Accessibility Now

Beginning in 2006, Target, Inc. has been involved in a class action lawsuit with the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and other plaintiffs, claiming that Target's website does not meet the minimal standards for web users browsing with screen readers. Specifically, the website does not allow blind customers to purchase or perform functions available to sighted customers. Its layout, lack of tab or cursor browsing, and inconsistent use of alt text tags apparently positioned the site in violation of the Americans Disabled Persons Act and California's Disabled Person Act- where the lawsuit was filed. As a result, Target will be re-working their website (view press release) to make it fully accessible by February 28, 2009. Unfortunately, Target will also be paying out upwards of $6 million to all individuals who submit valid claims, $3,500 per claimant, per incident (the maximum is set at $7,000 for 2 incidents per claimant).

An expensive lesson for Target, but a highly valuable one for web designers.

Target is now the example of why it's important to make your site accessible. The win for NFB was on the basis that the web (i.e., world wide web, web-o-sphere, the internet, etc.) is a "public" place - and in doing so violated an ADA 1990 law that requires "retailers" and other "public places" to accommodate people with disabilities. (Target argued that the law only covered physical spaces, but still lost.) Based on this ruling, all web sites not accommodating screen-readers are theoretically liable, and risk violating this same ADA law.

Initially, it may seem overhauling your website is the next step- but in fact,  small tweaks and good habits can go a long way. Also, free tools are available to help with testing your site.

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the international consortium that develops protocols and guidelines that help develop web standards, has a thorough section on accessibility. In their section on accessibility, there is a summarized version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (link) that list 10 quick tips and techniques that serve as good guidance when designing- paraphrased here:

1. Use alt text tag for images and animations.
2. For image maps, use client side and alt text for the hot spots.
3. Provide captioning and transcripts of audio, and descriptions for video.
4. When creating a hyperlink, use text that makes sense when read out of context. For example, avoid "click here."
5. Stick to a consistent structure, and use CSS for layout and style where possible.
6. Summarize graphs and charts with a longdesc attribute.
7. With respect to scripts and plug-ins, provide alternative content in case active features are inaccessible or unsupported.
8. Use the noframes element and meaningful titles.
9. When using tables, make line-by-line reading sensible.
10. Use tools to check your work.

With respect to quick tip #10, W3C links to a list of tools to help you test your site. Three that I found were easy to use are listed below:

1. Functional Accessibility Evaluator, provided by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign [link]
2. HERA 2.0, HERA is a tool to check the accessibility of Web pages according to the specification Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 1.0). HERA performs a preliminary set of tests on the page and identifies any automatically detectable errors or checkpoints met, and which checkpoints need further manual verification. [link]
3. TAW (Web Accessibility Test) is a tool for the analysis of Web sites, based on the W3C. It goes a little further than the others listed by providing an overlay on the inserted web address. [link]

To go even further, you can do your own hands on testing by downloading 2 free tools. The first is WebbIE [link], a web browser for the blind and visually-impaired people. The second is the Thunder Screen Reader [link], an award-winning talking software for the blind and visually impaired.

Browsing your site with both these tools activated (and your monitor off) can help you better understand the experience and the problems that may plague your site from a blind perspective.

Useful and relevant links:

• Section 508: www.section508.gov
• W3C Accessibility: www.w3.org/WAI
• NFB Target lawsuit site: www.nfbtargetlawsuit.com

Articles:

• Target Settles Website Accessibility Suit
• Target sued because of bad website
• Target Lawsuit Spotlights Web Access for the Blind

Keeping Up With Social Media

How many hours do you have in a day to work? How much of that time can you (or a staff person, if you're lucky) devote to updating your organization's Twitter posts ("tweets"), Facebook Causes items, MySpace page, blog posts, and other social media? OK, how much time can you devote without doing at midnight while in your pajamas or sitting in front of the television on Sunday night? How can you keep up with all social media?

Well, it's easier than you think. Just recently, I had to handle our tweets and do some updates here and there (including today's blog post, which was supposed to be done yesterday). Well, Avi Kaplan here at onLine advises 30 minutes a day to update your social networks. So, try it. Take 30 minutes every other day to see what you can do. Make a few updates, post a tweet or two every couple of hours. Take 20 minutes to write a a great blog post. Just remember to be fun, be social, and get people listening and engaging with your organization.

Here are some interesting topics about social media anxiety/resources to explore... when you have the time:

• Beth's Blog: Information Coping Skills
• Seven Deadly Sins of Social Networking
• Idealist: Add Facebook Friends for a Cause...Or a Living
• DIOSA: Get a volunteer

Budget Reality for a Redesign

“Budget” - I think this could be one of the most daunting and mysterious words in all of business, whether for-profit or nonprofit. And yes I chuckled at the idea of doing any web site for $300, but the Internet has come a long way and a lot more is possible for a lot less these days. You just have to remember, “you get what you pay for” still holds true.

