Proposal for Web Content Management System (CMS)

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Proposal for Web Content

Management System (CMS)

May 9, 2007

Web Steering Committee

Tracy Collingwood

Christine Davis Mantai Michael Jabot Michael Jackino Zachary Kwarta Aaron Marshall Kathleen Sacco Andrea Wasiura

Jonathan Woolson (chair)

Attachments

Proposed Timeline for Web CMS Migration OmniUpdate Price Quote

The Fredonia Plan (excerpt)

NYS Mandatory Technology Standard S04-001 NYS Best Practice Guideline G06-001

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Web Steering Committee

Proposal for Web Content Management System (CMS)

Executive Summary

The university web site is a vital tool for SUNY Fredonia’s day-to-day operations,

student retention, and is central to recruiting and marketing. Dan Tramuta, Associate

Vice President for Enrollment Services, reports that “over 50% of our enrolled Fall

2007 freshmen first point of contact with SUNY Fredonia was through our web site”.

From May 2006 through April 2007 we served over 17 million page views of over

18,000 web pages.

To improve and address every aspect of our web site, a web development plan is

proposed to upgrade the site to a web CMS in two phases.

To achieve our urgent, short-term Phase I goals (see page 6) and complete a site-wide

redesign of 18,000+ pages efficiently within six months, the Web Steering committee

recommends purchasing an online web management tool, OmniUpdate Campus,

and funding for 4-6 student web production assistants during summer and fall 2007.

By completing a site-wide redesign with OmniUpdate we will meet our short-term

web goals and prepare our web content for reuse in a data-driven CMS. This can

be achieved by separating web presentation from content using CSS and structured

HTML markup in new page templates, managed by OmniUpdate.

OmniUpdate is not recommended as a permanent content management solution to

meet our long-term web goals (see page 8) and it is recommended that we replace

OmniUpdate with a data-driven web CMS within two years.

In parallel with the redesign and OmniUpdate migration, Phase II of this proposal

recommends that a Web CMS Task Force be formed to investigate and select a

data-driven CMS by May 2008. We will migrate away from OmniUpdate to the

data-driven CMS during 2008 or 2009.

Costs

The estimated total cost for the first year of Phase I (OmniUpdate plus student labor)

is $75,000. The estimated total cost for a second year of OmniUpdate is $35,000.

Because we may need to run both OmniUpdate and a data-driven CMS concurrently

to complete the web site migration, there is a risk of increased cost during the

transition period.

Initial and ongoing annual costs of Phase II for the data-driven CMS is unknown,

but estimated between $40,000 and $100,000 annually, depending on the

data-driven CMS selected. These figures for a data-data-driven CMS are only speculative.

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Terms

Web content management system (CMS) is software that assists web authors in

creating, updating, versioning, publishing, and archiving information on a web site

using page templates.

Data-driven web CMS is a dynamic form of web CMS that assembles each web

page on the fly using page templates and pieces of content stored in a database. The

database stores each unique piece of content as a single instance, reducing content

duplication and the potential for inaccuracies.

OmniUpdate Campus is proposed as an intermediate step toward implementing a

data-driven CMS solution. OmniUpdate Campus is a hybrid web CMS that combines

centralized file management and versioning, an online page editor, and workflow tools

with static pages served from a normal web server (not a database-driven web server).

Primary audiences served by the web site are:

current students

prospective students

current parents

prospective parents

faculty and staff

alumni

donors

visitors

community members.

Web authors are SUNY Fredonia’s team of 105 volunteer lead web content managers,

typically one per department.

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Proposal for Web Content Management System (CMS)

Recommendations & Costs

Purchase OmniUpdate Campus. Following the recommendation and conclusion

from the Web Content Management Task Force Report (attached), the ITAB Web

Steering committee recommends the purchase of OmniUpdate Campus as our web

content management system for the next 1–2 fiscal years (July 2007 through June

2008* or June 2009*).

Hire temporary web staff. The Web Steering committee strongly recommends

funding for 4-6 student web production assistants to support the migration to

OmniUpdate and web redesign in summer/fall 2007.

Costs

Web Steering recommends that SUNY Fredonia purchase a 250-seat license of

OmniUpdate Campus on a 1-year, renewable contract at $43,550 for the first year

and $33,550 for the second year, if necessary*. Web Steering recommends $30,000 for

4-6 part-time student web production assistants for 2007 only.

First year cost is estimated at $75,000 for 2007-2008 fiscal year.

Second year cost is estimated at $35,000 for 2008-2009 fiscal year.*

Total cost for OmniUpdate and web production assistants is estimated at $110,000

for two years.* Because we may need to run both OmniUpdate and a data-driven

CMS concurrently to complete the web site migration, there is a risk of increased cost

during the transition period.

Initial and ongoing annual costs of Phase II for the data-driven CMS is unknown,

but estimated between $40,000 and $100,000 annually, depending on the

data-driven CMS selected. These figures for a data-data-driven CMS are only speculative.

* If the Web CMS Task Force is able to select, plan, and implement a data-driven CMS by June 2008, OmniUpdate may not renewed for a second year.

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Business Case

Drivers for improving web management efficiency

By improving the efficiency of managing web content, we can address these drivers:

Our web site is the first point of contact for prospective students. Dan Tramuta,

Associate Vice President for Enrollment Services, reports that “over 50% of our

enrolled Fall 2007 freshmen first point of contact with SUNY Fredonia was

through our web site”.

Our web site is becoming the primary and even the only source for some kinds of

campus information.

We are creating more web-based information every year. From May 2006 through

April 2007 we served over 17 million page views of over 18,000 web pages.

Based on data for overall trends in information technology, our reliance on web

content and services will only increase over time. Supporting the web site with a

reliable, efficient content management system will become essential to the function

of the university.

