Web Standards Centre of Expertise (WSCoE)
by Maxim Martel
Who we are
We are web developers who specialize in accessibility. We audit ESDC websites and web applications to insure they follow the Government of Canada Web Standards. We also are involved in many different projects related to accessibility. Some of these are:
- Community Accessibility meetups in both Ottawa and Montreal
- Contribute to the Web Experience Toolkit project
- Create Firefox add-ons
- Developed and maintain Centrally Deployed Templates Solution (CDTS)
- Active member of the GoC Access Working Group
What we do
- Perform Web Standards assessments on ESDC’s web assets
- Provide expertise and guidance in the field of accessibility
- Support web developers
TBS Web Standards
- Optimizing Websites and Applications for Mobile Devices
- Web Accessibility
- Web Interoperability
- Web Usability
- Canada.ca Style Guide
Standard on Web Accessibility
- Applies to all Web pages that are public-facing
- Ensures conformance on Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) level A and AA
What is WCAG?
- Set of recommendations for making Web content more accessible, primarily for people with disabilities—but also for all user agents, including highly limited devices, such as mobile phones
- International standards from W3C
Principles of WCAG 2.1
- Perceivable – Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive
- Operable – User interface components and navigation must be operable
- Understandable – Information and the operation of user interface must be understandable
- Robust – Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies
Who is affected?
Following these guidelines will make content accessible to a wider range of people with disabilities, including:
- blindness and low vision;
- deafness and hearing loss;
- learning disabilities;
- cognitive limitations;
- limited movement;
- speech disabilities;
- photosensitivity; and
- combinations of these.
Following these guidelines will also often make your Web content more usable to users in general.