Recordings: Participants have the option of purchasing access to the webinar recording for 7 days following the live event.

  INCLUDED IN THE WEBINAR:

  • High quality instruction by a Web Accessibility Specialist
  • Webinar recording (optional)
  • Accessibility Resources
  • Digital Certificate of Completion for registered participants

Accommodations

Accommodations available upon request. 

 

Introduction to Document Accessibility

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Participants in this live webinar will learn about how accessibility effects document creation and what changes in your organization’s current workflow and processes are required.

Commonly asked questions we discuss in this webinar:

  • What is an accessible document?
  • What does an accessible format mean?
  • How do you make accessible documents?
  • Can all documents be made accessible?
  • How do I make a PDF accessible?
  • What if I don’t have the source document?
  • Can infographics be made accessible?
  • At what stage in the document creation process does accessibility come in?

Who should attend this webinar?

Anyone who is responsible for the management and coordination of print or digital documents.

This includes all Executive Directors/CEOs, Communication Managers, Document Creators, Production Coordinators, Communication Coordinators, Website Content Managers, Marketing Managers.

What You Will Walk Away With:

Participants will have a clear understanding of:

  1. What accessible documents are and how important they are reach all potential clients/customers.
  2. The process of how a document becomes more accessible.
  3. Suggestions for improvements in your document creation and production stages.
  4. How to save money by using a smart document creation process.
  5. How to improve employee efficiency.

During this live presentation participants can ask questions of our accessible document expert.

  INCLUDED IN THE WEBINAR:

  • High quality instruction by a Document Accessibility Specialist
  • Registered participants will receive a digital Certificate of Completion badge
  • Chance to ask your questions

Accommodations

Accommodations available upon request. 

Accessible Graphic Design

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Do you want to create posters, brochures and other materials that are accessible to as many people as possible? Get tips on the best and most accessible design choices- from choosing colours and fonts, to ensuring documents are accessible to assistive technology users. Participants will learn what is required to create accessible materials that work for a wider range of users.

Topics include:

  • Visual considerations: Font type, size, spacing, colour, contrast
  • Accessible document settings: Semantic meaning of content, document structure, language settings and more.
  • Workflow tips: How to effectively integrate accessibility into the document creation cycle.
  • Examples of accessible and inaccessible design choices. 

“I always learn so much from every training opportunity I take with you team! These skills are making my designs better, more accessible and beautiful,  one project at a time.”  City of Peterborough

“Very interesting and new information I did not know about.”

“Great material. The presentation was clear, concise and easy to read.” Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

“Short, sweet and super helpful! Interactive portion was a really nice break and a good way to jump start the brain.”

“Fantastic webinar! Wish there had been more time.” Evergreen Canada

“Easy to follow the topics and great samples.”

“Great webinar!” Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR)

“Fantastically organized and presented in a very clear manner. Great that it was kept on time and not rushed or prolonged.”

  INCLUDED IN THE WEBINAR:

  • High quality instruction by a Document Accessibility Specialist
  • Registered participants will receive a digital Certificate of Completion
  • Chance to ask your questions

“Accessibility test for character ambiguity is very useful, thanks!”

“Excellent examples.”

 “I liked that it was easy to understand and entry-level but we covered a lot of content.”

 “Very clear and concise information provided.”

 “Real life brochure example, pointing out what’s good/not good, was very useful.”

Accommodations

Accommodations available upon request. 

How to Make Accessible Word Documents

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This hands-on workshop is designed to clearly explain how to create an accessible document using Microsoft Word. It will demonstrate converting documents to PDF format and examine the required structure for assistive technologies.

This workshop is a comprehensive review of how layout and design principles and practices influence the outcome in the construction of a document intended for accessibility.

Through exercises and group discussions, participants will review the background and theory of accessibility and how it affects document creation; the necessary changes to their current workflow and processes; and how to layout content in documents for those with vision, motor and cognitive impairments.

Microsoft Word will be used to build an accessible document, followed by using Adobe Acrobat Professional DC to inspect any conversion issues or errors.

