Why is embedding web accessibility into your organisation's culture and processes so important? And what do organisations who have done this using BS 8878 say are the benefits? In this presentation Jonathan Hassell, the Standard's lead-author, answers these questions and poses one of his own: should BS 8878 become an International Standard, and if so, how?

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Case studies of implementing BS 8878
& why embedding accessibility
is so important
Prof Jonathan Hassell (@jonhassell)
Director, Hassell Inclusion ltd.
Lead-author, BS 8878
Chair, BSI IST/45 (drafting committee for BS 8878)
CSUN 2012
2nd March 2012

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What I’ll cover…
• Why is everyone talking about embedding and processes?
• If we need a Standard for that, why consider this one from Britain?
• What is it? 8878 in 88 seconds…
• Don‟t take my word for it, I wrote it – listen to these guys…
• What was good
• What was bad
• What was hard
• Could it work here? A view from America – Jeff Kline‟s perspective
• So could this British Standard be useful worldwide?

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About Jonathan Hassell
• 10+ years experience in accessibility and inclusion
• regular international speaker and thought leader
• lead author of UK Accessibility Standards BS 8878
& chair of its drafting committee
• former Head of Usability & Accessibility, BBC Future Media
• led work to embed accessibility across
BBC web, mobile and IPTV production teams
• Won BIMA 2008 & Access-IT@Home awards for the accessibility
features of BBC iPlayer
• Product Manager of innovative, award-winning products:
• won IMS Global Learning Impact Award 2010 for MyDisplay
• won „Best Usability & Accessibility‟ BIMA 2006 for My Web, My Way
• 3 x Bafta-nominated for rich-media eLearning projects using
breakthrough accessibility technologies for disabled children

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Being booked on the last afternoon isn’t ideal…

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But it’s given me the chance to listen, and this is what I heard…

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We all agree (in at least 7 sessions…)
it’s time to be strategic about accessibility

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But not (yet) on how to do that…

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Created by accessibility experts
from:
Training already delivered to:Reviewed publicly worldwide by:
• 328 accessibility experts
worldwide
• incl: experts in
personalisation, aging, mobile
accessibility, IPTV, inclusive
design, usability, user-
research and testing,
disability evangelism
Thankfully, in the UK we’ve already spent years discussing this
and getting that agreement…

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1Why is embedding
accessibility
in your processes
important?

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Let’s take a familiar UK airline…

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… which is being sued for not being accessible to blind people

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All hands to the pump on remediation…

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But you need to fix the problem in the process,
not the product, to prevent it re-occurring

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1. Purpose
2. Target audiences
3. Audience needs
4. Preferences & restrictions
5. Relationship
6. User goals
1st
stage:
The right
research
& thought
before you
start
7. Degree of UX
8. Inclusive cf. personalised
9. Delivery platforms
10. Target browsers, OSes, ATs
11. Create/procure, in-house/contract
12. Web technologies
2nd
stage:
Making
strategic
choices
based on
that
research
13. Web guidelines
14. Assuring accessibility
15. Launch information
16. Post-launch plans
3rd
stage:
Production,
launch,
update
cycle
BS 8878’s process in 88 seconds
- to hear visit: www.bs8878in88seconds.com

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An informed way of making good decisions
• every decision taken could affect
whether the product will include or
exclude disabled and elderly people
• so every decision should be:
– recognised as a decision
– have all options and implications
considered
– made based on justifiable reasoning
– noted in the Web Product’s
Accessibility Policy for transparency
• at every step of the process

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An accessibility process that is harmonised
with user-centred/inclusive design processes
• relating web accessibility to wider human-
centred and inclusive design practices
From:
ISO/FDIS 9241-210
Human-centred design for
interactive systems
• and bringing in concepts of
user-personalised
approaches…

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2Why is embedding
accessibility
in your organisation
important?

