1. Section 508 Unified Approach
Unified compliance testing across federal agencies and how it can improve accessibility for PWD’s: helping project managers, vendors, and developers deliver compliant products
2:25 – 3:25: Section 508 Unified Approach
Unified compliance testing across federal agencies and how it can improve accessibility for PWD’s: helping project managers, vendors, and developers deliver compliant products
Ms. Katherine Eng (U.S. Department of Justice)
Ms. Holly Anderson (U.S. Department of Education)
Mr. Norman Robinson (U.S. Department of State)
Ms. Cynthia Clinton-Brown (Department of Homeland Security)

2. Turn off your ringtones and notifications Use the microphone
Today’s Presentation
Turn off your ringtones and notifications
Use the microphone
We will bring it to you
Introduce yourself when speaking
“I’m Norman from Department of State”
Open discussion: on schedule!
Presenters are available for later discussions
Your perspective is valuable if you contribute! 

3. Testing In Consistency
The need for testing: how do you know?
Consistent, repeatable processes!
Who is responsible for compliance?
Conformance?
Products or end-user support?
Key Benefits:
Prevents the need for remediation
Enables tracking of defects and remediation fixes
Encourages and educates SME practitioners
How do we know if something is accessible?
There is our own end-user experience, and that may be the most important thing to you. EIT should “just work” and even minor issues with accessibility can be frustrating. As you’ll hear today, figuring out what is or isn’t accessible, should involve including evaluating the needs of people with disabilities and we specifically advocate it should involve testing.
What does Testing imply? Is it testing with assistive tech or certain tools?  Consistent, repeatable processes!
Internal – your agency my test differently in different dev teams.
External – COTS: Vendors may respond to each agency differently, based on agency requirements. If the agency doesn’t have any other guidance than “be 508 compliant”, where do they start?
As you hear about agencies and accessibility practitioners are doing, keep in mind having a test process is not the same a certification!
There is a further discussion we won’t have here today, but we need to keep in mind when asking what this information means to you: who should be responsible for maturing the agency’s response? Who translates “it doesn’t work” into “the solution is…”? Is it the project owners or the 508 program? Having a formal Program that helps govern projects and ensure defects found aren’t just accepted, but remediated. Pushing for personnel to get any certifications, establishing agency go-to testing processes such as the ones you’ll hear about today. Testing early can eliminate defects, and help clarify exact issues end-users are experiencing in technical detail such that developers or vendors can make fixes.
Our challenge is to ensure we answer “How do you know it is accessible?” with not only “We tested” but “We tested with the following process”. We are doing that with technical standards defined a long time ago, and only now being updated to deal with current technologies…

4. Incorporated into Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) in June 2001
Section 508 background
Published in Dec 2000
Incorporated into Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) in June 2001
508 Refresh
In 2001:
9/11
Apple Computer releases the iPod
Microsoft releases Windows XP
Most popular browser(s): Internet Explorer 6

5. What’s being tested?
Web sites
DOJ News page

6. What’s being tested?
Web Applications
Runs in a browser

7. Software Applications
What’s being tested?
Software Applications
Runs in its own “Client”

8. What’s being tested? Hybrid Applications
Rich media, interactive, dynamic content
(More than HTML4)
Runs in a browser but can include software

9. What’s being tested?
Web sites
Web Applications
Software Applications
Hybrid Applications
Anything running on a desktop PC

10. How to test for 508 Compliance?
Use Assistive Technology (AT)
Analyze code
Combination of both
None of the above
Rely on vendor’s self evaluation
All of these within one agency
Experience at DHS

11. Different Approaches, Different Results
Different results for the same standard
Inconsistent testing within one approach
Unable to accept other’s results
Mixed messages for vendors and developers
Different approaches to testing will yield inconsistent and varying results for the same product. Much like comparing apples to oranges.
Vendor products are accepted at one agency as compliant but not by all.

12. Establish a 508 test process for OAST testers
Develop DHS Testing
Establish a 508 test process for OAST testers
Create reliable and repeatable test results
Using documented procedures
Easy to use testing tools
Minimize subjectivity
Consistently document test results
Why a Standards-based Approach?
AT varies a lot – versions change regularly
Coding to a specific AT device is only as good as the version it’s coded to
Sophisticated AT devices like JAWS cheat
Just because an application works with JAWS does not mean it is 508 compliant
JAWS is an AT device, not a measure of compliance with 508 standards
Code to the Standards

13. DHS Test Process: In the beginning…
Code inspection tools and JAWS combo
Worked well in small group of testers
Full time 508 testers
Cubicle collaboration
Testing Training outside group
JAWS is very difficult to learn in 2 days
No exam
Poor quality test reports from students
Started in 2007

14. Evolution of Test Process
Test instructions written for larger training audience
Minimize subjective outcomes
Easier to use testing tools
JAWS
Differences in JAWS versions affected test results
Conflicts with code inspection were won by code inspection
Conclusion: JAWS only tested the application’s compatibility with that version of JAWS
Removed after 2 years

15. Pre-reqs for SW & Web requirements More hands on practice Exam
Evolution of Training
Pre-reqs for SW & Web requirements
More hands on practice
Exam
“Trusted Tester”
Passing grade means tester has acceptable skill level to test and report accurately