Best training I have ever had in a session!    Ontario College of Teachers

I have taken a few training courses but this was by far the most in-depth and informative.   Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)

Learning outcomes

By completing this workshop, participants will:

  • Gain an in-depth understanding of accessible word document creation
  • Learn how to prepare all text content for accessibility
  • Will prepare graphical content for accessibility
  • Understand why navigation is important in a document
  • Review who is using accessible documents and their needs
  • Become familiar with content design best practices – the do’s and don’ts
  • Understand the importance of using accessible fonts
  • Learn about how to modify and create custom text styles
  • Understanding color blindness and the impact on graphic communications
  • How to make graphic, WordArt and charts accessible
  • Add custom bookmarks for navigation in their documents
  • Review how to add descriptive file properties to a file
  • Review the built-in accessibility checkers in both Microsoft and Acrobat
  • And much more!

Great practical, hands-on exercises. (City of Pembroke)

Take Away 

Participants will be given a handout with reference to the content covered including step-by-step procedures.

Workshop Requirements

  • Laptop and a Computer Mouse
  • Microsoft Word 2016 or 2013
  • Acrobat Professional Version DC or 11

Technical Notes

  • Please ensure that your Acrobat Professional (not Reader) has been installed correctly within your Microsoft Word application.
  • We suggest you do any installations a day or two before the workshop to ensure it is working properly.
  • A USB key will be used to transfer class files to laptops – ensure this can be done on your laptop.
  • A computer mouse is recommended since it will assist in the use of keyboard shortcuts
  • MAC users are welcome but must have the newest version of Microsoft Office and Acrobat Professional DC

NOTE: Laptops are optional, however, they will be needed to participate in the hands-on exercises that complement the lecture.

Great tips and tools to aid in the process of making docs accessible. Looking forward to Part 2!  (Niagara Parks Commission)

Perfect! Met the level of accessibility training I need in my job and I learned a few new tricks.  (Ontario Government)

INCLUDED IN THE WORKSHOP:

  • High quality instruction by a Document Accessibility Specialist
  • Small class size (maximum 10 participants)
  • A Step-by-Step Reference Guide
  • Complimentary coffee and tea
  • A chance to network with other professionals
  • Official recognition for your participation (that you can share on LinkedIn, Facebook or your resume)

Accommodations

Accommodations available upon request. 

Formatting Tables for Accessibility

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Tables have always been a challenge for Assistive Technology and purchasing additional software to remediate a PDF is not always an option when on a limited technology budget.

In this 1-hour webinar we will use Acrobat and PAC 3, a free document accessibility checker, to review how tables are received by screen reading software and how a few changes in formatting tags can enhance the experience and make them more accessible. With errors found in both these programs we will review some common errors found such as “Table header has no associated sub cells” and “Failed table settings” warnings in Acrobat.

Great webinar! Really informative session and helped me better understand how to develop accessible tables. I think everyone should take this course!  WSP

Topics include:
• Table layout and design formatting for accessibility
• The differences between data tables versus layout tables
• How to include all the necessary tags in a table within Acrobat
• Using the Reading order tool to edit tables

Great follow-up to the Making Accessible Word Docs and Adobe Docs courses! Tatham Engineering Limited

Who should attend this webinar

Anyone who has experience creating and editing accessible content or is new to the remediation process. Anyone working in the role of marketing content creators, graphic designers, editors, communication writers and coordinators, document production staff.

Your webinars are always very helpful! Waterloo Wellington LHIN

Very good! I picked up some help full tips. Town of Orangeville

Very informative! Possibly more in-depth than what I needed but still good information to know. The Municipality of Chatham-Kent

What you will walk away with:

At the end of this webinar, participants will have a clear understanding of:

  • Working with multiple table headers
  • Tagging tables with merged cells
  • How to manually remediate table content in Acrobat
  • Adding a table summary
  • Workaround tips and best practices in table design

Very good to have a webinar dedicated to tables as they are quite complex to work with! Barbara is a great teacher! GHD Limited

 

  INCLUDED IN THE WEBINAR:

  • High quality instruction by a Document Accessibility Specialist
  • Accessibility Best Practices Tip Sheet
  • A chance to ask questions
  • Registered participants will receive a digital Certificate of Completion

This was good! I was already familiar with a lot of this, but there were some excellent tips I picked up during the presentation. CSA Group

Accommodations

Accommodations available upon request. 

This webinar answered some of the questions I had about tagging complex tables. Thanks for filling in some gaps for me. CSA Group