Accessibility SG Calls/ISOC Accessibility

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June 13 2022 ISOC Accessibility

ISOC internal WG on accessibility (Joyce Dogniez, Naveed Haq, James Wood, Gunela Astbrink and Judith Hellerstein)

The ISOC Accessibility Framework was discussed, concentrating on the second section Ensuring minimal barriers.... The main points were:

  • ISOC delivered content training modules including one module on inclusion and accessibility as a test case to 35 staff in late 2021. This material will be incorporated into a comprehensive package to all staff to be delivered after July 2022. The vendor Contentious will finalise the package in the next week and James Wood will share this with the SG for feedback and suggestions for complementary resources with links. The SG in future will be involved earlier in the process.
  • A vendor in the UK (TorchBox) is auditing the ISOC website for accessibility and navigability. James Wood and Kristi Mason (Marketing Communications) will check if human testers with disability are checking for accessibility.
  • Kristi Mason and a new staff member will be working on event planning. Discussions about making events accessible will be made.
  • AMS and Connect will migrate to a new platform called Fonteva based on Salesforce. The migration will take 10 months.
  • Other collaborative and communications tools have been or will be checked for accessibility. This includes the AMS and Community.
  • 6 and 7 September is ISOC Community. It is an opportunity for the SG to present on accessibility, the work being done, and discuss ideas.
  • Jeanette Engel (Talent, Culture and Personnel) may be invited to the next meeting to discuss employment of persons with disability.
  • The first Framework section on 'Building a culture of accessibility' will be discussed at the next meeting with the suggestion that disability awareness training (on-boarding) be extended from staff to include Chapters, SIGs and SGs. This is for action by Kyle Shulman.

September 27 2022 ISOC Accessibility

ISOC internal WG on accessibility (Gunela Astbrink, Joly MacFie, Andre Copelin, Swaran Ravindra, James Wood, Vashkar Bhattacharjee))
(Apologies from Judith Hellerstein, Zakari Yama)
  • ISOC shared the ISOC Content Accessibility Training Module
  • ASG would like to be consulted earlier in the formulation of such efforts
  • Resources
  • Comms team have received latest WCAG guidelines, and have been implementing some things e.g alt tags on Twitter posts.
  • Torchbox recommendations have been received and aaree being digested by ISOC Comms team.
  • ISOC procurement procedures
    • ISOC has accessibility criteria. Can be shared with ASG.
    • Limited accessibility user testing
    • Vashkar has had access issues with ISOC LEARN
      • Vashkar is willing to give feedback directly
      • Andre can organize that with ISOC IT Team
    • Professional testing is desirable
    • Joly suggests Fable. More vendors can be suggested.
  • Transcripts
    • Transcripts need to be available both live and after ISOC events.
  • Joly suggest there be #accessibilty channel on ISOC Slack
  • ISOC Accessibility Framework (Version 1.1)
    • Andre can review but not make recommendations
    • Building a culture of accessibility
      • Tone needs adjustment - James will look.
      • Slack channel?
    • Ensuring minimal barriers to participation
      • Content - covered to some extent by current training
      • WCAG - Kristi will need to look at this
      • ISOC policy on web accessibility - Again Kristi, but also ongoing conversation via Slack channel.
      • Physical meeting. Capability should be there.
      • Platforms. rename 'Online meetings' Andre's area of concern. Add some examples.
      • Evangelization. ISOC to encourage accessibility.
  • Next meeting. 6 weeks.

Nov 10 2022 ISOC Accessibility

(Gunela Astbrink, Joly MacFie, Andre Copelin, Klaus Hoeckner, James Wood,  Kristi Mason, Kyle Shulman, Judith Hellerstein) (Apologies from Kelly O'Hara)
  • Disability Training
    • Approved development of course
    • Narmita will be engaged
    • Esther very helpful
  • Accessibility Framework
    • James has sent revised version with more collaborative wording
    • Accessibility will be discussed at Upcoming BoT Nov 11 / 12
    • Board's decision e.g. resources may affect framework construction
    • Shabbir has made a paper, will be the starter for BoT discussion
    • Para 2 add SGs
    • 'for consideration" - depends on BoT
    • Similarly "consider" on physical meetings >> "Where practical" ?
    • ++ Procurement of tools based on existing standards e.g. EN 301 549 or US Equivalent
    • Andre: More research needed - Shabbir is quoting UN Standards.
    • Otherwise, we are basically good.
  • ISOC Content Accessibility Training Module
    • Pilot in Q4 2021 - 8 modules including Accessibility - provided feedback on which current training is based
    • Lives on Back Channel - Staff may access as needed
    • Part of onboarding process
    • Gunela suggests follow up to examine efficacy of training
  • Disability Awareness Toolkit / Training
    • HR's province
    • ACTION Meet with Jeanette Engel to be arranged
    • Establish champions within staff
    • Kristi - already happening organically
    • further training on accessible documents
    • Cheat sheet ?
  • Including PWDs as keynoters / speakers
    • Raquel Kroich - Global Events Manager
    • Alejandra Prieto - Early / Mid Career Fellowships Director
  • "Running an accessible event"
    • Kristi suggests ASG might run a webinar on this
  • Next meeting
    • 23:00 UTC December 8/15 TBD
    • Slack can be used in the meantime to perhaps set up a meeting to examine BoT decision.