By implementing a data-driven web CMS and by inviting and training all staff

and faculty to manage their own web content, we can address Action Item #21 of

The Fredonia Plan (attached), which calls for: “Improved Web site. An extensive

evaluation of the entire web site will be necessary to ensure consistency and

appropriateness. Greater Faculty and Staff Involvement. The campus needs

a plan to involve faculty and staff more fully in enhancing the image of the

campus, including the sponsorship of faculty exchange programs and outreach

opportunities in area schools.”

Risks of not implementing web content management

The current web site is not fulfilling its purpose of serving timely, accurate

information to all of our primary audiences.

Today, a significant portion of our web site does not meet NYS web accessibility

standards and we cannot enforce web policy efficiently across 18,000+ web pages

without centralized management. This may leave the university open to legal liability

for non-compliance with the ADA Section 508 and NYS accessibility standards.

The current web site uses a patchwork of disparate web publishing tools, making

web maintenance inefficient.

The cost of not addressing content management issues (i.e., accessibility, accuracy,

timeliness, ease of navigation) may have a negative impact on both enrollment and

retention.

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Proposal for Web Content Management System (CMS)

CMS Implementation Plan & Goals

Plan Summary

To improve and address every aspect of our web site, a web development plan is

proposed to upgrade the site to a web CMS in two phases.

Phase I: The first phase is tactical, to achieve short-term web goals, listed below. In

Phase I, we will use OmniUpdate Campus to implement a site-wide redesign of

18,000+ web pages.

Phase II: The second phase is strategic to achieve long-term web goals. In parallel

with the redesign and OmniUpdate migration, Web Steering recommends that a

Web CMS Task Force be formed to investigate and select a data-driven CMS by

May 2008. We will migrate away from OmniUpdate to the data-driven CMS during

2008 or 2009.

Phase I — redesign with OmniUpdate

The site redesign and implementation of OmniUpdate will help SUNY Fredonia

address the highest priorities for the site: accessibility, design, consistent navigation,

utility, relevance, and timeliness.

Short-term web goals

The redesign and migration to OmniUpdate Campus will allow us to:

accomplish a site-wide redesign of 18,000+ pages over summer and fall 2007,

beginning with first-tier sites

improve web management for campus web authors, directors, and department

chairs—web authors with little experience can use a visual tool for page editing

engage web authors, directors and chairs to improve the accuracy and timeliness of

the entire web site

improve web author’s technical skills with training

enforce web policy for NYS web accessibility requirements (attached)

provide consistent navigation throughout the site via page templates

remove out-of-date content as part of the migration and redesign

provide RSS feeds from every area of the site

separate content (structured HTML) from presentation (CSS2 tableless layout) in

preparation for a migration to a data-driven publishing system.

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Implementing a site redesign with OmniUpdate

Create page templates using CSS and structured HTML markup.

Purchase and configure OmniUpdate Campus to connect to our web server and

authenticate users to Active Directory.

Develop training materials and provide ongoing training to web authors in

partnership with Educational Technology. Ongoing training will be offered on a

regular schedule throughout the summer and fall.

Web assistants, web authors and the web master will copy web content from old

pages into new templates in three stages or tiers of our web content. During this

step, old content will be stripped of non-accessible or deprecated markup. Our

web server directories and content can be individually uploaded to OmniUpdate’s

staging server. This offers us a great deal of flexibility for the migration process,

allowing us to methodically step through the three tiers of our web content.

Content tiers

Tier 1 content is high profile and is vital to the day-to-day operation of the university.

Ex.: Administration, Admissions, Financial Aid, Registrar, Library, etc.

Complete by August 15, 2007 (firm—if OmniUpdate is purchased and installed by

July 1 or earlier.)

Tier 2 content is important campus and academic reference material, but not essential

for day-to-day operations.

Ex.: academic program descriptions and department pages.

Complete by Oct. 31, 2007 (estimated)

Tier 3 content is everything else that is not part of the official university web site.

Ex.: student organizations, faculty personal pages, etc.

Complete by Dec. 31, 2007 (estimated)

See attached chart, Proposed Timeline for Web CMS Migration.

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Proposal for Web Content Management System (CMS)

Phase II —Data-driven CMS

The second phase is strategic, to achieve our long-term web goals and position SUNY

Fredonia to meet the increasing demand for institution-wide information management

and workflow. In parallel with the redesign and OmniUpdate migration, Web

Steering recommends that a Web CMS Task Force be formed to investigate and select

a data-driven CMS by May 2008. We will migrate away from OmniUpdate to the

data-driven CMS during 2008 or 2009, replacing OmniUpdate Campus.

OmniUpdate is a hybrid CMS that does not offer all the features, flexibility, or power of

a true data-driven web CMS, so it is scheduled to be in use for no more than two years.

Because OmniUpdate’s system serves the web pages from SUNY Fredonia’s existing

web server, there is very little estimated cost to cease using OmniUpdate.

Long term goals for data-driven CMS

Implement an information-centric, data-driven web CMS to:

further improve the utility and capability of the entire web site

provide or integrate with new web services, such as:

coordinated public event calendars across campus for academic and

administration departments, SA groups, etc.

customized portals

forums/wikis/podcasts/blogs

user-built online forms

provide a web archive process and plan for future institutional research needs

(such as a searchable copy of every web page ever published on the site)

create highly-granular content data (down to the paragraph) with metadata

(a specific context of that paragraph)

assemble the content dynamically to create a web page

reuse the dynamic content anywhere on the site

maintain authoring control at the user, group, and department level

integrate with other systems (VEMS, ANGEL, OnBase, data repositories, etc.)

engage the entire campus community and our alumni on the web with an

unlimited user license

web authors can use a visual tool for page editing, developing forms, data

collection, storage and the ability to display results.

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Issued To: Jonathan Woolson SUNY Fredonia 280 Central Ave. Fredonia, NY 14063 Phone: 716-673-3323 Fax:

Quantity Description of Service Unit Price Extended

Site and Module Implementation Costs

1 OU Campus Implementation - Hosted application deployment, set-up staging server and connection to target server. Establish editable regions on up to 3 templates and up to 100 web page.

