Can you Read this Map: Checking Maps for ADA Accessibility

This talk will present ways of systematically evaluating and creating ADA-accessible complex digital spatial diagrams and maps. Whether you are working with city GIS, campuses, buildings, or anatomical diagrams, these techniques will be useful. Alternate text, keyboard accessibility, and non-text contrast are a few areas that will be covered. Traditionally, finding the “primary purpose” and making that available through text has been enough to achieve accessibility. However, recent technological research and advancements have rendered this old method non-compliant. Techniques such as interactive alt-text and detailed text descriptions will be presented, making all the distance, direction, shape, size, orientation, and general layout of all points, polygons, and lines viewable and creatable by everyone. Techniques for full keyboard accessibility of all features, and creating a 3:1 contrast will be explored. After this presentation, participants will have a toolkit to evaluate maps for ADA accessibility and know where and how to make ADA-accessible maps.

Individuals will be able to submit questions for the speaker in advance during the registration process.