Corporate Web Accessibility Implementation Strategies
Pre-conference Tutorial C
Sarah J. Swierenga, Usability & Accessibility Center, Michigan State University, and Jesse L. Walker, University of Dayton Research Institute

This tutorial provides a practical approach for organizing and implementing accessibility programs. Gain a real-world understanding of organizational strategies for developing an accessibility compliance program. Learn about the logistics for setting up an accessibility compliance initiative and implementing the process. The session includes a combination of lecture, Web site demonstrations using a screen reader, a video clip of a sightless professional using a screen reader, group discussion about accessibility strategies and compliance approaches, and a group exercise designed to give participants an opportunity to develop a strategy outline for implementing an accessibility initiative.

Speakers:

Sarah J. Swierenga is the Director of the MSU Usability & Accessibility Center (UAC). Dr. Swierenga is responsible for developing and disseminating innovations in theory building, research methodologies, and technologies to enhance usability and accessibility in Web and information technology contexts. A researcher and a practitioner with nearly 20 years of experience in the scientific study of users in both commercial and military environments, Sarah formerly held a joint appointment as a Senior Human Factors Research Psychologist in the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) and Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Psychology Department. She possesses extensive skills in user interface design, data collection tools, and methodologies, including usability tests, accessibility compliance evaluations, questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, and expert evaluations. At LexisNexis, Sarah led a corporate accessibility compliance initiative, providing technical consulting on over 50 products, creating an organizational strategy for implementing Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act standards, and developing technical guidelines for applying the regulation. She continued this effort under contract through UDRI. She is also co-author of Constructing Accessible Web Sites (APress, 2003), and has presented lectures on accessible Web site design, usability techniques, and e-learning effectiveness, which comprise her research programs.

Jesse L. Walker has an in-depth technical understanding of Web accessibility implications for designing and developing accessible interfaces. He co-authored a detailed accessibility implementation guide for developers to use for creating design templates and Web applications. Jesse is currently a Master’s degree student in the Human Factors Psychology Program at the University of Dayton, Ohio. He also works as an accessibility and usability intern at the University of Dayton Research Institute.

 

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