5,000 5,000

1 Optional OU Document Comparison - Real-time graphical representation of text comparison between staging and target server.

500 500

1 Optional LDAP Integration - External authentication for a wide variety of systems including: Simple, SSL StartTLS and Active Directory.

3,500 3,500

1 Optional RSS Module - Create and manage an unlimited number of RSS feeds. Enables subscribers to be updated on latest information.

1,000 1,000

Implementation Subtotal 10,000

Annual Recurring Costs

250 OmniUpdate Campus Authorized Users 23,000

1 Silver Support Level 15% 3,450

1 Optional Document Comparison 10% 2,300

1 Optional LDAP Module 10% 2,300

1 Optional RSS Module 2,500

Annual Recurring License Subtotal 33,550

First Year Total $ 43,550 Annual Recurring Total $ 33,550

2. The quote contains confidential and proprietary information. It should not be disclosed to any individual who is not a direct recipient or directly involved in the evaluation of the proposed solution.

1. Quote is valid for 30 days. Notes:

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ACTION ITEM 21: Marketing/Advertising Initiative

SUNY Fredonia’s rich heritage is based on a long-standing history and culture of

excellence. Every communication and advertising effort should boldly feature SUNY

Fredonia’s strengths. All communication efforts, both internal and external, should be

considered “marketing” material, and the campus should continue its on-going efforts

both to provide a unique Fredonia “look” to all published materials and to continue

building upon the campus motto of “Where Success Is a Tradition.”

This marketing/advertising initiative requires:

• Better Written Materials. A comprehensive review should be conducted of all

written communication materials, including brochures, standardized letters, and

letterhead.

• Improved Website. An extensive evaluation of the entire website will be

necessary to ensure consistency and appropriateness.

• Greater Faculty and Staff Involvement. The campus needs a plan to involve

faculty and staff more fully in enhancing the image of the campus, including the

sponsorship of faculty exchange programs and outreach opportunities in area

schools.

• Shared Facilities. Expand the use of campus facilities (Natatorium, Rockefeller

Arts Center, New Soccer Stadium, etc) as a focal point for regional academic,

artistic, and athletic events. Our best marketing is often our beautiful campus. It

should be showcased as much as possible to members outside of the immediate

Fredonia community.

TECHNOLOGY

GOAL: Expand and Implement New Approaches to Utilizing

Technology

Effective use of technology is critical to the teaching and learning mission of SUNY

Fredonia. Technology applications must be selected for use at Fredonia based on the

needs of students, faculty, administration and staff as well as based on the need to support

the other priorities of the Fredonia Plan. Technology services should focus on providing

reliable and secure networked electronic access to high-speed Internet and e-mail

connectivity, effective computer data storage/integration/dissemination, and instructional

graphics and multi-media environments for the campus community. The campus must

proactively support technology approaches for student-centered teaching, on-line learning

and advisement, student and faculty research, business processes for administration and

professional staff, and overall communication needs. There is a need for continuous

improvement of existing technology, as well as the implementation of new technology

approaches.

ACTION ITEM 15: Continuous Technology Upgrade Plan

Providing the necessary technology tools—software, equipment, and support--to assist

the campus is essential to ensuring the continued success and growth of SUNY Fredonia.

Technological advances occur rapidly and require constant assessment, reevaluation, and

upgrades. Technology upgrade activities must also be linked to professional

development and student learning activities in order to achieve the necessary learning

outcomes. The campus will prepare a continuous technology upgrade plan that includes:

• Requirements for Hardware and Software.

Among the items identified would be

operating systems, software for Banner Student Information System, e-mail

hardware and software, desktop computers, laptops, servers, hardware for

individual and shared file storage, and software applications supporting student

learning and professional development endeavors in collaboration with the

development of Center for Teaching and Learning initiatives. Network core

equipment upgrades, bandwidth increases, and the selection procedures for new

platforms must be clearly addressed to ensure continuity of technology services.

• Description of the Facility Requirements.

Included will be the campus approach

to “smart” classrooms, installation of high-tech conference facilities, and mobile

computing activities.

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NYS MANDATORY TECHNOLOGY

STANDARD S04-001

Accessibility of State Agency

Web-based Intranet and Internet

Information and Applications

Issue Date: June 21, 2004 (revised October 25, 2006) Publication Date: June 21, 2004 (republished October 25, 2006)

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MEGAN LEVINE

DIRECTOR, NEW YORK STATE OFFICE FOR TECHNOLOGY

Reference: S04-001

Technology Category: Accessibility

Standards Title: Accessibility of State Agency Web-based

Intranet and Internet Information and Applications

Replaces & Supersedes: S04-001 Accessibility of State Agency

Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications (Issued June 21, 2004)

Authority: Executive Law §206-a

Issue Date: June 21, 2004 Revised: Oct. 25, 2006

(Standards 1.6 and 3.3

Publication Date: June 21, 2004 and Review Date updated)

Standard Effective Date: June 21, 2004

Review Date: October 21, 2008

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NYS Mandatory Technology Standard No. S04-001

Purpose

The purpose of this mandatory technology standard is to provide the mechanism

for state agencies to comply with OFT Policy, P04-002, Accessibility of State

Agency Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications, which provides that all web-based intranet and internet information and applications,

(hereinafter referred to as “content”), made available by state agencies to the

general public, state employees and any other persons are accessible to persons

with disabilities.

Scope

The following mandatory standards apply to state agency content, including, but

not limited to, web-based applications, plug-ins, applets, on-line documents, forms and multimedia.

Mandatory Technology Standards

Standard 1: Text Equivalents for Non-Text Content

1.1 A text equivalent will be provided for all non-text element(s). Non-text

elements will include, but are not limited to, images, graphical

representations of text (including symbols), image map regions, animations

(e.g., animated GIFs), applets and programmatic objects, ASCII art, frames,

scripts, images used as list bullets, spacers, graphical buttons, sounds

(played with or without user interaction), stand-alone audio files, audio tracks of video, and video.

