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section 508 accessibility

Posted: Fri May 17, 2013 5:03 pm
by gwindle
Hi -

I am creating a HTML 5 version of a tour for a client that requires 508 accessibility. Are tours output to HTML 5, section 508 compliant? Does anyone have an info on this.

Here is a reference: http://www.howto.gov/web-content/access ... multimedia

Best Regards,

Greg

Re: section 508 accessibility

Posted: Fri May 17, 2013 8:21 pm
by 360Texas
508 is a US Government [maybe overseas governments too] requirement and has been around for a number of years. I do not know anyone here in the forum that has done any research.

You should also ask yourself this question. Does the 508 visitor use an HTML5 complient web browser? Very few popular browsers actually are fully HTML5 aware.

W3.org does have a wiki page with HTML5 FAQ's.

http://www.w3.org/html/wiki/FAQs#Which_ ... t_HTML5.3F

Very few popular browsers actually are fully HTML5 aware. I am rather sure that Chrome Version 26.0.1410.64 m, IE 10 and Apple Safari work with HTML 5 content.

IE 9 is definately not HTML5 content aware.

Suggestion: you might build your content with FLASH and HTML5/CSS3 content. AND document your webpages with link pages to Flash download page. I did notice a number of Flash references in the HOWto url link page.

I know that Pano2vr does use sniffer code that sniffs the visitors computer to look for the Flash viewer. If it does not find it.... it will automatically throw a message that points to Adobe's Flash viewer download page... which is a Section 508 requirement.

Re: section 508 accessibility

Posted: Sat May 18, 2013 6:34 pm
by Don
I read through section 508. Here is my opinion:

1. Keyboard navigation? Yes, pano2vr provides keyboard functions with which to navigate.

2. Audio content? Yes, the pano tour author can provide a button to display a text transcript for each node on the tour.

3. Video content: Yes, video captions are a subset of the video embedded in the pano, i.e. use YouTube captions, or caption your own videos using Apple or Microsoft video editing software that include captioning tools.

4. Plug-ins: Yes, the pano author may use only html5, which does not require a plug-in, or if Flash is used, then pano2vr provides the pano author with a detector necessary to alert the visitor as to where a Flash Player can be obtained.

5. Comparable access:
A. Blind access: pano author can provide a text description of each node on the pano tour.
B. Deaf access: Yes, accessible. Captions and transcripts can be provided by pano author as needed.
C. Motor disabilities: Yes, accessible. Pano2vr keyboard commands can be utilized. Likewise, the pano author can assign tab-through and custom functions to other keys as needed.
D. Speech disabilities: Likely not applicable in most pano tours, but if a pano author creates a tour where speech accessibility is applicable, then browser and keyboard code can be provided by the pano author as needed.

My conclusion: Pano2vr html5 is so very customizable, that whatever accessibility needs a custom pano tour might require, then the pano tour author has the html, css & javascript tools available to address those needs.

Re: section 508 accessibility

Posted: Sat May 18, 2013 9:55 pm
by 360Texas
Don, about Pano2vr capabilities, well written.

Thanks for being the first to speak to this worldwide accessibility issue.

Re: section 508 accessibility

Posted: Sun May 19, 2013 12:38 am
by Don
:D

Re: section 508 accessibility

Posted: Sun May 19, 2013 12:00 pm
by Hopki
Just to add to this,
We were asked a while back to make our Flash output more accessible. To this end this is what we did and its been in the software for some time now.

Flash output Advanced settings.
Disable zoom, this allows navigation around the skin elements/buttons using tabbing and Shift Tabbing.
The keyboard space bar acts as the left mouse button and executes whatever source action is used in the skin, mouse click, pressed etc.

Regards,
Hopki

Re: section 508 accessibility

Posted: Sun May 19, 2013 7:38 pm
by 360Texas
An interesting concept- on mouse over - talking buttons

Enable local/server web page PC speech feature in flash and HTML5/css3. Example - common text reader called "Narrator"

Windows Help says: Yes. It's called "Narrator". It's adjustable in many ways and can make the computer easier to use for many people. Nearly any computer can be set up to read text aloud. Make sure yours has a functioning sound card, and that you meet the basic requirements. Narrator can set Speed, set volume and set pitch.

Now have to figure out how to ENABLE Narrator on entry. How to attached readable TEXT associated with buttons.

Not sure if Apple has this speech element.

Re: section 508 accessibility

Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 1:36 pm
by gwindle
You guys are the greatest - thanks so much for this awesome info!

Much appreciated!

Best,

G