SOPA ACCESS REQUIREMENTS FOR PUBLICATION

Printed Materials

This checklist is for all printed materials, free or solid, targeted for the general public and staff. This includes, but is not limited to, general brochures, catalogues, staff training brochures, staff and public newsletters, books, magazines and educational materials.

Design

• The main body of the text is set in a minimum 12-point type.
• Leading is at least 20% greater than the font size used.
• Letter spacing leaves letters uncrowded.
• The main body of text is set in caps and lower case. Avoid caps only text.
• There are a maximum of 60 characters (average) per line.
• The margins are flush left and ragged right unless right justification can be accomplished without greatly uneven spacing within the text line.
• No hyphenation is used at ends of lines.
• The typeface used for main text is either a sans serif or a simple serif.
• No extreme extended or compressed typefaces are used for main text.
• Oblique or italic typestyles are used only for foreign words and publication citations.
• Underlining does not connect with the letters being underscored.
• The colour contrast of type to background, either dark on light or light on dark is high (a 70% contrast is recommended). Black on white or white on black offers the greatest contrast and is preferred.
• The colour contrast of drawings or other illustrations to background is as high as the type contrast.
• Photographs meant to convey information have a wide range of grey scale variation.
• Line drawings and floor plans are clear and bold, with only necessary detail and minimum 8-point type.
• No type or illustrations are printed over other designs, photographs, graphics or text.
• Ink coverage is dense.
• The paper surfaces are matt (i.e. not a glossy, coated stock).
• Dull-coated stock is acceptable.
• The paper has sufficient weight to avoid "showing through" on pages printed on both sides.
• Type is to be oriented horizontally not vertically.
• If you do not meet all of the above criteria, you must provide a separate, large-print version of this publication.

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The large-print version meets all of the following criteria:

- type size minimum 16 points;
- for 16pt, there must be a minimum of four points of leading between lines;
- sans serif or simple serif typeface;
- the main body of text is set in caps and lower case;
- there are a maximum of 50 characters (average) per line;
- no oblique or italic typefaces;
- underlining does not connect with the letters being underscored;
- no broken letters;
- ink coverage is dense;
- the colour contrast of typeface to background, either dark on light or light on dark, is high (a 70% contrast is recommended);
- the colour contrast of drawings or illustrations to background is as high as the type contrast;
- photographs have a wide range of grey scale variation;
- line drawings or floor plans are clear and bold, with limited detail and minimum 14 point type;
- no type or illustrations are printed over other designs, photographs, graphics or text;
- stock is off-white or natural with matte finish (maximum size 210mm x 297mm [ A4 ] );
- paper is sufficient weight to prevent "show-through" printing;
- margins are flush left and ragged right;
- no hyphenation is used at ends of lines;
- gutter margins are a minimum of 22mm ( 0.86" ); outside margins smaller but not less than 13mm ( ½" );
- document has a flexible binding, preferably one that allows the publication to lie flat;
- the printed material is available in a word processing format on disc. Text file (.txt) format or Portable Document Format (.pdf) is preferred as these formats are the most universally acceptable.

• The printed material is also available in Grade 2 Braille. (For those materials available on demand e.g., information in the Visitors Centre, two copies should always be available. For those materials ordered by phone or letter, a statement in them that Braille copies are available in the same  turnaround time as regular print is sufficient.)
• The printed material is also available on audio cassette. (For those materials available on demand, two copies should always be available. For those materials ordered by phone or letter, a statement in them that audio copies are available in the same turnaround time as regular print is sufficient.)
• The audio cassette meets all of the following criteria:
  - the audio cassette version is sound-indexed for easy choice of starting and stopping points for listening;
  - the audio-cassette version presents clear, high-quality sound.
• The printed material is available in a word processing format on disc. Text file ( .txt ) format and Portable Document Format ( .pdf ) is preferred as these formats are the most universally acceptable.
• Availability of the alternative formats is prominently advertised within the text.
• Text is written in clear, straightforward English ( acknowledging the need for subject-specific, technical language in professional journals ).
• Pictorial information supports the text.
• Information on access for people with disabilities is integrated into other service / venue information.
• If a separate access publication is required, it should make reference to other service / venue information.
• As with cultural and gender equity, where appropriate, information about the life experiences of people with disabilities is included in the content.
• When included, information regarding people with disabilities uses language that is correct and appropriate.