16. Benefits of a Defined Test Process
508 acceptance criteria identified
Share with developers and vendors in advance
Trusted Tester is required to report results
Common approach, accept shared results
Trusted Tester pool to handle testing
205
Online TT community forum

17. Trusted Tester

18. Harmonized Baseline Tests
“Harmonized Processes for Section 508 Testing: Baseline Tests for Software & Web Accessibility”
Developed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) accessibility teams.
The Baseline Tests supports:
Standardized testing for the Section 508 technical requirements for Software, Web, and Functional Performance Criteria (FPC) across government.
Provides a minimum set of Tests for agencies to streamline/enhance their existing test processes.
Aligns Section 508 accessibility testing with most of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0) success criteria, in preparation for the upcoming Section 508 refresh.

19. Harmonized DHS Test Process
“DHS Section 508 Compliance Test Process for Applications”
The test document incorporates the minimum baseline tests and steps required to determine compliance with Section 508 requirements.
The Test process supports:
A unified test approach for Section 508 compliance
Documented test procedures
Reliable and repeatable test results
Easy to use testing tools
Minimizes subjectivity
Visit to see the latest versions of the Baseline and Test Process documents.

20. Expanding TT Beyond DHS
Pilot: Unified Testing Accessibility Project (UTAP)
Purpose: DHS helped 4 agencies adopt the TT
Agencies were classified as S, M, L, and XL
MOUs between DHS and agencies
Organizational assessments conducted
Assisted agency staff in designing their own organizational approach to incorporate TT
Formal Implementation Plans Developed
OAST is documenting UTAP results to share with other agencies interested in adopting TT:
Summary Report (Lessons Learned/Recommendations)
Agency specific Case Studies
UTAP Guide (Conducting your own UTAP)
Promoting Unified Testing and Trusted Tester (TT)

21. Interagency Trusted Tester Program (ITTP)
ITTP is based on the DHS TT program
A strategic solution with a three-pronged approach:
Standardization of the evaluation processes and procedures for 508 testing of EIT.
A certification program for 508 testing inclusive of the standardized evaluation procedures and methodologies.
A central repository available to all agencies that contains all TT test results.
Early phase of standing up the ITTP Program:
Drafts completed for:
Mission
Vision
Goals
Objectives
(In-Progress)
Program Charter
Executive Steering Committee
Establishing a Governance Process for Baseline document

22. How to become a Trusted Tester?
A Trusted Tester (TT) is an individual who has taken the required TT training courses and who has achieved at least 90% on the DHS Section 508 Trusted Tester Certification Exam.
The TT training courses:
Course ID
Course Name
FAC 049
Section 508: What is it and Why is it Important to You?
FAC 050
Section 508: Tools Installation
FAC 051
Section 508 Standards for Applications
FTE 250
Section 508 Trusted Tester Training
FTE 251
Section 508 Trusted Tester Certification Exam
Adopting a unified test approach makes good business sense
Test results are reliable/repeatable
Minimize subjectivity
Trust each other’s results
Reduce redundant testing and reliance on limited accessibility skills and resources
Establish 508 expertise within IT workforce
Benefits vendors - they would know during development how their products will be tested for 508 compliance – verses the mixed messages they get today

23. Trusted Tester Resources
Location
DHS Accessibility Help Desk
DHS Section 508 Compliance Test Process documents:
Baseline Tests for Software and Web
DHS Section 508 Compliance Test Process for Applications
Trusted Tester training courses
Note: DAU is for .gov or .mil addresses; for all others, please contact DHS Accessibility Help Desk to request TT training.
Interagency Trusted Tester Program (ITTP)

24. AED COP
Accessible Electronic Document Community of Practice (AED COP)
Started September 2011
Primary Focus to harmonize requirements to make electronic document Section 508 Conformant
Have approximately 27 agencies participating

25. AED COP
While all federal agencies are required to post accessible electronic documents, agencies do not have identical standards for creating them. This can cause the following problems:
frustration for employees and citizens seeking information
confusion for vendors producing accessible documents shared across the federal government and
inability of agencies to easily reuse accessibility artifacts.

26. AED COP GOALS
To increase awareness of the importance of access to Accessible Electronic Documents across the federal community.
To promote successful strategies which increase the ability of federal employees to create accessible electronic documents.
To advance the field of accessibility for all participating agencies by creating a repository of accessibility artifacts.
To identify and improve the alignment of requirements defining accessible electronic documents across for all participating agencies.
To promote successful strategies which create the highest level of accessibility for documents at the lowest cost.
To identify and supply best practices to the CIO Council Accessibility Committee Best Practices Subcommittee.

27. AED COP Resources
Published
Word 2010 Baseline, Example Conformance Test Process (Technical), Basic Authoring and Testing Guide (Lay)
In Development
PDF Baseline, Basic Testing Guide
PowerPoint, Excel
Training Videos

28. Kathy (DHS Test Process) Cynthia (Interagency Trusted Tester)
Questions?
Norman (Moderator)
Kathy (DHS Test Process)
Cynthia (Interagency Trusted Tester)
Holly (AED COP)