July 27 2023 ISOC Accessibility

Follow up from Nov 22 2022
(Gunela Astbrink, Joly MacFie, Andre Copelin, Henri Wohlfarth, Naveed Haq, Joyce Dogniez, Klaus Hoeckner)

Continue discussion
1. Next steps with the ASG’s Accessibility Framework
2. BOT Resolution 2023-08  Policy on Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities.
  • Important issues for ISOC and everyone
  • BOT resolution instructs CEO to prepare a plan.
    • Andrew will lead development
    • Framework will be part of input
    • Andre is focused on AMS for now
  • Question
    • Will Andrew be consulting with ASG?
    • Gunela experience of plan development with telcos
    • responsibilities and timelines?
    • Nothing about us without us
  • Response
    • Andre will convey this to Andrew
  • Funds and Resources?
    • Too early to say
  • Next steps?
    • Look at framework
    • Identification of champions
    • More frequent meetings
    • More involvement of PwDs at events
    • Relatively quickly
  • Procurement of tools based on existing standards e.g. EN 301 549 or US Equivalent
    • Is it possible to add to framework?
    • Andre notes variations in standards globally
    • Klaus - EN 301 549 is adopted by several countries and may be considered a global standard
    • Current redraft under the new EU act and WCAG 2.2
    • Needs time to go thru all
    • Joyce - EN 301 549 is WCAG 2.1 but also goes to tools and services?
    • Klaus - Yes. Prescribes what but not how.
  • Training content
    • Agency selected to review to WCAG 2.1AA
    • Sufficient for now.
    • Modules being reviewed for accessibility
    • 5 courses in Q3 2023 will be updated
    • Dashboard made screen reader friendly
    • Gunela welcomes this
    • Tiered bandwidth courses - Lo/mid/Hi. Lo is WCAG compliant
  • Mid Career Fellowship has visually impaired participant, and lessons are being learned.
    • ASG will follow up - Silver Francis Oonyu from Uganda
  • New AMS - Fonteva
    • Level Access engaged to do accessibility testing
  • Disability Training Course
    • ASG has developed 91 page syllabus
    • Confusion over funding for further development
    • ACTION Joyce to check with Kyle
    • Andre does not have budget, and made suggestions to Kyle for alternatives eg ISOC Foundation or BTN grants to chapters
    • Approx $25k basic , then translation to tiers and languages make it $70-80k.
    • On roadmap.
  • Naveed - note on empowerment
    • Recent F2f training in Pakistan w/ physically impaired person
    • Doing video interviews
    • Edit focusing on accessibility
    • PwD gained employment with ISP
  • PwD on ISOC staff?
    • New ISOC HR person hire in process
  • ISOC Website
    • Henri has been focused on accessibility last few months
    • 3rd party accessibility audit kicked off process
    • WP is accessible by design
    • Issues come with theme, templates, plugins
    • Goal is to improve semantic HTML for screen reader and keyboard compatibility
    • Color contrast issues resolved
    • Comms is working on improving content, with an eye to people with cognitive disabilities
    • Would like to collaborate more with ASG on assessing solutions
    • Using WAVE to check ongoing work, also Firefox Inspector, and Voiceover on Mac.
    • Limited resources e.g. fixing cookie banners took 3 months
  • Staff training on creating accessible content
    • Guidelines have been developed and shared
    • Available on GitHub wiki
    • Access to LinkedIn training
  • Next meeting to focus on Framework?
    • Andre - we can set up a standard bimonthly meeting?

Sep 25 2023 ISOC Accessibility

Follow up from July 27 2023
(Gunela Astbrink, Joly MacFie, Andre Copelin, Garrett Coakley, Naveed Haq)


1. Training

  • Esther will be contacting Gunela
  • Amount requested $60k
  • Timeline tbd

2. Internet Society Disability Inclusion Action Plan 1.1

3. Process

  • Building a culture of accessibility
  • Minimising barriers to participation and engagement
    • Andre needs to examine practical timelines