1.2 Ensure that equivalents for dynamic content are updated when the dynamic

content changes.

1.3 Ensure that pages are usable when scripts, applets, or other programmatic

objects are turned off or not supported. If this is not possible, provide equivalent information on an alternative accessible page.

1.4 A text equivalent will be provided for all non-text element(s) through the

following means: "alt", "longdesc", or in element content.

1.5 Analt attribute will convey the same information, in a textual manner, as

intended by the image.

1.6 Graphics which are strictly for decoration, such as bullets, will have an

alt attribute defined with no value, or with a single space

(e.g., alt="" or alt=" ").

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1.8 A longdesc attribute is required within an element if alt text exceeds 150

characters. A descriptive [text] link will also be provided.

Standard 2: Use of Color for the Conveyance of Information

2.1 Information will be conveyed in a manner that is not solely dependent on

color as the primary means of informing a user how to interpret information.

2.2 Foreground and background colors will provide sufficient contrast.

Standard 3: Document Structure

3.1 Web pages will be created using the most current web document

specifications (e.g., HTML, XML, XHTML).

3.2 All web pages will include a valid document type declaration (DTD).

3.3 The use of deprecated elements or attributes is not allowed (e.g., the usage

of FONT, BOLD & ITALICS are deprecated).

3.4 Web pages will be created using style sheets to achieve formatting and

stylistic effects whenever possible. When style sheets are utilized the web pages must convey all relevant information in an accessible manner if the style sheet is disabled for any reason.

3.5 All natural language usage will be clarified using the Lang attribute when the

written language is not English.

Standard 4: Navigation and Links

4.1 Web pages will be designed to enable users to skip repetitive navigation links.

4.2 All text links will indicate the destination or purpose.

4.3 All state agency web pages will allow the user to return to that state agency’s

home page.

4.4 Web pages will be designed to be device independent; for example, allow

navigation with or without a mouse.

Standard 5: Flicker/Blink

5.1 Web site screen elements will not have a flicker rate with a frequency

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5.2 A mechanism will be in place to allow users to turn off screen elements that

flicker.

5.3 The use of the blink element is prohibited.

Standard 6: Timed Responses

6.1 When a programmed timed response is used on a web site, a notification will

be provided on that web page, identifying the time limits and providing the option to extend or remove the limit.

6.2 Client-side auto-refresh or client-side auto-redirect will not be used without a

mechanism in place to first alert the user.

Standard 7: Tables

7.1 All tables are required to have a summary attribute.

7.2 Tables used solely for formatting, will specify that purpose using a summary

attribute (e.g., summary=”format” or summary=”for layout only”).

7.3 Tables with tabular data will use the scope attribute to identify both horizontal

and vertical headings.

7.4 Row and column headers will be identified for data tables.

Standard 8: Frames, Context and Orientation

8.1 If frames are used, a noframes alternate will be provided.

8.2 If frames are used:

8.2.1 Each frame must be identified with a descriptive title attribute that describes the purpose of each frame(s) and how they relate to each other.

8.2.2 For title text greater than 150 characters a longdesc attribute will be used.

Standard 9: Image Mapping

9.1 Image mapping will be client-side based.

9.2 Redundant text links will be provided for each active region of a client-side

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Standard 10: Audio Only

10.1 Information will not be conveyed by single audio (audio clip sounds to provide instructions, warnings or other information) alone.

Standard 11: Multimedia

11.1 Audio

State agencies will provide synchronized text captions for multimedia content

containing speech, or other audio necessary to understand the content, in accordance with the following schedule:

a. By January 1, 2005, 10 percent of all multimedia content containing speech,

or other audio, will be captioned.

b. By January 1, 2007, 25 percent of all multimedia content containing speech,

c. By January 1, 2009, 50 percent of all multimedia content containing speech,

d. For all multimedia content containing speech a transcript will be provided until

a synchronized text caption is made available according to the schedule.

11.2 Video/Visual

State agencies will provide a video description for multimedia content that contains

video, or other visual information necessary for the understanding of the content, in accordance with the following schedule:

a. By January 1, 2005, 10 percent of all multimedia content containing video, or

other visual information necessary for the understanding of the content, will include a video description.

b. By January 1, 2007, 25 percent of all multimedia content containing video, or

c. By January 1, 2009, 50 percent of all multimedia content containing video, or

11.3 Web Cast

All state agency web casts will have synchronized captioning of the speech, or other

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a. By January 1, 2005, 10 percent of all web cast hours, residing on the web

site, transmitted during the preceding 12 months will include captioning.

b. By January 1, 2007, 25 percent of all live web cast hours residing on the web

site will include captioning.

c. By January 1, 2009, 50 percent of all live web cast hours residing on the web

site will include captioning.

Standard 12: Scripting

12.1 If web pages utilize scripting languages to display content or create interface

elements, the information that is provided by the script will be identified with

functional text that can be read by assistive technology devices.

12.2 Event handlers used in any script will be device independent.

Device-independent event handlers will be used instead of event handlers that

require a specific input device (e.g., mouse). If a generic event handler is not available, more than one device-specific event handler will be used.

12.3 The use of onDBLClick event will not be allowed.

12.4 A mechanism (e.g., a text notice – the following link will bring you to a new browser) will be in place to alert the user prior to the opening of an additional web browser, pop-up window or a redirect that disables a browser’s back button.

12.5 All documents with client side scripting will provide equivalent content or functionality via a noscript element.

Standard 13 Forms

13.1 On-line forms will allow people using assistive technology devices to access

the information, field elements, and functionality required for completion and submission of the form, including all directions and cues.

13.2 A label element will be used for all form controls that do not have implicit labels.

13.3 Forms elements will be in logical tab order.

Standard 14: Downloadable/Embedded Objects

14.1 When downloadable documents [e.g., word processing documents,

spreadsheets, Portable Document Format (PDF), java applets] are used, a link to accessible HTML or text version(s) will be made available.

