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Abstract
This document is intended for use by Web developers in all branches of
Kansas State government, including agencies, departments, divisions,
bureaus, boards and commissions, and all other state organizations
(hereafter referred to as entities). It provides guidance to Web authors
creating Web sites for the State of Kansas to help ensure that official
State of Kansas Web sites are as accessible as possible to all Web site
visitors, regardless of disability as mandated by Information Technology
Executive Council (ITEC) Policy #1210. In addition, Web developers will
find helpful techniques and further explanations for implementing the
guidelines as well as information about general accessibility features for
State of Kansas Web sites. This document is to be used in conjunction with
the Guidelines by Priority, which lists all of the guidelines in order of
priority.
This document was produced by the Web Accessibility Subcommittee (WAS) of the Internet Task Force (ITASK), a subcommittee of the State’s Information Technology Advisory Board (ITAB) as part of State Policy #1210 as approved by the Information Technology Executive Council (ITEC) on April 13, 2000.
Status of this document
Effective as of October 26, 2000
Please send comments about this document to:
Rick Miller, IRM/State GIS Director, Kansas Information Technology Office/DISC
Telephone:
785.296.2771
Email: rick.miller@state.ks.us
Anthony A. Fadale, Kansas Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator
Telephone:
785.296.3011
Email: anthony.fadale@da.ks.gov
Duncan Friend, Internet Resource Administrator, Kansas Department of Administration
Telephone:
785.296.8134
Email: duncan.friend@da.ks.gov
Developing a plan for implementing the
guidelines
Those responsible for implementing the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines for the State of Kansas are encouraged to follow the four Roll Out phases outlined below. In general, Web authors and administrators are advised to first correct the most critical (Priority 1) problems on existing high traffic and high visibility pages, on pages "in progress", and all new pages. This is followed by phased-in high priority changes to pages with less traffic. Then the Priority 2 and 3 items are addressed on all important and high traffic pages, as well as bringing low traffic pages into compliance with Priority 1 and 2 guidelines.
Of course each situation is unique and implementation of the guidelines will not always take place in a linear 1-4 phase roll out. These steps are merely offered as a means for assisting Web authors and teams in developing a plan for determining how best to implement the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines for the State of Kansas on the sites they are responsible for.
Timelines
The Web Accessibility Subcommittee has provided a timeline for the implementation of the phases described in the rest of this document. The committee recognizes the realities of limited resources within state government to perform this work, and the varying size and complexity of this task across State agency sites. However, given the fact that the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines have been widely recognized in the Internet community for several years, and acknowledging both the rapidly increasing volume of materials and services being delivered via the Internet by Kansas State government, and the increased emphasis on this mode of delivery by State executives, we feel there is no choice but to promulgate a rigorous schedule for making State information accessible to all our citizens. The dates for initiation and completion of each phase are provided in brackets next to the heading for each phase. The final date for complete compliance with these guidelines is March 31, 2002. (Note: At the discretion of the Chief Information Technology Officer (CITO) for the applicable branch of government and the State Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator, entities that can demonstrate an undue burden in meeting this deadline may be granted a six month extension).
The committee feels strongly that equal access is a vital issue, and recommends organizations redirect the resources they have devoted to the Internet, where necessary, away from new development and toward expanding the accessibility of existing materials and services until the agency site is in complete compliance with the guidelines.
Roll Out Phase 1 (January 1, 2001 - June 30, 2001)
In Phase 1, Web authors concentrate their efforts on the site's Home page, high traffic pages, and pages on critical task paths. All Priority 1 items are implemented during this phase. In addition, all new pages and pages "in progress" must also comply with both Priority 1 and Priority 2 guidelines.
Summary:
Roll Out Phase 2 (July 1, 2001 - September 30, 2001)
In Phase 2, make another sweep of the site, checking that all medium traffic pages meet the Priority 1 guidelines.
Summary:
Roll Out Phase 3 (October 1, 2001 – December 31, 2001)
By Phase 3 you should be ready to implement the remaining priority 2 and 3 items on all important and high traffic pages on your site as well as bringing low traffic pages into compliance with Priorities 1 and 2.
Summary:
Roll Out Phase 4 (January 1, 2002 – March 31, 2002)
Phase 4 is the "clean up" phase. During this phase, check your low traffic pages for Priority 2 and 3 items.
Summary:
Additional resources
Curriculum for the Web Content
Accessibility Guidelines 1.0
The guidelines discussed in this curriculum are those created by the World
Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and thus are not exactly the same as those
outlined for the State of Kansas. However, the following online tutorial
provides an excellent, no-cost resource for Web developers who would like
to learn about Web accessibility (especially if travel to State sponsored
training is not possible). The curriculum is available at http://www.w3.org/WAI/wcag-curric/
Maintaining accessibility
Once your site has met the State of Kansas Web Content Accessibility Guidelines it is imperative that the site continues to remain in compliance with the guidelines on an ongoing basis. Web authors and administrators must assure that all new pages and changes to site design (e.g., changes in navigation or color scheme) maintain full accessibility to the site.