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The accessibility of your web products
is in all these people’s hands…
Designers Writers
Project Mgrs Product Mgrs
Finance Legal Marketing Strategy
Snr Mgrs
Research & TestersDevelopers

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Embedding motivation
Designers Writers
Project Mgrs Product Mgrs
Finance Legal
Snr Mgrs
Research & TestersDevelopers
• Need to motivate each
group…
• Or just use a business
case for the top level and
set policy top to bottom…
– check out OneVoice business
cases…
Marketing Strategy

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Embedding responsibility
Designers Writers
Project Mgrs Product Mgrs
Finance Legal Marketing Strategy
Snr Mgrs
Research & TestersDevelopers
• Work out whose
responsibility accessibility
should ultimately be…
• Make sure they delegate
(and monitor results) well
• Make sure those delegated
to are trained in their
responsibilities

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Embedding through
strategic policies
Designers Writers
Project Mgrs Product Mgrs
Snr Mgrs
TestersDevelopers
Finance Legal Marketing Strategy
• create an Organizational Web Accessibility Policy to strategically embed accessibility
into the organization’s business as usual
• including where accessibility is embedded in:
• web procurement policy
• web technology policy
• marketing guidelines
• web production standards
(e.g. compliance with WCAG, browser support, AT support)

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BS8878’s support for the ‘key role’
of accessibility program manager

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The full guide on how to use BS 8878 to embed accessibility
in your organisation – available summer 2014
• the full guide on how to transform your organisation
to achieve the consistent creation of web sites and
apps that are usable and accessible to all your
customers, at the most efficient cost
• with practical case-studies from leading
accessibility experts worldwide, including:
• Jennison Asuncion (Canada),
• Debra Ruh & Jeff Kline (USA),
• Andrew Arch (Australia)
• David Banes (Qatar)
• Axel Leblois (UN)
For information on the book’s publication, free
access to video case-studies, and a chance of
winning the book… click below

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3BS 8878
impact & adoption
in the UK

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“We are delighted with the uptake. The Standard is now being
applied across a range of sectors, including central and local
government, the NHS, police, retail, housing, education and
charities.
It shows that there is a real need for clear, non-technical
guidance that complements WCAG 2.0 and can help steer
those commissioning the development of web products through
the entire life-cycle.
What‟s more, the last twelve months have seen encouraging
initiatives from Government in recognition of the important role
that accessibility plays as an enabler of digital inclusion.”
David Fatscher, BSI Sector Development Manager
Uptake of the Standard

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“We needed a set of guidelines that are practical and relatively
easy to follow for people creating our Virtual Learning
Environments and learning content who aren‟t just web
developers. BS8878 ticks all the boxes for us, as it includes
advice for those procuring as well as developing websites.”
E.A. Draffan, Research Fellow in Electronics & Computer Science
Use on eGovernment websites

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“We needed a set of guidelines that are practical and relatively
easy to follow for people creating our Virtual Learning
Environments and learning content who aren‟t just web
developers. BS8878 ticks all the boxes for us, as it includes
advice for those procuring as well as developing websites.”
E.A. Draffan, Research Fellow in Electronics & Computer Science
Use on education websites

28. Use by SME disability/accessibility service providers
“As a small organisation whose prime purpose is to promote
accessibility, we decided to design and build our own website using
BS8878 to guide us.
The biggest hurdle was where to actually start. Luckily Jonathan
Hassell provided us with the answers we needed during a training
session he gave to one of our clients who has also decided to work
towards conformance with the Standard. And once we started, we
found it relatively easy to move forwards ”
Cam Nicholl, Director of Sales & Service Development, DAC

29. “Organisations are now coming to AbilityNet with a clearer
perspective on what is involved in inclusive design, and with an
appreciation that accessibility isn’t just a bolt-on component that all
too often drops off when the wrong decisions have been made.
We’ve also heard fewer horror-stories of design briefs that have been
short on detail when it comes to specifying accessibility, which often
leads to a long battle to achieve it – a battle which isn’t always won. “
Robin Christopherson, Head of Digital Inclusion, AbilityNet
Use by larger disability/accessibility service providers

30. “Our students use BSS8878 as a framework in assignments such as
improving the accessibility of a real website linking a group of older
people in the UK to groups in three other countries.
The Standard guides them in identifying the specific needs of older
people through inclusive design and develops their problem solving
skills by requiring them to prepare design briefs which prioritise
solutions that would work for everyone.”
Suzette Keith, Tutor MSc Digital Inclusion, Middlesex University
Use in inclusive design courses & training