14.2 When hardware, software and assistive technology devices are controlled by a

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spreadsheets, Portable Document Format (PDF)] available through an intranet or extranet will be allowed.

Definitions

A complete listing of defined terms for NYS Information Technology Policies, Standards, and Best Practice Guidelines is available in the "NYS Information Technology Policies, Standards, and Best Practice Guidelines Glossary"

(http://www.oft.state.ny.us/policy/glossary.htm). The following defined terms are used in this Policy.

Alt attribute will mean an attribute used in the <img> tag to

describe the image. Assistive Technology Devices

will mean any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired

commercially, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve

functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.

Client-side image map will mean HTML code delivered to the browser

that provides coordinates to “hot spots” users may click on inside a given image.

Deprecated will mean an element or attribute that is being

phased out and will no longer be supported, or any elements or attributes that are currently not supported. A list of deprecated terms is provided by the World Wide Web Consortium at

http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/index/elements.html

Descriptive link will mean a link to a page that provides a

description of the image, commonly referred to as a D link.

Device-independent event handlers

will mean that an array of input (e.g., mouse, keyboard, microphones, pointing devices) or output (e.g., monitors, speech synthesizers, Braille devices) devices are able to interface with the content.

Device-specific event handler

will mean that a specific input or output device is required to interface with the content.

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Document type definition will mean HTML directive which provides

information to the browser about the syntax used to markup the content.

Elements will mean HTML tags.

Event Handler will mean triggers which are fired when certain

keyboard or mouse activity is detected such as clicked, focus, etc.

Frames will mean a Web browser feature that enables a

Web Page to be displayed in an individual, independently scrollable window on a screen.

Functional text will mean text that when read conveys an

accurate message as to what is being displayed by the script.

Longdesc attribute will mean an attribute which references a text

file containing a longer version of the alt

attribute contents.

Noframes will mean a web page displayed without frames.

Persons with Disabilities will have the same meaning as defined in State

Executive Law §292. This will mean (a) a physical, mental or medical impairment resulting from anatomical, physiological, genetic or neurological conditions which prevents the exercise of a normal bodily function or is demonstrable by medically accepted clinical or laboratory diagnostic techniques or (b) a record of such an impairment or (c) a condition regard by others as such an impairment.

Screen reader will mean a software application installed on the

client machine which scans all textual data and reads it back aloud to the user through a synthesized voice.

Server side image map will mean a file which is directly read from the

server by the browser which contains HTML code that provides coordinates to “hot spots” users may click on inside a given image.

State Agency will have the same meaning as defined in Executive Law

§205(4). This will mean any department, board, bureau, commission, division, office, council, committee, or officer of the state. Such term shall not include the legislature or the judiciary.

Synchronized text captions will mean a text transcript that is synchronized, or coordinated in time, with the audio and video track.

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Video Description Video descriptions make videos, and other visual media, accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired by providing descriptive

narration of key visual elements in programs.

Contact Information

Questions concerning this policy may be directed to the New York State Office

for Technology, Strategic and Executive Services (SES) Bureau, (518)

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Best Practice Guideline G06-001

Accessibility of State Agency

Web-based Intranet and Internet

Information and Applications

Issue Date: October 25, 2006 Publication Date: October 25, 2006

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MEGAN LEVINE

DIRECTOR, NEW YORK STATE OFFICE FOR TECHNOLOGY

Reference: G06-001

Technology Category: Accessibility

Title: Accessibility of State Agency Web-based

Intranet and Internet Information and Applications

Replaces & Supersedes: n/a

Authority: Executive Law §206-a

Issue Date: October 25, 2006

Publication Date: October 25, 2006

Effective Date: October 25, 2006

Review Date: October 25, 2008

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NYS Best Practice Guideline No. G06-001

Purpose

The purpose of this best practice guideline is to provide guidance to state agencies in

best practices for meeting the NYS Mandatory Technology Standard, S04-001,

Accessibility Of State Agency Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications.

Scope

The following best practice guideline is intended to assist state agencies in their

requirements to meet accessibility needs.

Best Practice Guideline

This Best Practice Guideline follows the order of the Standards numbered 1-14 in S04-001. Where applicable, references to the WCAG 1.0 and Section 508 standards are noted in the best practice guideline.

For additional help in meeting the S04-001 standards, refer to the NYS Forum IT Accessibility Committee’s Accessibility Checklist which provides a Pass/Fail guide for each standard. This checklist can be found at the NYS Forum website at: http://www.nysforum.org/committees/access/.

S04-001 Standard Best Practice Guideline

Standard 1: Text Equivalents for Non-Text Content

1.1 — A text equivalent will be provided for all non-text element(s).

Non-text elements will include, but

are not limited to, images, graphical representations of text (including symbols), image map regions, animations (e.g., animated GIFs), applets and programmatic objects,

ASCII art, frames, scripts, images

used as list bullets, spacers, graphical buttons, sounds (played with or without user interaction), stand-alone audio files, audio tracks of video, and video.

If the graphic is used for presentation purposes only, and does not serve a

functional purpose (see Standard 1.6), then the "text equivalent" may very well be nothing at all. However, the alt attribute must be present whether any text is included. There is some disagreement — even among those with disabilities — over whether pictures used as "eye candy" should have alternative descriptions attached. Some disabled users would rather make their own assessments as to whether an image serves no useful purpose; other users would prefer not to be distracted by images that are not meaningful.

WCAG 1.0 reference: 1.1 (Pri. 1)

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1.2 — Ensure that equivalents for dynamic content are updated when the dynamic content changes.

Avoid maintaining separate web sites based on ability. You can ensure that ALL users can access a site by implementing standards-compliant code.

WCAG 1.0: 6.2(Pri.1), 6.5 (Pri.2)

Section 508: 1194.22(j)

1.3 — Ensure that pages are usable when scripts, applets, or other programmatic objects are turned off or not supported. If this is not possible, provide equivalent information on an alternative accessible page.

