Sharing electronically and accessibly in library-led instruction

The electronic information and technology accessibility project is a strategic overhauling of the digital instructional materials of the Health Sciences Library System (HSLS) to comply with the accessibility standards established in a 2020 University of Pittsburgh policy. Though these technologies have existed for quite some time, library instructors were not skilled in the actual creation and design of documents, web content, and presentations with accessibility in mind. Over the past year and a half, a team within HSLS developed detailed guidance and education on universal design and creating an inclusive online learning environment. These guidelines were developed in accordance with Section 508 and the WCAG2.1, with a focus on an improved experience for the D/deaf community and those with visual impairments. We initially made accessibility improvements to online subject guides, in-person presentations, and digitally shared class materials. The COVID-19 pandemic and complete shift to virtual instruction then necessitated the evaluation of platforms used in remote learning (such as Zoom and Panopto), where accessibility best practices needed to be incorporated. This article highlights going beyond in-program accessibility checkers and describes how library technology experts and content creators worked together to bridge the gap of accessibility in the information we share.

Graphical representations of patient tolerability data: Recommendations from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Moonshot Standardization Working Group.

e18612 Background: Effective communication of treatment tolerability data is essential for clinical decision making and improved patient outcomes, yet standardized approaches to the analysis and visualization of tolerability data in cancer clinical trials are currently limited. To address this need, the Standardization Working Group (SWG) was established within the NCI Cancer Moonshot Tolerability Consortium. This abstract describes the SWG’s initiative to develop a publicly accessible online toolkit with a comprehensive set of guidelines, references, and resources for graphical displays of tolerability data. Methods: A multidisciplinary group of PRO researchers including biostatisticians, clinicians, epidemiologists, and representatives from the NCI and FDA convened monthly to discuss toolkit development and content. Considerations for standardization of graphical displays of tolerability data included (1) types of graphical displays, (2) incorporation of missing data, (3) labeling and color schemes, and (4) software to produce graphical displays. For consistency, considerations of tolerability relied on the Patient-Reported Outcomes version of the CTCAE (PRO-CTCAE), which includes 124 items assessing the frequency, severity, interference, and/or presence of 78 symptomatic adverse events. Graphical displays were generated using simulated PRO-CTCAE data and summarized by composite score (range 0-3).Color schemes that were Section 508 compliant and color blindness accessible were created. Surveys were distributed to 68 consortium members to assess preferences and interpretability of the graphical displays. Results: The SWG created graphical displays for PRO-CTCAE data, including bar charts, butterfly plots, and Sankey diagrams and compiled SAS macros and R functions to do so. Graphical displays made available in the toolkit maximize the use of PRO-CTCAE data, incorporate missingness, support between-arm comparisons, and present data longitudinally over treatment cycles or study timepoints. Survey results for labeling and color schemes were summarized and informed a list of short labels for PRO-CTCAE items (e.g., “radiation burns” for “skin burns from radiation”) and standardized color schemes for use in graphical displays. Survey results were also summarized to provide insight into PRO researchers’ ability to accurately interpret the graphical displays. Conclusions: Standardizinggraphical displays is important for improving the communication and interpretation of tolerability data. The type of graphical display used depends on the purpose of the analysis and should be tailored to the intended audience, including patients. This toolkit will provide a comprehensive resource with best practice recommendations.

Compliance of accessibility in tourism websites: a pledge towards disability

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse the US states and territories’ official tourism information websites based on the Web Content Accessibility Guideline (WCAG) and Section 508 guidelines to identify the compliance of websites towards disabilities policies and their behaviour pattern.Design/methodology/approachThe official tourism websites of 57 states and territories were analysed through the TAW tool for WCAG 2.0 and AChecker for Section 508. Cluster analysis was used to produce a group of websites underlying the accessibility issues obtained from the online tool to understand the common pattern of behaviour.FindingsThe result revealed that websites have serious and significant accessibility issues underlying the prescribed guidelines that would interfere with the use of the website by disabled people. The main issues that make the website least accessible focussed on the following guideline of WCAG 2.0: compatible, navigable, text alternative, distinguishable and adaptable.Research limitations/implicationsThe empirical results provide the US states and territories’ tourism authority to better understand web accessibility in their websites and its impact on disabled people.Originality/valueAs the web plays an important role in individual lives, this study highlights the accessibility issues which need immediately focussed and technically planned actions from the respective states and territories to ensure that designed web content should communicate effectively and universally.