31. “The majority of people involved in procuring web and app design
services (or responsible for internal legislative compliance) will find
BS8878 a far more accessible document than the W3C's technical
guidelines, and provides a framework that goes beyond a list of
technical design requirements.
BS8878 emphasises, and this is important, that simply complying with
the WCAG guidelines is unlikely to meet the requirements of the
Equality Act. As BS8878 explains, organisations can't simply carry out
an automated tick box check of the HTML, but instead need to user
test the site or app itself to ensure that it actually is accessible.” “
Martin Sloan, Legal Associate in the Technology, Information and
Outsourcing Group at Brodies LLP
Recommendation by legal services

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4Case Studies

33. Royal Mail
BS 8878 in action
Rob Wemyss
Head of Accessibility
Royal Mail Group

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Royal Mail Group
• We are the sole provider of the UK‟s Universal Postal
Service
• We reach everyone in the UK through our mails, Post Office
and parcels business
• BS 8878 is an integral part of our web accessibility strategy
• BS 8878 has given us the framework to help reduce
costs and improve the quality when delivering
accessible web products for our customers

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How we have used BS 8878
• Additional framework to existing accessibility process
• Added value by getting focus on accessibility early
• Helps project stakeholders understand our accessibility
requirements
• Used as gating process for suppliers
• Gets planning for testing in early
• Great framework for documenting important decisions
throughout the project lifecycle

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Helping deliver projects
• Used to deliver new redesign of Royal Mail website from the
ground up
• Includes updated user journeys based on extensive
research into how our customers use the web
• Detailed personalisation of content based on personas
• Principles behind 8878 are perfect for this
• Also used on smaller BAU projects to help deliver the best
possible products for customers

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Does it help?
• Yes… helps shake out the decisions and makes risk visible for
evaluation at all stages
• Makes it easier when dealing with multiple stakeholders
• Gives structure to accessibility discussions – especially remediation
ones when procured products do not meet standards
• Used to help educate 20+ suppliers
• Makes more sense to suppliers than rules of WCAG as they get the
value of usability so accessibility doesn‟t feel like a spanner in the works
• Accepts deficiencies are likely on launch, but makes them clear for
future planning…

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Room for improvement
• Documentation can be time consuming
• Need a way to input information collaboratively
• Dashboard to help people engage with the information in
the document
• Suppliers not always aware of BS 8878
• £100 for a document is a barrier for smaller suppliers
• Need for a “lite version” of standard with simple
explanations to give suppliers the appetite to want to read it

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Should it be an International Standard?
• Don‟t see any reason why not
• It combines accessibility, usability and quality of delivering a
project – which is the same requirement all over the world
• Technology is delivered globally,
so an international standard would help with procurement
• „Technically accessible‟ technology can sometimes miss the
mark – understanding how users will use technology
is what it‟s all about

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And, yes, I eat (and blog about) ‘my own dog food…’
at www.hassellinclusion.com

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5So it’s useful,
but could it be better…?

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Future-proofing that it’s already got
• “Beyond tick-lists”: BS 8878 as a means of integrating accessibility & usability
• for organisations that only do usability, this aligns accessibility with what they already do
• for organisations that only do accessibility, this provides a way of going beyond tick-box
accessibility and situates it in something more meaningful to people
“Working through BSI 8878 and the implication it can have for PIP. Brilliant standard and so
incredibly useful. Thanks @jonhassell !!”
Simon Hurst, Dept of Work and Pensions
• Can it be applied to mobile and apps?
• Yes
• Can it be applied to software?
• Yes, with a few modifications
(browser only applicable to web, as is the emphasis on rapid versioning)

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How BS 8878 could be improved…
• It should clarify how the BS 8878 process can be used to enrich existing processes,
rather than require their replacement:
• for organisations that already have a user-centred production process,
they can fit these steps into it easily and it will make perfect sense
• for organisations that have a process but it isn’t user-centred,
this adds that emphasis and missing steps (user-research and iterative testing) to their process
• and for organisations that don’t have a process yet,
they get a best-practice one (e.g. see websitein1day.co.uk)
• BS 8878 would be more useful if tools existed to enable it to be easily applied
• Hassell Inclusion are already working on a suite of such tools
• Watch this space for announcements…

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Would the Standard be more useful if it
was an International, not just British, Standard…?