If using client-side scripting to perform a calculation or other complicated function, provide an alternative that gives the user step-by-step instructions about how to perform the calculation or function on their own.

1.4 — A text equivalent will be

provided for all non-text element(s) through the following means: "alt,”

"longdesc,” or in element content.

If an image is complicated enough to require more than 150 characters of explanation (the max. length of an alt attribute), it is probably complex enough to require

explanation for at least part of the audience. Providing a text link to the description also makes it available for those who cannot clearly understand the image.

WCAG 1.0: 1.1 (Pri. 1)

Section 508: 1194.22(a)

1.5 — An alt attribute will convey the

same information, in a textual manner, as intended by image.

WCAG 1.0: 1.1 (Pri.1)

Section 508: 1194.22(a)

1.6 — Graphics which are strictly for decoration, such as bullets, will have

an alt attribute defined with no value,

or with a single space (e.g., alt="" or alt=" ").

WCAG 1.0: 1.1 (Pri. 1)

Section 508: N/A

1.7 — An alt attribute, within an

image element, will not exceed 150 characters.

The industry-wide best practice for

alternative text maximum length is now 80

characters (source: http://www.gawds.org/

show.php?contentid=28/).

WCAG 1.0: 1.1 (Pri. 1)

1.8 — A longdesc attribute is

required within an element if alt text

exceeds 150 characters. A descriptive

link will also be provided.

a) Provide text link to longer description. b) The industry-wide best practice for alternative text maximum length is now 80

characters (source: http://www.gawds.org/

show.php?contentid=28/).

WCAG 1.0: 1.1 (Pri. 1)

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Standard 2: Use of Color for the Conveyance of Information

2.1 — Information will be conveyed in a manner that is not solely dependent on color as the primary means of informing a user how to interpret information.

Check for colorblind safeness by submitting a page's URL to VisiCheck:

http://www.vischeck.com/vischeck. The service is free.

WCAG 1.0: 2.1 (Pri. 1)

Section 508: 1194.22(c)

2.2 — Foreground and background

colors will provide sufficient contrast. Check for colorblind safeness by submitting a page's URL to VisiCheck:

http://www.vischeck.com/vischeck/. The service is free.

WCAG 1.0: 2.2 (Pri. 2)

Section 508: 1194.22(c)

Standard 3: Document Structure

3.1 — Web pages will be created using the most current web document specifications (e.g., HTML, XML, XHTML).

See 3.2 below. Also:

1) Use the W3C's free CSS validator at: http://jigsaw.w3.org/ css-validator/.

2) Use the W3C's free HTML/XHTML validator at: http://validator.w3.org/.

3) Use the W3C’s free link checker at: http://validator.w3.org/checklink.

WCAG 1.0: 3.2 (Pri. 2), 11.1 (Pri. 2)

Section 508: N/A 3.2 — All web pages will include a

valid document type declaration

(DTD).

A list of valid DTDs is available on the W3C

site at: http://www.w3.org/

QA/2002/04/valid-dtd-list.html. Make sure that documents include one of these DTDs. Missing DOCTYPE, language, or content-type data declarations may render a page

unreadable or cause assistive technologies to fail. To promote interoperability, SGML requires that each of its subsets (including HTML) specify its document character set (e.g., <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 />). For a listing of valid character sets, see http://www.w3.org/TR/html401/

sgml/entities.html

WCAG 1.0: 3.2 (Pri. 2)

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3.3 — The use of deprecated

elements or attributes is not allowed

(e.g., the usage of FONT, BOLD & ITALICS are deprecated).

Use semantic markup — use (X)HTML

elements for their intended use, not for their presentational attributes. Use headings h1-h6 to establish a document's structure. The h1 heading should be the top of the

document's structure; h2-h6 should identify heading levels within the document. Use lists only for legitimate lists (including

navigation), not for indenting copy. A list of deprecated elements and attributes and suggested alternatives is available at: http://www.nysforum.org/accessibility/

resources/nyspolicy/deprecated-discouraged.html.

WCAG 1.0: 3.7 (Pri. 2), 11.2 (Pri. 2)

Section 508: N/A 3.4 — Web pages will be created

using style sheets to achieve formatting and stylistic effects

whenever possible. When style sheets are utilized the web pages must convey all relevant information in an accessible manner if the style sheet is disabled for any reason.

Store styles in a central stylesheet and reference that stylesheet in each document. This leverages the power of stylesheets to streamline changing styles throughout the entire site. Use relative measurements in style sheets (e.g. use percentages instead of pixels, ems instead of points). Test pages with style sheets turned off in the browser to ensure that all information is accessible and usable.

WCAG 1.0: 6.1 (Pri. 1), 3.3 (Pri. 2)

Section 508: 1194.22(d)

3.5 — All natural language usage will be clarified using the Lang attribute when the written language is not English.

It is considered best practice to include lang="en" or lang="en-US" attributes in a page head even on pages using only English. Note those instances in which non-English words or phrases using the lang attribute are used.

WCAG 1.0: 4.1 (Pri. 1)

Standard 4: Navigation and Links

4.1 — Web pages will be designed to enable users to skip repetitive

navigation links.

The link to "Skip Navigation" should be visible so that sighted visitors using the keyboard can benefit from the functionality.

WCAG 1.0: 13.6 (Pri. 3)

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4.2 — All text links will indicate the

destination or purpose. Avoid using non-descriptive link text such as "click here." Links may not be

understandable out of context, such as "click here" or "more." Avoid having the same link text point to different target locations. Standardize navigation so that it appears in relatively the same place on all pages. Provide more than white space around links — for example, use the "pipe" character ( | ) to separate links. Without proper separation, screen readers may incorrectly read adjacent links as the same link.

WCAG 1.0: 13.1 (Pri. 2)

Section 508: 1194.22(a)

4.3 — All state agency web pages will

allow the user to return to that state

agency's home page.

