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4. Special-Purpose Documents

Special-purpose documents are defined in the Glossary of key concepts.

The NZ government agency web site Standards related to using special-purpose documents on web sites are:

4.1 Document size and type with document links

Links to web documents indicate as a minimum the document size and type, which must either be included in the link itself and/or in the TITLE attribute.

Related Recommendations

4.1.2 - Versions and other aspects of a document recommended being present with a document.

4.1.3 - Compression of large files or collections of small files.

Rationale for this standard

When downloadable objects such as documents, program executables and multimedia files are presented for download, users need to know if the object downloaded is going to be accessible and usable to them. Presenting information including the document size enables the user to make a decision as to whether they wish to download the document. The user may choose not to do so, for a number of reasons. For example, determining that they may not obtain a successful download with their current connection type, the download may take too long or the download may incur a degree of cost (with the user’s ISP) that the user may not wish to incur. Information provided about the document type may result in the user deciding to avoid download, due to not having the necessary tools/software on hand to access the document.

4.2 Publish documents in most accessible format possible

If you cannot publish a document that validates to the approved formal grammars as stated in standard 3.1, then publish the document in the most accessible format possible.

The following are considered accessible formats:

  • Rich text format (rtf) for documents
  • Separator-character separated values for spreadsheets e.g. comma separated variable (CSV).

If it is not possible or not feasible to publish in an accessible format, then the document can be published in its native (considered non-accessible) format if - and only if - the document is:

In all cases of any of the above non-accessible format documents being published, the document must:

  • i. be assisted with a summary of the key points contained within the document (which itself must validate to the approved formal grammars stated in standard 3.1), and
  • ii. be assisted with contact details (which can be a link to contact details) so that the content may be discussed or requested in an accessible format., and
  • iii. state why the web site is providing the document only in a non accessible format., and
  • iv. all of the content provided for i., ii. and iii. is located on the web site in association with the document such that it is unambiguous as to which document this content pertains.

Notes:

Guide to this standard

Be cautious about using proprietary file formats such as Microsoft Word or Excel.

An agency is expected to have good reason to deem a document as special-purpose and/or for a specialist audience. Your agency may be asked to justify why a document on your agency's web site(s) qualifies as such, if and when a site audit is undertaken.

Open Document Format (ODF)

ODF shows a lot of promise for open document accessibility and usability.

At the time of writing, ODF is still in relatively early days and there are still variants. It is not considered mature enough as yet to include as an accessible format, however developments and uptake of ODF will be monitored and the position on ODF adjusted and expanded accordingly.

Refer http://www.oasis-open.org/home/index.php,
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/products/HA101723691033.aspx

Related Standards

3.1 - Documents validate to published formal grammars

4.3 - Use of PDF documents

4.4 - Web site documents for specialist audiences identified as such

4.5 - Web site special-purpose documents identified as such

Related Recommendation

4.1.3 - Compression of large files or collections of small files: Large files made available broken down to collections of small files and/or made available in compressed and uncompressed “duo” versions.

Rationale for this standard

  • Support for accessibility features in PDFs by screen readers is limited to the latest versions (which few people have). Correctly marking up a PDF document is more difficult than producing HTML:
    http://www.webaim.org/techniques/acrobat/ http://www.alistapart.com/articles/pdf_accessibility.
  • rtf is considered in many courts to be more accessible than pdf - users can load into the editing tool (generally word processing) of their choice and use the search and find tools they are familiar with. Additionally, some individuals and organisations are more comfortable with rtf over Microsoft Word docs because they don't support embedded code and thus reduce potential virus risk.

4.3 Use of PDF documents

PDF is not considered an accessible format, however if PDF must be used to publish a document you must:

  • Show the PDF version used (located in association with the PDF document, such that it is unambiguous as to which document the PDF version pertains). This is in addition to the requirement to show document type and size as stated in standard 4.1, and
  • If publishing in version 8 or greater, follow and adhere to the Acrobat Accessibility Guidelines.
  • If the PDF version is the only version of the content on the web site i.e, it does not qualify under exemption point ii) of standard 3.1, then adhere to the requirements for publishing non-accessible format documents in standard 4.2.

Guide to this standard

Use of PDF alone for long documents or documents with specific, complex formatting intended for specialist audiences is strongly discouraged. However, if no HTML or Rich Text Format (rtf) version is provided, the Acrobat Accessibility Guidelines should be followed (see http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/access_booklet.html).

The agency is expected to provide as much detail as possible in the associated HTML summary of key points contained within a PDF. However, this can be, at a minimum, a sentence describing what the topic of the PDF is.

Related Standard(s)

4.2 - Publish documents in the most accessible format possible.

3.1 - Documents validate to published formal grammars.

Rationale for this standard

PDF format has become a de-facto standard. However, it does have some accessibility issues. The extent of the accessibility issues is related to how the pdf document has been constructed. WebAim discusses some of the issues regarding accessibility of pdf documents at http://www.webaim.org/techniques/acrobat/ in more depth.

4.4 Web site documents for specialist audiences identified as such

Any document, content and/or forms/applications on an agency web site that is deemed for a specialist audience (as defined in the Glossary of key concepts) must state that the document/content/application is for a specialist audience, and have no ambiguity as to what part of the web site (i.e., document, content) applies to the specialist audience.

Guide to this standard

A document for specialist audience does not necessarily imply exclusion of users outside that specialist audience. If it is intended to constrain the document to the specialist audience, then this would normally be achieved within an authenticated site.

Related Standard(s)

4.2 - Publish documents in the most accessible format possible.

3.1 - Documents validate to published formal grammars.

Rationale for this standard

One of the principal foundations of the purpose for the New Zealand Web Standards is to provide economical and equitable access to information. This applies to all information the NZ government wishes to make available to the public. Correspondingly, it is important to minimise any reasons for excluding information from being accessible to all members of the public, as much as feasibly possible.

4.5 Web site special-purpose documents identified as such

Any document, content and/or forms/applications on an agency web site that is deemed a special-purpose document (as defined in the Glossary of key concepts) must state that:

  • the document/content/application is a special-purpose document, and
  • why it is a special-purpose document

and have no ambiguity as to what part thereof on the web site (i.e., document, content) is special-purpose.

Guide to this standard

A special-purpose document should not imply exclusion of users who are outside of the specialist audience for the document, or who do not have the tools to make sense of the document. The specialist audience qualification can be on the basis of a specialist tool(s) to present and/or make sense of the data (e.g., an Excel spreadsheet with modelling macros). In this case, if the underlying data is intended for (not excluded from) public view, the agency is expected to provide an alternative means for users to access the data in a logical presentation format. This can be achieved via various means such as providing contact details (i.e., phone, fax, email, online form for request submissions) for users to request the data, and in a particular the desired presentation “view”. Such details can then be sent out to users who have submitted such requests. Another alternative is providing accessible online applications, which present the data online, subject to one or more user selectable criteria. This eliminates or reduces the need for specialist presentation/modelling tools to be present on the client device.

Related Standard(s)

3.1 - Documents validate to published formal grammars.

4.2 - Publish documents in the most accessible format possible.

4.3 - Use of PDF documents.

Rationale for this standard

One of the principal foundations of the purpose for the New Zealand Web Standards is to provide economical and equitable access to information. This applies to all information the NZ government wishes to make available to the public. Correspondingly, it is important to minimise any reasons for excluding information from being accessible to all members of the public, as much as feasibly possible.


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