Let’s just imagine that you’re the communications director, or marketing director, or even a nonprofit CEO and you know it’s time to upgrade your web site – redesign the art, branding, and content to reflect your most current programs, add or enhance online fundraising, expand your email communications, enable more of your constituents to interact online, and possibly even test the social networking waters to see if you can attract more volunteers or increase awareness for your cause.

Where do you even begin with budgeting? Here are some key questions that can affect the budget:

Do I need to hire a consultant or other vendor for this project? Obviously, if your volunteer or paid staff is not able to support a large redesign project, then a third-party will be needed.

Can your current web site technologies support all the features and functionality of the new site? If you’re considering adding or expanding online giving functions, increasing the content available on your site, or hoping to provide easier collection of email addresses, you should review your current publishing platform to see if it will support a larger effort. Based on your needs, you may need to upgrade to a more enhanced platform that integrates content publishing, donations, constituent management, and email into a single system. A new system could well be worth the additional fees if it increases donations and awareness.

Are you doing a complete redesign? A new look generally is not just a single page design. It can involve designing layouts for the home page, the subpages, landing pages, and email templates. And you may hate the first versions you see. Expect pricing to relate to the number of design choices you are initially shown, the number of revision cycles you might be requesting, and the number of individual layouts that will be needed to support one design (home page, subpages, landing pages, etc.).

Who will build it? Creating the design is just one piece. Putting all of the design pieces on the web in HTML or some content management system is an entirely different process. Pricing for this can also be affected by the volume of pages on your site and the technologies already in use – if you’re entire site is a collection of HTML pages that have to be updated individually, then the time it will take will increase publishing fees.

Who will manage it? So you’ll get a wonderful design that may even make you feel like a Nike or Apply-worthy web site, but do you have the resources needed to keep it updated or to manage it? Will current staff need training or will you need new staffing?

Who will come to it? If you’re going to make the effort on a redesign, you need to drive people to your new site to make it worth the investment. Whether it’s including a message in your next direct mail or starting a more concerted online marketing effort, these are fees that you will want to consider when setting the project budget.

As you can see, a redesign project could really mean training or hiring staff, licensing new technologies, and possibly increasing your marketing, all of which can really mean new or additional monthly fees, not a simple one-time fee.

So, it’s easy to see why $300 makes the cartoon so funny. $3,000 gets you a little closer to reality but depending on the overall scope of the project, even that could be worth a chuckle.

To come up with the most realistic pricing, ask any colleagues you have at other organizations who may have done web updates or look for a local consultant who can help you set realistic expectations on the scope of the project and the price.

Maybe the right answer is "Coal Miner"

Small talk with a web designer.

Source: Monster-Munch

Microsoft's NGO Connection

Microsoft has always participated in gifts-in-kind grants to pedal their software to organizations. This week, they announced the launch of NGO Connection, a resource for nonprofits and NGOs to apply for grants for software and hardware. The site also features information on training and certification and has a few examples of how organizations are using their products. Their "Forums" section is simply a link to boards and services on TechSoup, Devex, and TeleCentre. They have a pretty impressive list of technology partners and a good list of software and hardware products.

Why did Microsoft launch this now? Their press release says the website provides "a convenient and easy one-stop shop for technology resources, knowledge sharing, community building and real-life examples for nonprofit organizations."  The resources for refurbished desktops, laptop, and servers  can be immensely helpful to organizations. The software is good; you could theoretically build a site with their small business and event software. But, with Google's nonprofit resources generating a lot of buzz, it makes one wonder if this is just another Microsoft attack on Google on all fronts. There are a lot of free products already out there, such as OpenOffice, 30Boxes, and Blogger. 

Still, if your organization can apply and get free software, it's always worth it. Getting your IT staff certified will help keep you running better and you can create a nice suite of tools. Microsoft is still the big game in town (as I write this post using IE... occupational hazard). Visit their website and see if their game works for your organization.

NTC 08: A Few Updates

A few thoughts and announcements as NTC 08 wraps up here in New Orleans today:

* DoGooderTV has posted the winners in the 2008 Video Contest. Congratulations to the Humane Society of the United States for their Best Overall Video win.

* Best Overheard Quote and Overall Sentiment: "Don't judge ROI by donor dollars, judge it by the results of the lives you change and how you make your donors feel about this change." Well put.

* Best Treats: Coffee and beignets from Cafe du Monde and Jelly Bellies from GoLightly. Both were addictive.

* Check out the blog posts on Technorati for more feedback from NTC 08.

* Finally, one of the best sessions came from See3's Mike Hoffman on video for nonprofits. A great session and I'm glad they posted it:

2008 NTC Day Two Wrap-Up

Day two: Sessions, sessions, sessions!