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Language that appropriately describes persons with disabilities

Language that appropriately describes persons with disabilities should always be used, as follows:

• People with disabilities are not suffering from, victims of, or afflicted by their disabilities.
• They are not overcoming their disabilities so much as the barriers that the rest of society puts in front of them.
• People with disabilities are neither saints nor the worst of sinners - they do not want to be portrayed as courageous or tortured, but rather as individuals who find alternative means to accomplish everyday activities.
• People with disabilities do not have special needs, but do require certain accommodations to make the best use of venues and these changes will help everybody, especially as the population includes increasingly large numbers of older people.
• There are 19 million people in Australia. We are talking about us, not them.

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Website

• Design your web pages to maximise accessibility to people with disabilities.
• Provide a text-based version of your site for users with a sight disability.
• Provide meaningful text in the "alt" attribute of every graphic to describe the graphic and the message it intends to convey. Where a graphic is used as a link, a text link should also be provided.
• Provide descriptive comments to convey the information contained in photographic images.
• Ensure that your text is properly punctuated as screen readers interpret punctuation for the reader.
• Provide an online HTML version of your documents that are in Portable Document Format ( .pdf), as .pdf documents are not readily accessible to users with screen readers.
• Display links as vertical lists as they are more accessible to users with screen readers. Screen readers have problems distinguishing consecutive links on the same line.
• Provide separation between links where they have to be displayed consecutively. For example, use a minimum of two spaces to separate links.
• Offer a non-frame version if you are using frames, as this makes navigation of the site easier by people with a sight disability using adaptive technology.
• Where graphics are used to indicate navigation paths, provide a separate graphic for each navigation path. For example, one graphic with 26 hotspots to represent each letter of the alphabet for an A to Z index will limit accessibility to only those entries starting with the letter A for people using Lynx browsers. The solution is to implement an A to Z index with a graphic for each letter of the alphabet. Where a graphic is used as a link, a text link should also be provided.
• Provide a text transcript or subtitles of video clips for users who have a sight or hearing disability.
• Avoid the use of animation that may trigger epileptic fits, e.g. spiralling, throbbing or flashing graphics or buttons.
• Avoid the use of blinking text as this may trigger epileptic fits and it can also cause problems for Braille or speech output.
• Be aware that while colour can be used to direct attention to important or time-critical information, indicate changes in status of data, differentiate between discrete types of information as well as convey similarity in information, this indicative information is subtle and not readily accessible to people with a sight disability.
• Avoid the use of red and green together to accommodate people with a colour disability.
• Use Lynx to test your web for its accessibility to people using screen readers and fine-tune your site to maximise accessibility to people with a sight disability.
• Avoid colours with a similar level of saturation, hue and/or brightness for example, royal blue with hot pink or dark grey on black. 'Mouse over link' colour change should comply to colour contrast regulations.
• Avoid pop-up menus on your website as these are difficult to access by people with a sight disability.
• The colour, font and Accessibility Internet Options in Internet Explorer are very helpful in testing the readability of the website for someone with low vision.

Use Bobby to test your web pages for their accessibility to people with disabilities as well as their compatibility with different web browsers or HTML specifications. Bobby is a free service created by the Centre for Applied Special Technology (CAST), a not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to expand opportunities for all people, especially those with disabilities, through the innovative use of computer technology.

www.cofa.unsw.edu.au (Accessible Arts website) is an excellent example of provision of alternative formats.

Use of Symbols

Any language accompanying the international symbols should focus on the accommodation or service, not on who uses it. For example: 'Ramped Entrance' may accompany the wheelchair symbol. This is important because not only do individuals in wheelchairs use ramps, but so do people with baby carriages, luggage, etc. Language that fosters dignity is important too. For example, 'Reserved Parking' or 'Accessible Parking' may be used with the wheelchair symbol to indicate parking spaces designated for people with disabilities.

Adapted from the Smithsonian Guidelines for Accessible Exhibition Design