Getting Started Resource

Getting Started Objectives

• Communicate organization values accessibility
• What is accessibility
• Information access for people with any level of abilities, including people with disabilities
• Support assistive technologies
• Support operating system built-in accessibility features
• Communicate that editor will help you achieve organizational goals for accessibility
• Communicate that editor is different than other editors and what the differences are
• Set the context
  • First time user of the editor should read this material
  • Unobtrusive for other sessions

Getting Started Structure/IA

1. Orientation based on the Objectives (2 minutes maximum to read)
2. More information links (at bottom of page)

Organizational Commitment

• Use name of organization in statement (through configuration)
• Your actions and knowledge determines if the organization will meet its commitment
• Link to organizational policies (through configuration)

What is accessibility

• Information should be accessible to everyone including people with disabilities
• People with disabilities include people who:
  • Cannot see very well or are blind
  • Cannot hear very well or are deaf
  • Have impaired motor skills or are paralyzed
  • Have learning or cognitive disabilities that affects their ability to read text or understand images
• Compatibility with assistive technologies and OS accessibility features

How editor supports creating accessible information

• Properly nested headings for logically organizing content
• Formatting blocks of content with the proper semantics
• Reserve inline styling for lower level emphasis within a formatted block of text
• Insure link text describes the target page of the link
• A proper text alternative is provided for each image
• Lists are used instead of inline styling to group a series of related items
• Data tables include column and row headings

Difference in UI

• Emphasis on heading and block formats and discourages improper use of inline styles
• "Format" and "Styles" buttons replaced with "Heading", "Block Format" and "Inline Style" buttons
• Link dialog will prompt you to improve the accessibility of link display text

Getting Started Topics

Purpose is to help orient people to accessible authoring and to the features of the A11yFirst plug-ins.

• What is accessibility and why is it important
• Heading structure
• "Block Format" versus "Inline Style" menus
• Why link text matters

Why the editor is different (constrained):

• The published result will have improved compatibility with assistive technology and built-in OS accessibility features (A11y)
• Branding consistency through restrictions in format and inline style
• Improved use of document structure for SEO compatibility
• Improved document flow and organization for readability