Optimize usability by picking a place for stable and repeating elements like logos or links to the home page. Users will quickly learn how to use a site if the layouts are consistent.

WCAG 1.0: 13.4 (Pri. 2)

Section 508: N/A 4.4 — Web pages will be designed to

be device independent; for example, allow navigation with or without a mouse.

Have someone not involved in page design use attempt to use their keyboard to

navigate the page. If they lose track of their cursor at any time, consider adding tabindex attributes to control flow of focus. The tabindex attribute can be used in the following elements: a, area, button, input, object, select, textarea.

WCAG 1.0: 9.3 (Pri. 2)

Section 508: 1194.22(n)

Standard 5: Flicker/Blink

5.1 — Web site screen elements will

not have a flicker rate with a

frequency between 2Hz and 55Hz (2 to 55 flashes per second).

Using blinking elements to attract the attention of visitors is annoying and is considered rude. Animation can be

distracting to visitors with certain visual or cognitive disabilities. The currently accepted best practice is to not use blinking at all. (http://www.usabilitynews.com/

news/article1618.asp). However, if animations are used, set them to a slow rate, and set a time-out so that they stop after a certain time or number of loops. NOTE: Flickering or blinking can trigger epileptic seizures in sensitive individuals.

WCAG 1.0: 7.1 (Pri. 1)

Section 508: 1194.22(j)

5.2 — A mechanism will be in place to allow users to turn off screen

elements that flicker.

WCAG 1.0: 7.2 (Pri. 2)

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5.3 — The use of the blink element is

prohibited. WCAG 1.0: 7 Note #2Section 508: N/A

Standard 6: Timed Responses

6.1 — When a programmed timed response is used on a web site, a notification will be provided on that web page, identifying the time limits and providing the option to extend or remove the limit.

Display a prominent notice on the page to let users know that a time-out feature is in effect, and tell what the time-out interval is. Also display a link to a location where users may modify the time interval. Be sure to include contact information so that issues related to timed responses can be addressed by a user with disabilities.

WCAG 1.0: N/A

Section 508: 1194.22(p)

6.2 — Client-side auto-refresh or client-side auto-redirect will not be used without a mechanism in place to first alert the user.

When using a redirect, include an interim page telling the user they are being redirected (along with a link to the page's new location, if applicable) and program a sufficient delay into the redirect so that visitors can read the notice.

WCAG 1.0: 7.4 (Pri. 2), 7.5 (Pri. 2), 10.1

(Pri. 2)

Standard 7: Tables

7.1 — All tables are required to have

a summary attribute. For tables not used for layout, provide a concise description of table content.

WCAG 1.0: 5.5 (Pri. 3)

Section 508: 1194.22(g)

7.2 — Tables used solely for

formatting will specify that purpose using a summary attribute (e.g., summary="format" or summary="for layout only").

If using tables for layout, check to make sure that content linearizes properly when using assistive technology. Check this by using Lynxview, a free tool available at: http://www.delorie.com/web/ lynxview.html WCAG 1.0: N/A

Section 508: N/A 7.3 — Tables with tabular data will

use the scope attribute to identify both horizontal and vertical headings.

Use "row" to describe the scope of a row heading; "col" to describe the scope of a column heading (e.g., scope="row"; scope="col").

WCAG 1.0:5.2

Section 508: 1194.22(g)

7.4 — Row and column headers will

be identified for data tables. A good example of how to set up row and column headers can be found at:

http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/wai-pageauth.html#tech-table-structure.

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Standard 8: Frames, Context and Orientation

8.1 — If frames are used, a noframes

alternate will be provided.

Frames cause problems for users in two significant ways. First, the ability to bookmark may not save a link to the

information the user wants to keep available. Second, printing is unreliable, since without intervention the browser will print whichever frame is active — which may not be the frame containing the information the user wants. Wherever possible, frames should be avoided.

WCAG 1.0: N/A Section 508: N/A

8.2 — If frames are used:

8.2.1 — Each frame must be identified with a descriptive title attribute that describes the purpose

of each frame(s) and how they relate

to each other.

8.2.2 — For title text greater than

150 characters a longdesc attribute

will be used.

Descriptive frame titles are essential for those using assistive technology to access a page. A frame title of "left_side" provides no useful information to someone without a visual frame of reference; a frame title of "page_navigation" does.

WCAG 1.0: 12.1 (Pri. 1), 12.2 (Pri. 2)

Section 508: 1194.22(i)

WCAG 1.0: 12.2 (Pri. 2)

Standard 9: Image Mapping

9.1 — Image mapping will be

client-side based.

WCAG 1.0: 9.1 (Pri. 1)

Section 508: 1194.22(f)

9.2 — Redundant text links will be provided for each active region of a

client-side image map.

Redundant text links can also benefit search engine optimization, and will provide

navigational features for those less experienced visitors who may not realize that an image is clickable. As noted in Standard 4, such redundant navigation should be applied consistently, so that it is easy for visitors to find it.

WCAG 1.0: 1.5 (Pri. 3)

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Standard 10: Audio Only

10.1 — Information will not be conveyed by single audio (audio clip sounds to provide instructions, warnings, or other information) alone.

When providing a spoken word audio clip, provide a text transcript of what's being said. When providing an audio clip of a sound, provide a text description of the sound.

WCAG 1.0: 1.1 (Pri. 1)

Section 508:1194.22(a)

Standard 11: Multimedia

11.1 — Audio

State agencies will provide

synchronized textcaptions for

multimedia content containing speech, or other audio necessary to understand the content, in

accordance with the following schedule:

a. By January 1, 2005, 10 percent of all multimedia content containing speech, or other audio, will be captioned.

b. By January 1, 2007, 25 percent of all multimedia content containing speech or other audio will be captioned.

c. By January 1, 2009, 50 percent of all multimedia content containing speech or other audio will be captioned.

d. For all multimedia content

containing speech a transcript will be

provided until a synchronized text

caption is made available according

to the schedule.

