Looking Back: Challenges and successes launching
the digital accessibility standard in Minnesota
 Screenshot of mn.gov from June 8, 2010
On September 1, 2020, the State of Minnesota celebrated the 10th anniversary of its digital accessibility and usability standard with several virtual events hosted by the Office of Accessibility and the state’s digital accessibility coordinators. The kickoff event was an online, internal broadcast providing “a look back” at how the standard was created and implemented. It was moderated by Chris Taylor, the State of Minnesota’s Chief Inclusion Officer. He interviewed Betsy Hayes, the State of Minnesota’s Chief Procurement Officer, and Rena Rodgers, Cook County Management Information Systems Director. Both Rena and Betsy were instrumental in the development and early successes of the digital accessibility and usability standard.
When monumental shifts, like the development of Minnesota’s standard, occur, often only a few people are present to witness each piece. As Kim Wee, digital accessibility coordinator for Minnesota IT Services partnering with the Department of Education said, “The looking back event was more than I expected. There were so many goose bump moments! My favorite was from Rena, ‘This really wasn't a project at all. It was a program.’”
High value and scope
Betsy shared why the digital accessibility and usability law was important. "The purpose was to ensure that all Minnesotans, whether it be state employees or citizens that we serve, have access to the vital information and the systems that they needed. It's simply good business, and it is our obligation. It was our obligation and still remains so to this day to make sure all citizens have that level of access. And we wanted to tap and fully utilize the talent and capacity of all of our state employees."
Both Betsy and Rena spoke about how they and their colleagues came to understand the true scope of accessibility’s impact. Rena pointed out that there was a learning curve for many of them at the start. "Understanding the difference between accommodation and accessibility was really key. We were not designing anything for individuals. We were designing technology to a standard." Betsy added, "It was going to really be more efficient for the state because we were decreasing the number of times that we would have to apply single accommodations. This was a revelation that occurred as we progressed through the project."
Why did they decide to use both Section 508 and WCAG 2.0? What was the significance of the IT architecture group's involvement? How did stakeholder involvement shape the standard? Learn the history of this systemic change in Looking Back: Challenges and successes launching the digital accessibility standard in Minnesota.
Accessibility Best Practices for
Using Chat in Online Meetings
Office of Accessibility Editor’s note: With the majority of state employees working from home most meetings are now online. This has provided a greater awareness of remote meeting tools and features, and the challenges that they may present for people with disabilities. The Office of Accessibility and Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) are working together on known issues with online meeting tools. For example, one product announces every chat message to participants using a screen reader. While this may seem like a good idea, it forces the user to hear both the event audio and chat audio at the same time. We have alerted the vendor to this issue, but until the issue is resolved, the Office of Accessibility tested several temporary workarounds. One approach is to have chat only go to those with specific roles, like the meeting organizer. We collaborated with a user who frequently uses chat in online meetings to test this process in a few meetings, and asked him to share some best practices to make your meetings more effective and inclusive.
He began by sharing "It can be hard to apply a best practice to a specific situation. I host online meetings often, sometimes multiple meetings in a day, and I frequently use the chat panel. As a host, I was faced with finding a way to share information quickly with all attendees."
- Learn a best practice from the Office of Accessibility to manage chat in meetings when chat announces every message to those using screen readers.
- Read how one person shifted gears, and changed the way he used chat in meetings when using this tool.
- Benefit from this person's lessons learned in Accessibility Best Practices for Using Chat in Online Meetings.
Microsoft Teams Accessibility Tips
By Jennie Delisi and Kris Schulze
Microsoft Teams has features you can use to ensure everyone on your team can access your posts. The features are available for files, chats, and meetings. Use the digital accessibility basics you already know. For example, use meaningful text for links and headings. Format your posts as you would when drafting emails and documents.
New features are being released all the time. Check the Microsoft’s Accessibility overview of Microsoft Teams page regularly for the most recent information and newest accessibility improvements. Fun fact: while writing this article the authors learned tips and tricks from each other! There is always more to learn.
Communicating with Accessibility in Mind
There are two key factors to digital accessibility when using Teams:
- Plan with accessibility in mind.
- Know the features and how to use them.
Kris and Jennie share tips about status indicators, naming your teams, using gifs and emojis, formatting your posts, managing your alerts, using keyboard shortcuts, using read aloud options...Something for everyone in Microsoft Teams Accessibility Tips.
Upcoming 10th Anniversary of the CVAA
On October 8, 2010, the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) was signed into law by then-President Obama. The law covers Title 1 (Telecommunications Access) and Title II (Video Programming) and ensures that the accessibility laws that were passed in the 1980s and 1990s were updated to cover new technologies, including new digital, broadband, and mobile innovations.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will celebrate CVAA’s 10th anniversary with a panel discussion and a ceremony to announce the winners of the Chairman’s Awards for Advancements in Accessibility. The event will take place on October 8, 2020, 2:00 P.M. EST (1:00 P.M. CST).
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