NTC 08 Day Two started off with a hilarious plenary speaker, New York Times Tech guru David Pogue. Pogue spoke about the three trends for the future: cell phone technologies, television and movies whenever you want them, and Web 2.0 user content. The most interesting example he gave was Google's Grand Central, a service where one phone number will ring or text any phone in your life, which means you are always accessible, whether you like it or not! Pogue ended his talk with a grand piano performance of his famous (at least for NYTimes site junkies like me) iPhone song (And yes, I held up my iPhone for the ballad). Here's the video of Pogue in action:

There were plenty of breakout sessions today ranging from communications, IT, fundraising, and community building. The morning sessions focused heavily on e-mail campaigns, mobile phone fundraising, analytics and social networking. The afternoon sessions continued the Web 2.0 discussions and discussions built on analyzing campaigns. The key question that seems to be on a lot of minds is understand the value of social networking. Does it work? Does it build awareness? Does it raise money? How do you measure the ROI of social networks? Should your organization be doing social networks? How will it affect your organization?

A lot of organizations were quick to share their stories and curious to hear feedback from what other have done. It's a bit unruly and uneven to navigate, but the social network gurus gave strong advice for sticking to your guns and pursuing new audiences with these tools, even though the ROI was difficult to measure. Of course, onLine always says go for it! If you can build an online with social networks, social bookmarks, or any micro-group, you should pursue it. You never know when a channel could open a very big door. It's all trial-and-error and even the best experts can't predict which organization will have a groundswell.

The evening wrap-up featured afternoon ice cream and a Network For Good-sponsored reception, followed by a night out on the town in New Orleans. I have a feeling I may be one of the few people at the morning sessions.

2008 NTC Day One Wrap-Up

Ah, New Orleans: the palm trees, St Charles Avenue streetcars, the Mississippi River and rolling, morning clouds, and the more than 1,000 techies who descended upon the Sheraton New Orleans for NTEN's NTC '08. The tech conference started with a Day of Service, as more than 80 tech professionals helped almost 30 local groups and organizations. Check out Beth's Blog for more information on this great service from NTEN.

Today's sessions focused on Affinity Group Meetings, ranging from an informal gathering of the Information Systems Forum group to discussions on Salesforce.com and Google Apps groups. If you don't belong to any affinity groups, you should. Join a listserv or online group and expand your techie or service knowledge with your peers. These groups can help you find a solution to your particular tech issue without having to do all the research or re-invent the wheel. Very informative peer groups today and a nice serve-up for tomorrow's big sessions. Plus, as almost moderator mentioned, it's all about networking.

The day ended with this year's Science Fair, as vendors and service providers set up their booths to show their wares and expertise. Food and drinks were served as bags and bowls were filled with business cards and pamphlets. The best tchotchke of the event was the red, flashing antennae from digital media platform gurus Red Antenna--very cute.

The big push this year was all about open source tools and how you can tie them into social networking tools and databases, whether it's MPower, Convio, or Salesforce. There were also groups like NPower, TechSoup, and Network For Good promoting their networks and services. Whether you were a social networker, fundraiser, database manager, or a communication manager, there was something for you to see and learn.

Tomorrow, the big sessions, with more chances to hear what challenges nonprofit techies and vendors face and more solutions.

Join onLine from 2008 NTC Central in New Orleans

Join us this week as onLine's Garth Moore blogs every day from NTEN's 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference in New Orleans. More than 1,000 attendees will come from organizations and vendors far and wide to connect with colleagues and share information on technology, communication, fundraising, and more. This year's plenary speaker is New York Times personal technology guru David Pogue.

If you can't make it to this year's event, then stay in touch with onLine this week for news, analysis, and photos from the conference. And, if you are at the conference, say hello to Garth Moore as he bounces between sessions and the coffee stands.

Planning This Year's Appeals

By now, you are planning your organization's online appeals and campaigns for the year (still hungover from the holiday campaigns and a hopefully a nice vacation). You might be in a panic: Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Valentine's Day are quickly upon us, membership renewals are floating out the door, and you've been asked to think about next year's holiday campaign already. It can be overwhelming, but keep a few things in mind:

Not Every Holiday Needs a Mailer: You should assess your online audience interests and your own branding and bandwidth to see what holidays deserve an e-mail. Does Easter or Memorial Day really work for your mission? What about Flag Day (no kidding, it might)? Make a smart assessment of what will work for your organization. Use your offline marketing calendar and past successes as a starting point. Maybe Flag Day is the perfect day for your organization's appeal.   

Be Flexible: Create an annual calendar and prepare to have it go haywire by April. No big deal. Being flexible means doing a last minute appeal for the CEO, entering an online giving contest, or issuing a new corporate partner appeal. Of course, you may have disaster relief waiting in the wings at any moment. Planning is great, but nothing's set in stone. Creating an annual appeal schedule will help you stay focused, but bend, don't break.

Be Creative, Be Smart: Take the time now to think about your messaging, even if you don't build any creative yet. Think of the messages for each campaign and who you are trying to reach. Now, are there ways you can distribute mailings without inundating your housefile? Can we trim a few mailings here and there or segment your housefile down for more specific mailing topics? Be creative with not only your content, but how you reach out to others.

So, what should your schedule look like? Well, it can be as simple as a spreadsheet by month with the name of the mailing, the segment, and due dates for content, and the delivery date. You might want to assign duties or make notes for each campaign. However you format your calendar, remember to keep your appeal schedule focused and easy to change. And welcome to 2008, this could be a great year for your online program.