Website Accessibility Testing and Audits

We offer website accessibility testing services to assist Australian government agencies to conform to the requirements of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.0 (WCAG 2.0).

WCAG 2.0, developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), was endorsed as the new standard for Australian government websites in February 2010.

The Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO) recently published the Web Accessibility National Transition Strategy. Agencies have until December 2010 to determine their readiness to undergo WCAG 2.0 transition and implementation.

During this preparation phase agencies are encouraged to conduct a systematic assessment of their websites and website infrastructure and of their staff’s skills and knowledge in readiness to apply WCAG 2.0. Agencies are required to report on each stage of the preparation phase.

As part of the preparation phase, agencies are required to assess their websites for the current level of WCAG 2.0 conformance. Assessment of this kind requires skills and experience and an understanding of how people with disabilities use the web. Whilst automated testing tools exist, they cannot be relied upon to provide an adequate level of WCAG 2.0 conformance.

The Transition Strategy states:

“Agencies are reminded that automated tools provide incomplete conformance information, and human assessment is also required.”

OPC accessibility consultants can perform a full accessibility audit of your website and report on the level of conformance to WCAG 2.0.The audit results in a detailed report stating your level of conformance and advising on accessibility barriers that we identify. We also include comprehensive recommendations on how to rectify the issues, with code examples as required.

OPC IT can then provide a website accessibility conformance statement detailing the scope of the conformance claim and the level of conformance achieved.

Many of our government clients choose to address the accessibility issues that we identify prior to the provision of a conformance statement. A full audit can be segmented with further testing performed as accessibility problems are corrected.

We work closely with our clients throughout the testing process and we communicate issues as soon as we encounter them. As clients address these issues, with our assistance, we then re-test the elements in question until we are satisfied that conformance has been achieved.

Client feedback on this methodology has been overwhelmingly positive. Government web managers and developers really appreciate the benefits of instant feedback and the ability to address prioritised issues in a timely manner.

Our accessibility consultants have assisted a number of high profile government departments with testing, site audits, training and consultancy. We regularly advise on accessible design and coding issues, and we have helped departments to implement and streamline their own internal processes for ensuring ongoing accessibility of their websites and intranets. Some of our accessibility clients include:

• Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
• Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy
• Department of Finance and Deregulation
• Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet

Is your agency ready for the transition to WCAG 2.0?