Summary of BS 8878 and case-studies of its implementation from roundtable at eAccess-12, by Prof Jonathan Hassell, June 2012.

1. Summary & case studies
of implementing BS 8878
Prof Jonathan Hassell (@jonhassell)
Director, Hassell Inclusion ltd.
Chair, BSI IST/45 (drafting committee for BS 8878)
eAccess-12 roundtable
28th June 2012
©

2. What’s most important to you about accessibility?
What do you need?
©

3. BS 8878: it’s time to be strategic about accessibility…
©

4. ‘what I want is to strategically embed inclusion
into [my organisation’s] culture
and business-as-usual processes,
rather than just doing another inclusion project’
Most common request
from Heads of Diversity & Inclusion
Vanguard Network 2011
©

5. Created by accessibility experts Reviewed publicly worldwide by: Training already delivered to:
from: • 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 on agreement on how to do it…
©

6. = +
©

7. 1
Why is embedding
accessibility
in a process useful?
©

8. But not on how to do UK airline…
Let’s take a familiar that…
©

9. … But not on howsued for not being accessible to blind people
which is being to do that…
©

10. All hands to the pump to ‘fix’ it…
©

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

12. 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
© hassellinclusion

13. Harmonising accessibility
with user-centred/inclusive design processes
• relating web accessibility to wider human- • and bringing in concepts of
centred and inclusive design practices user-personalised
approaches…
From:
ISO/FDIS 9241-210
Human-centred design for
interactive systems
©

14. 1st stage: 1. Purpose
The right 2. Target audiences
research
So you’re
& thought 3. Audience needs
before you 4. Preferences & restrictions
start
5. Relationship
likely to 6. User goals
be doing 2nd stage:
Making
strategic
7. Degree of UX
8. Inclusive cf. personalised
choices
most of
9. Delivery platforms
based on 10. Target browsers, OSes, ATs
that
research 11. Create/procure, in-house/contract
the steps 12. Web technologies
already… 3rd stage:
Production,
launch,
update
13. Web guidelines
14. Assuring accessibility
15. Launch information
cycle
16. Post-launch plans
©

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

16. Results in…
Web Web
Product Product
Accessibility Accessibility
Policy Statement
© hassellinclusion

17. 2
Why is embedding
accessibility
in an organisation
useful?
©

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

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

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

21. Embedding through
strategic policies
Snr Mgrs
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 embeddedMgrs
Project in: Product Mgrs
• web procurement policy
• web technology policy
• marketing guidelines
• web production standards
Developers Designers
(e.g. compliance with WCAG, browser support, AT support) Writers Testers
©

22. Results in…
Organizational
Web
Accessibility
Policy
© hassellinclusion

23. Support for the ‘key role’ of accessibility program
manager
©

24. 3BS 8878
impact & adoption
in the UK
©

25. “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
©

26. “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
eGovernment websites
©

27. “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
Education websites
©

28. “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
SME disability/accessibility service providers

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
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
Inclusive design trainers

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
Legal services

32. 4
Case Study
©

33. Royal Mail
BS8878 in action
Rob Wemyss
Head of Accessibility
Royal Mail Group

34. 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.
34

35. 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
35

36. 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
36

37. 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
• Allows deficiencies on launch, but makes them clear in future
planning…
37

38. 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 a barrier for smaller suppliers
• “Lite version” of standard with simple explanations to give
them the appetite which would make them want to read it
38

39. And, yes, I eat (and blog about) ‘my own dog food…’
©

40. Summary: in a team/organisation that follows BS8878
• you’ll be expected to take accessibility seriously by product managers
• you’ll be in a team where each member knows what accessibility expects from them
• they’ll ask you to follow a user-centred design process (like I guess you want anyway)
• they’ll ask you for/give you real-world user-research to help good decision making
• you’ll be empowered to make decisions re accessibility, as long as you can justify them,
and write them down
• you’ll have the freedom to create product variations where users’ needs diverge
• you’ll have a place to find best practice help for accessible design beyond the web
• you’ll be asked to test products for accessibility, alongside usability, to the level the
budget will allow (and they’ll be aware of the limited benefits of cheap options)
• you’ll 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
©

41. © hassellinclusion

42. If you need support & training – I’m happy to help...
©

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

44. Get slides on all 16 BS 8878 steps
www.hassellinclusion.com/bs8878/
©

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

46. e: jonathan@hassellinclusion.com
t: @jonhassell
w: www.hassellinclusion.com
©