<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Franklin Gothic Book";
panose-1:2 11 5 3 2 1 2 2 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle19
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1027" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Hello Monica,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">It is a very good but very difficult question to answer. We probably need a full webinar on this topic.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">While accessibility conformance testing is valuable in identifying general and more technical accessibility issues, it does not guarantee that an application is functionally accessible for users. For example,
say that there is a navigation area with 50 options in it that is technically accessible according to the conformance testing as it has the correct keyboard controls, labelling, screen reader announcements, etc. While again it is accessible by the standards,
it is not reasonable to expect users to tab 50 times to get past this navigation area.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">As far as how to incorporate them in your accessibility policy and procedures, it depends on where you set your accessibility bar. Yes, indeed accessibility conformance can improve the accessibility of the
application, but if you are aiming for real accessibility improvement, then I think you should aim to do functional accessibility testing as well, for which you would need the necessary resources. You will need someone who is familiar with the application,
can communicate your accessibility findings with the vendors, engage them in a real collaboration to fix the issues and guide them through functional accessibility feedback.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">If there is enough interest in this topic, I will be glad to offer a webinar to go into it in more detail.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Thanks,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Hadi<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<div style="border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> athen-list <athen-list-bounces@mailman12.u.washington.edu>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Monica Olsson<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, March 9, 2022 9:33 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> Access Technology Higher Education Network <athen-list@u.washington.edu><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Athen] Conformance versus Functional testing<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Hi everyone,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">I participate in a group within WA state's community and technical college system called the Committee for Accessible Technology Oversight, or CATO.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Yesterday, at our monthly meeting, members discussed accessibility conformance testing versus functional testing. We expressed some frustration in parsing out these
two testing methods and how each method should be implemented into Accessible Technology policies and procedures, such as IT procurement.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">How do you define and differentiate each testing method? Do you have recommendations how best to use each method strategically and in a scalable way?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Thanks in advance for your input!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div id="Signature">
<div>
<div>
<p style="background:white"><span style="color:#201F1E"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div>
<p style="background:white"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter" />
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0" />
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0" />
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1" />
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2" />
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth" />
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight" />
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1" />
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2" />
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth" />
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0" />
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight" />
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0" />
</v:formulas>
<v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" />
<o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t" />
</v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_2" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="Title: SBCTC logo - Description: Compass" style='position:absolute;margin-left:0;margin-top:0;width:45pt;height:84.75pt;z-index:251658240;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-wrap-distance-left:0;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:0;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:left;mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:line;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-width-relative:page;mso-height-relative:page' o:allowoverlap="f">
<v:imagedata src="cid:image001.png@01D83490.6FC77FF0" o:title=" Compass" />
<w:wrap type="square" anchory="line"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><img width="60" height="113" style="width:.625in;height:1.1805in" src="cid:image003.png@01D83490.6FCE36B0" align="left" alt="Title: SBCTC logo - Description: Compass" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_2"><![endif]><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Franklin Gothic Book",sans-serif;color:#002060">Monica
M. Olsson (she/her/hers)</span></b><span style="color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Franklin Gothic Book",sans-serif;color:#002060">Policy Associate – Accessible IT Coordinator</span><span style="color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Franklin Gothic Book",sans-serif;color:#002060">Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges</span><span style="color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Franklin Gothic Book",sans-serif;color:#0563C1"><a href="mailto:molsson@sbctc.edu" target="_blank"><b>molsson@sbctc.edu</b></a></span></u><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Franklin Gothic Book",sans-serif;color:#002060"> </span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Franklin Gothic Book",sans-serif;color:#002060">•
o: 360-704-3922 • c: 206-914-7187</span><span style="color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Franklin Gothic Book",sans-serif;color:#002060"><a href="https://www.sbctc.edu/" target="_blank">sbctc.edu</a> • Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/SBCTCWashington" target="_blank"><b>@SBCTCWashington</b></a> •
Facebook:<b> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wasbctc/" target="_blank">@WASBCTC</a></b></span><span style="color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>