Who are these instructions for?
- To the administrators of all the NKUA websites (Schools, Departments, etc).
- To those who post any kind of content (in html format or as attached text files, slides / presentations, PDF, etc.) on all NKUA websites.
- For those who develop any kind of content (in html format or as attached text files, slides / presentations, PDF, etc.) for all NKUA websites
Who is website accessibility for?
E-accessibility involves designing and developing website content so that more people can use it effectively and inclusively in more circumstances or contexts. It is mainly aimed at People with Disabilities (PWDs) or learning difficulties, but also to those with occasional or occasional disabilities, such as people with blindness, low vision or color blindness, deafness or hearing loss, upper extremity motor disability or dyslexia. These people typically use computer based Assistive Technology to capture content in a different way (e.g. audio or tactile) or in a different visual format (magnification, special font or other colors), or to access it without the use of a mouse or keyboard. Support IT technologies alone do not ensure the accessibility of electronic content but require the processing of content to make it accessible.
The accessibility of the content of public websites is a legal obligation in Greece: article 5A (2) of the Constitution, article 9 of Law 4047/2012, article 64 of Law 4488/2017. In addition, the Higher Education Institutions have a legal obligation to ensure accessibility for all students with disabilities or learning difficulties and their staff: articles 7.2.c, 8.2.e, 13.2.ld, 34.3, 48.14 of Law 4485/2017.
How can we give Digital Access to Everyone?
To make an accessible website we do not need to know what disability or incapacity the users have, nor what computer based Assistive Technology they use. We also do not need to make any "discount" on the aesthetic design of the website, nor to offer fragmentary solutions, such as the ability to enlarge our website or its audio description. You have to follow the steps:
- apply the international website accessibility standards based on the principles of Design for All,
- apply a number of simple accessibility instructions, both in the development of the website and in the development of the content,
- check the accessibility of the content before posting it.
1. International website accessibility standards WCAG 2.0
According to the WCAG 2.0 international standards developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and legally adopted by the European Union and Greece, the content of a website is considered accessible when it is perceivable, functional (understandable) understandable) and robust. For a website to be accessible, you must follow the 12 basic WCAG 2.0 accessibility guidelines. The W3C determines compliance with the guidelines for content accessibility on the Web at three levels: A (lower), AA and AAA (higher), depending on which controllable success criteria are met and what their priority is. By law, all public websites must be accessible at least AA level.
The TYPO 3 platform for webside development issued by the Network Operation and Management Center (NOC) of NKUA are accessible in principle, but the content added to the websites should follow the following basic accessibility guidelines.
2. Basic guidelines for developing accessible websites
Basic steps to follow in order for a website to be accessible:
- Follow an accessible template: develop web pages with accessible templates, such as TYPO 3 from NOC.
- Offer a suitable alternative text, ie a textual alternative description for the non-textual content such as images, maps, photographs, diagrams and shapes. The alternative text should not simply repeat the caption, but should be a description of the image in relation to its context, which will be recruited in an alternative way (eg audio or tactile) by the user who cannot see the image.
- Use headers in data tables: tables entered for data organization must have appropriate row / column headers to describe the data. You do not need to merge cells to make them easier to navigate and understand.
- Ensure that users can fill out and submit all forms: if you offer online forms, you should ensure that each item (text field, checkbox, dropdown list, etc.) has a label (label) and that it is properly connected to the corresponding component. Also make sure that the user can upload the form and correct any errors such as if all the required fields were not filled in. Note that the forms in MS-Word or PDF files that need to be printed and then completed in writing are obviously not accessible. Also, MS-Word forms that contain plain text and strings where the user has to fill in his data (eg NAME: ...) are also not accessible.
- Ensure that links make sense without the surrounding content: each link must make sense if read on its own without the surrounding text. Screen reader users have the option to read only the links of a web page. Specific phrases such as "click here", "see here", "link" and "more" should be avoided.
- Provide subtitles or transcripts to multimedia: video and live audio content must have subtitles and transcript text. For archived audio content, a single recording may suffice.
- Ensure accessibility of non-HTML content: link files attached to text (.docx, doc, etc.), slides / presentations (pptx, ppt, etc) and PDF format must follow certain rules to be accessible. find brief and detailed instructions here: Instructions for Production of Accessible Documents and Presentations. Scanned documents are not accessible, so you should upload the original digital corresponding documents in accessible format, which may include a digital signature when needed.
- Do not use color only to indicate importance: the use of color can enhance comprehension, but do not use color or other visual variations (eg underlining) as the only means of conveying information.
- Ensure that the content is clearly written and easy to read: there are many ways to make your content easy to understand. Write clearly, make proper use of headings without skipping levels. Do not use multilevel lists as much as possible.
3. Website accessibility checking
You can easily check the accessibility of a website using free and easy online tools like WAVE (http://wave.webaim.org) or aChecker (https://achecker.ca). For a more thorough check of the accessibility of a website, you can request the assistance of the e-Accessibility Department of the Accessibility Unit for Students with Disabilities.