Examination of the Protection Offered by Current Accessibility Acts and Guidelines to People with Disabilities in Using Information Technology Devices

Today, information technology (IT) products are extensively used in everyday life; however, disabled people still experience difficulties in using them. To ensure the equal use of IT products by people with disabilities, various laws/guidelines/standards have been established. In particular, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, 21st-Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, the European Accessibility Act, and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines strongly influence IT product sales and, hence, have been included in the scope of this research. This study analyzed the main accessibility provisions/guidelines from the user experience (UX) perspective and the IT device difficulties that are addressed by the provisions/guidelines. Accordingly, the study used the IT interaction disability concept, which analyzes the comprehensive difficulties associated with the use of an IT device from the perspective of interaction, to map each task–user interface–context factor. Finally, this study suggests the aspects to be considered while establishing accessibility provisions/guidelines. Moreover, it clarifies the provisions and guidelines for IT product designers and developers by analyzing them from the UX perspective.

E-Government and Social Media: The Impact on Accessibility

Social media is a valuable tool, providing a means of instruction, communication, and collaboration to many organizations including the government institutions that citizens rely upon. However, while important for distributing information, social media has not historically prioritized accessibility. The federal government has a duty to provide fair and usable information access for those with disabilities, but the delineation between where this responsibility lies becomes blurred when third-party platforms like social media are utilized. The extent to which social media pervades government sites and causes accessibility issues is one that is not well understood. This article presents an overview of the current state of affairs for Section 508, the implications it has for social media, and a study to evaluate the potential impact it has on all users.

Accessibility in E-Government

Electronic government (e-government) resources and websites are a crucial interface for many citizens; yet, accessibility is an often-overlooked attribute when designing such tools. Poorly designed sites can seriously hinder and cause detrimental effects for users relying on these services. How content is presented and delivered on the web makes an impact on how effective and helpful it is, even more so for users with disabilities. This chapter begins with the standards of digital government content presentation and follows up with a look at the compliance rate, current challenges, and possible avenues of future delivery methods. Discussion includes a look at Section 508 and possible update measures to incorporate new devices. This chapter will explore the current drawbacks of automated compliance and accessibility management and provide perspective on what improvements need to be made to foster proper e-government design.

Website Accessibility: U.S. Veterans Affairs Medical Centers as a Case Study

The Internet is a critical eHealth/eGovernment information source, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs operates the United States’ largest integrated health care system. This case study used machine-based accessibility testing to assess accessibility for 116 VA Medical Center websites, based on U.S. Section 508 standards and international WCAG 2.0 guidelines. While we found accessibility issues on each website analyzed, problems were generally limited. Notable exceptions included PDF accessibility and fixed-text sizes. The study’s results offer implications for practitioners (accessibility problems likely overlooked and ways to check accessibility) and educators, particularly the need to better integrate accessibility into the curriculum.

Accessibility in E-Government

Electronic Government (E-Government) resources and websites are a crucial interface for many citizens, yet accessibility is an often overlooked attribute when designing such tools. Poorly designed sites can seriously hinder and cause detrimental effects for user relying on these services. How content is presented and delivered on the Web makes an impact on how effective and helpful it is, but even more so for users with disabilities. This paper begins with the standards of digital government content presentation and follows up with a look at the compliance rate, current challenges, and possible avenues of future delivery methods. Discussion includes a look at Section 508 and possible update measures to incorporate new devices. This paper will explore the current drawbacks of automated compliance and accessibility management and provide perspective on what improvements need to be made to foster proper E-Government design.