4. Plan

  • Toolkit example? ACTION ASG
  • Awareness raising - Internal campaigns
  • Technical workshops
  • Level Access
  • Recognition program is developed and launched
  • “Accessibility Champions”
    • Exploit existing champions
    • Format tbd by ISOC
  • Employment of staff with disabilities
    • Andre in process, but no current head of HR
  • Active cooperation between ISOC and ASG
  • Demonstrations
    • Community Day
    • GAAD
    • IDPD
  • Accessibility impact assessment (AIA) in policy development
    • example - privacy policy
      • Gunela has been meeting with Christine Runnegar
    • ISOC has a PDP
    • Could/should include AIA
  • Research
    • ISOC Foundation
    • "especially for those with invisible or less recognised disabilities." ?
      • change to "including"
    • Naveed suggests discussion with ISOC Foundation to formallyinclude Accessibility in its research grant program
    • ACTION ISOC group to reach out to IF

5. Chapters

  • Chapters survey
    • 35 Chapters
    • Naveed: BYN grants can be used for Accessibility
    • Chapter engagement team
    • Joyce would comment if here
    • ACTION Andre will raise with Sebastien Bellagamba
    • ACTION Gunela to share full results

6. Budget

  • Andre and Andrew will determine

7. Gunela, Kyle, Andrew Sullivan to continue this discussion. 8. Next meeting(s). Andre will notify


Jan 20 2024 ISOC Accessibility

(Gunela Astbrink, Joly MacFie, Andre Copelin, Joyce Dogniez, Garrett Coakley, Kyle Shulman, Henri Wohlfarth)

1. Draft Internet Society Disability Inclusion Action Plan 1.1

2. Continuance of this liaison vis-a-vis ASG election / New leadership

  • Gunela not standing in election
  • She will continue for a couple of months to smooth transition
  • ACTION ASG to arrange specific onboarding call with new leadership to this topic
  • Leadership team is newly extended

3. Strategy

  • Guidelines
  • Content
    • WCAG - is now updated to 2.2 but ISOC working to 2.1
    • Legacy content - best efforts within budget
  • Training
    • Courses are currently being updated in multiple languages
    • Andre ACTION Contact Comms, responsible for implementation with Staff
  • Procurement audit
  • Annual audit
    • Understood
  • support contact info is clearly displayed
    • Footer statement - contact
    • Henri ACTION look at footer
    • Andre ACTION talk to Level Access
  • Include questions on accessibility within all feedback mechanisms
  • Procurement
    • Standards: Section 508 and EN 301 549.
    • Broad purview, including Support, Systems, Legal, Finance officers

4. WCAG updates

  • Realistic timeframes to comply with updated WCAG standards
  • Requirement is be compliant with major standard
  • Needs to be articulated. Andre ACTION work with legal.
  • “WCAG 3 will not supersede WCAG 2, and WCAG 2 will not be deprecated, for at least several years after WCAG 3 is finalized."

Sep 23 2024 ISOC Accessibility

(Gunela Astbrink, Dan York, Joly MacFie, Andre Copelin, Joyce Dogniez, Garrett Coakley, Ivana Trbovic, Vashkar Bhattarcharjee, Dr. Muhammad Shabbir, )


1. Dan is assisting Sally with this matter.

2. Board resolution
1) Web Accessibility
2) Accessibility Framework

  • Agreed that these are this group's purpose

3. Progress on accessibility

  • Site is WCAG 2.0
  • Many Training courses are audited

4. Training in Internet Governance

  • Esther has development well in hand
    • Joyce: Could be useful for staff, as well

5. Draft Internet Society Disability Inclusion Action Plan 1.2

  • https://a11ysig.org/accessibility_sg/Disability_Inclusion_Action_Plan_1.2.pdf
  • Toolkit
    •  ?
  • Training
    • Dan: LinkedIn Learning should be checked? Ivana Has some familiarity, (ISOC has account)
    • (see below)
  • Regular meetings
    • Bi-Monthly worked until hiatus - may be resumed.
  • Showcase events
    • Support ASG to celebrate IDPD and GAAD
  • digital inclusion research
    • Dan dubious on feasibility, but will consult with Chris Locke
    • Joyce - this could be ASG activity
    • Joyce - existing ISOC Foundation funded projects could be subjects
  • Financial impact
    • Dan "no magic pot of money"
    • Shabbir - Board expected impact to be spread over some years
    • Estimates will need to be presented to board.
  • Content
    • Andrew produced a detailed document ACTION link?
  • Training
    • Andre: Idea is develop legacy staff training module
    • Shabbir: IAAP and W3C have existing courses on making accessible documents.
    • Dan agrees
  • Accessibility statement
    • Can be added to current legal in footer
    • Joly: statement should be accessible
  • Feedback mechanisms
    • Dan questions "all"
    • Standard statement inviting feedback to an email address could be added to all
  • Vendor requirements
    • Legal has done work on this.
  • ACTION Dan will update Action Plan + Website Plan later in the week.
    • To be presented to board meeting Nov 2 and 3, so deadline is Oct 25.
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