The Business
Problem
The Raymond H.
Fogler Library
at the
University of
Maine is the
largest research
library in
Maine, with
collections and
services
supporting the
faculty,
students, and
staff of the
University as
well as
residents of the
State of Maine.
The University
of Maine is the
principal
research and
graduate
institution of
the State of
Maine. It offers
a comprehensive
program of
undergraduate
and graduate
study. The
University is
one of seven
institutions in
the University
of Maine system;
each institution
complements and
collaborates
with the others
in the System to
fulfill the
needs of public
higher education
in the State of
Maine. The
University of
Maine has
statewide
responsibility
for those
educational,
research, and
public service
programs
associated with
its designation
as Maine's
land-grant
university and
sea-grant
college.
The Fogler
Library mission
is to identify
and provide the
information and
library
resources needed
by members of
the University
community in
their study,
teaching,
research, public
service and
professional
development.
During the fall
2001 semester
the Library Web
sites had an
average of
30,157 requests
per day.
The University
of Maine
Guidelines for
universal design
and accessible
web sites were
first published
in the spring of
2001. University
of Maine Web
Managers are
advised to
follow these
guidelines,
which are based
on the W3C
standards.
“We use a
decentralized
approach to
maintaining the
many
departmental web
pages that make
up our web site.
Each unit or
department
within the
Library is
responsible for
creating and
maintaining its
web presence,”
said Gretchen
Gfeller, Web and
Public Relations
Specialist. “The
Library Web
Office sets the
standards for
design and
structure and
provides
training and
support. We were
looking for a
tool with a
user-friendly
interface that
would help us
meet the
challenge of
bringing our
site into
compliance with
the campus
accessibility
guidelines. We
were also
striving to find
a product that
would work well
with Microsoft
FrontPage.”
The Solution
The Fogler
Library
purchased
HiSoftware’s
AccVerify and
AccRepair.
AccVerify
provides for the
verification of
accessibility
policy and
standards
required for Web
Sites under the
Rehabilitation
Act Section 508
and W3C®
Priority 1
guidelines. As
information is
added to a Web
site, AccVerify
reports on
whether all
elements are in
compliance.
AccRepair uses
the reporting
and verification
components of
AccVerify to
launch a repair
“wizard”
interface, which
prompts the user
to correct
accessibility
errors.
AccRepair also
uses a library
that “learns” as
repairs are
made.
Corrections of
the same error
(for example,
associating
"alt-text"
behind an image)
need only be
made once. The
library then
stores the
corrected
information and
auto-corrects
the images each
time a page is
encountered with
that image.
AccRepair and
AccVerify are
available as
integrated
Microsoft
FrontPage
applications.
Both products
are also
available as
automated
server-based
solutions that
minimize labor
required to
achieve and
maintain
accessible Web
sites as new
content is
created.
The Library
provides a
series of
workshops in web
and desktop
publishing
skills for the
University
community and
the general
public. They
offer classes in
universal design
and
accessibility as
part of the
University's
effort to make
all campus sites
compliant with
current
standards.
FrontPage is the
application of
choice for many
departments and
the one featured
most frequently
in classes.
“Until recently,
with the
exception of
simple alt tags,
workshop
participants had
to have a
working
knowledge of
HTML and coding
conventions in
order to make
the required
changes to their
pages,” said Ms.
Gfeller.
“AccRepair
offers a
long-overdue
solution. I will
now be able to
demonstrate that
accessible web
pages are within
the reach of all
faculty and
staff, even
those with
little previous
web editing
experience. The
availability of
AccRepair will
make my job
easier and will
move Fogler
Library and The
University of
Maine closer to
a web presence
that is usable
by all.
The Bottom
Line
AccVerify and
Repair will
provide Web
managers with
consistent
accessibility
review and
analysis, as
well as a
standard format
for feedback on
their Web sites.
It will be used
not only as a
tool to educate
Web managers in
the creation of
accessible
sites, but also
as a quality
assurance
mechanism for
the maintenance
of accessible
Web site
content. The
Fogler Library
Web team’s goal
is to make all
the major Web
pages accessible
by May 31st,
2002.
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