The National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM) has published Accessible Digital

Media: Design Guidelines for Electronic Publications, Multimedia and the Web, an

extensive online resource for producing accessible content. These guidelines are

available at: http://ncam.wgbh.org/

publications/adm/ index.html. In particular, Guideline H, which can be found at

http://ncam.wgbh.org/ publications/adm/ guideline_h.html provides information on producing accessible multimedia.

WCAG 1.0: 1.1 (Pri. 1), 1.3 (Pri. 1), 1.4

(Pri. 1)

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11.2 — Video/Visual

State agencies will provide a video

description for multimedia content

that contains video, or other visual information necessary for the understanding of the content, in accordance with the following schedule:

a. By January 1, 2005, 10 percent of all multimedia content containing video, or other visual information necessary for the understanding of

the content, will include a video

description.

b. By January 1, 2007, 25 percent of all multimedia content containing video, or other visual information necessary for the understanding of

description.

c. By January 1, 2009, 50 percent of all multimedia content containing video, or other visual information necessary for the understanding of

description.

WCAG 1.0: 1.1 (Pri. 1), 1.4 (Pri. 1)

Section 508:1194.22(b)

11.3 — Web Cast

All state agency web casts will have

synchronized captioning of the speech, or other audio content contained in the web cast, in accordance with the following schedule:

a. By January 1, 2005, 10 percent of all web cast hours, residing on the web site, transmitted during the preceding 12 months will include captioning.

b. By January 1, 2007, 25 percent of all live web cast hours residing on the web site will include captioning. c. By January 1, 2009, 50 percent of all live web cast hours residing on the web site will include captioning.

WCAG 1.0: 1.1 (Pri. 1)

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Standard 12: Scripting

12.1 — If web pages utilize scripting languages to display content or

create interface elements, the

information that is provided by the

script will be identified with functional

text that can be read by assistive

technology devices.

Turn off scripting support in the browser and test the page. Is all of the information and functionality still available? If so, the page will pass.

WCAG 1.0: 6.3 (Pri. 1), 6.2 (Pri. 1)

Section 508: 1194.22(l), 1194.22(m)

12.2 — Event handlers used in any

script will be device independent.

Device-independent event handlers

will be used instead of event handlers

that require a specific input device

(e.g., mouse). If a generic event

handler is not available, more than

one device-specific event handler will

be used.

Avoid using mouse-specific event handlers such as “onMouse” events. Use the more generic "onFocus,” "onBlur,” "onKeyDown,” and "onKeyUp.”

Also, try navigating the page with the keyboard only.

WCAG 1.0: 6.4 (Pri. 2), 9.3, (Pri. 2)

Section 508: N/A 12.3 — The use of onDBLClick event

will not be allowed. WCAG 1.0: Section 508: N/A 6.4 (Pri. 2), 9.3, (Pri. 2)

12.4 — A mechanism (e.g., a text notice - the following link will bring you to a new browser) will be in place to alert the user prior to the opening of an additional web browser, pop-up window or a redirect that disables a browser's back button.

Any time that clicking on a link breaks the use of the browser's forward/back buttons (new browser window, redirects, etc.), the user should be notified beforehand. It is particularly important to people with visual disabilities, as they have no other way of knowing that a new browser instance has been opened.

Any time a new browser window of any type is spawned, users should be provided with an explicit way to close the new window and return to the original session.

WCAG 1.0: 7.5 (Pri. 2), 10.1 (Pri. 2)

Section 508: N/A 12.5 — All documents with client side

scripting will provide equivalent content or functionality via a noscript element.

Client-side scripting relies on the user's platform, which cannot be reliably predicted in a public web site setting. In instances where scripting is the only way to provide needed functionality, server-side scripting (e.g., Java, PHP, etc.) may provide a better choice.

To test: Turn off scripting support in the browser and test the page. Is all of the information and functionality still available? If so, the page will pass.

WCAG 1.0: 6.3 (Pri. 1)

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Standard 13: Forms

13.1 — On-line forms will allow

people using assistive technology

devices to access the information,

field elements, and functionality

required for completion and

submission of the form, including all directions and cues.

Try navigating the form using the keyboard. Does the cursor stop in the right place? Are you able to access and use all of the form controls?

WCAG 1.0: 8.1 (Pri. 1/2), 9.3 (Pri. 2), 10.2

(Pri. 2), 12.4 (Pri. 2)

Section 508: 1194.22(n), 1194.22(p)

13.2 — A label element will be used for all form controls that do not have implicit labels.

Don't rely on implicit labels. Use explicit labels for all form controls.

WCAG 1.0: 10.2 (Pri. 2), 12.4 (Pri. 2)

13.3 — Forms elements will be in

logical tab order. Don't rely on "natural" order alone. Use the tabindex attribute for all form elements.

WCAG 1.0: 9.4 (Pri. 3)

Standard 14: Downloadable/Embedded Objects

14.1 — When downloadable documents [e.g., word processing documents, spreadsheets, Portable Document Format (PDF), java

applets] are used, a link to accessible HTML or text version(s) will be made available.

If documents cannot be converted from their original format to an accessible format, post a notice to that effect and include contact information for users who need the

information in another format. The agency still has a responsibility to make that information available in some other format (e.g., plain text, audio, etc.).

WCAG 1.0: 11.3 (Pri. 3)

Section 508: 1194.22(m)

14.2 — When hardware, software

and assistive technology devices are

controlled by a state agency,

downloadable documents [e.g., word processing documents, spreadsheets, Portable Document Format (PDF)] available through an intranet or extranet will be allowed.

This standard was adopted to allow the use of technologies and content that would be considered questionable on a public site, where the visitor’s hardware/software is unknown.

This does not eliminate the agency's obligation to provide reasonable

accommodation (e.g., screen reader, screen magnifier, adaptive hardware).

WCAG 1.0: N/A Section 508: N/A