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6An expert American view…
and potential way ahead

46. Strategic IT Accessibility: Enabling the Organization
About the book
• Approaches IT accessibility holistically
• Deals with “organizational enablement” vs. “technical enablement”
• Discusses the why‟s and how‟s of integrating IT accessibility into relevant areas of
an organization where it plays a role
• Includes realistic scenarios
• Targeted at diverse audience of leaders and consultants
– Corporate executives or agency heads
– CIOs and other executive-level IT
positions
– Development executives
– Strategic planners
– Project managers
– Human resources executives and top-level mgt.
– Corporate and governmental legal professionals
– Communications professionals at all levels
– Public and private-sector consultants / business-
services
– Education management for K-12 and universities
About the author
• Managed IBM‟s Corporate Accessibility Compliance and Consulting team
• Now serves as Statewide Electronic and Information Coordinator for the Texas
• 18 years in R&D management at IBM
– Hardware (industrial design, graphic design, human factors, usability)
– Software (operating system GUI design and development, system usability)
• Author website: strategicaccessibility.com

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Jeff Kline on what BS 8878 and
Strategic IT Accessibility can learn from each other…
Watch the video at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=bUSd18ebPmU

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Any other cross-country difficulties…?
• Different countries, different laws…
• although legal details are already separated into BS8878‟s annexes to aid this localisation
• In the USA, unlike the UK, is writing down and publishing your reasoning behind
accessibility decisions a risk rather than mitigating factor?
• some have argued that this might be the case
• the question is: is having written down your (justifiable) reasons for not including an accessibility
feature more defensible than not having any evidence that you‟ve considered the needs of
disable at all?
• Does BS 8878 have enough detail?
• covers all the important points for embedding accessibility in any organisation, but not the detail
(especially for large, multi-nationals)
• Jeff‟ Kline‟s book is great for providing some of that detail

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Does it provide a useful new focus for accessibility?
Would you want to work in a team/organisation where:
• you‟d be expected to take accessibility seriously by product managers
• you'd be in a team where each member knows what accessibility expects from them
• managers would ask you to follow a user-centred design process (like I guess you want anyway)
• managers would ask you for/give you real-world user-research to help good decision making
• you'd be empowered to make decisions re accessibility, as long as you can justify them,
and write them down
• you'd have the freedom to create product variations where users‟ needs diverge
• you'd have a place to find best practice help for accessible design beyond the web
• you'd be asked to test products for accessibility, alongside usability, to the level the budget will allow
(and managers would be aware of the limited benefits of cheaper options)
• you'd be freed from the impossibility of doing everything you could possibly do for v1.0,
as long as you tell your audience why and when they‟ll get what they need

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What route to an International Standard…?
?
?

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Get latest news, tools, blogs, training:
www.hassellinclusion.com/bs8878/
Join the community & discussion:
www.meetup.com/bs8878-web-accessibility/

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• the full guide on how to transform your organisation
to achieve the consistent creation of web sites and
apps that are usable and accessible to all your
customers, at the most efficient cost
• with practical case-studies from leading
accessibility experts worldwide, including:
• Jennison Asuncion (Canada),
• Debra Ruh & Jeff Kline (USA),
• Andrew Arch (Australia)
• David Banes (Qatar)
• Axel Leblois (UN)
For information on the book’s publication, free
access to video case-studies, and a chance of
winning the book… send us your details
via the form on the next slide
Find out more in my forthcoming book
– available summer 2014

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Training &
support for
BS8878
Standards
Innovation
www.hassellinclusion.com
Strategy &
research

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Get in touch…
e: jonathan@hassellinclusion.com
t: @jonhassell
w: www.hassellinclusion.com