![\"Leon](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/surpass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/LeonH_blue_sq.jpg?resize=224%2C224&ssl=1\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nLeon Hampson<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Leon joined BTL in early 2015 after working agency-side for public sector and B2B clients, as well as public utilities and global software companies. He is a passionate advocate for accessibility, having had previous experience with projects for clients including the British Council and the Fire Service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His goal for the BTL Accessibility Team is closely aligned with the BTL mission statement \u201cTo significantly improve the assessment experience for everyone\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Hi Leon, firstly, could you tell us more about the role of the accessibility team at BTL?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
BTL have a dedicated accessibility team, whose responsibilities cover a range of activities from prototyping new features, to testing and verifying that any development work meets our accessibility requirements. We also carry out regular accessibility audits with every release of Surpass. Our Accessibility Test Analyst, Isabel Holdsworth, a blind screen reader user herself, is integral to this process, and gave an extremely insightful presentation at the Surpass Conference this year. The presentation can be downloaded on the\u00a0conference website<\/a>\u00a0for anyone interested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The accessibility team sit within the Design Team, as it\u2019s closely linked with the user interface and user experience. We\u2019re closely involved in the development of any new functionality in Surpass, and the overall design of the system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019re a passionate team who also play an important role in educating colleagues and customers on the importance of good accessibility and helping them work towards achieving it. As well as the ongoing development of new features and support and maintenance of features already in Surpass HTML delivery, the accessibility team are currently seeking to establish a culture of best practice in HTML development within the organisation. After all, good practice in HTML is the foundation of good accessibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Firstly, in many of the countries where Surpass is used, digital accessibility is a legal requirement, but, for BTL and our customers, it\u2019s not just about complying with the law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n BTL\u2019s mission statement is \u2018to significantly improve the assessment experience for everyone\u2019, and that means\u00a0everyone<\/em>. We\u2019re passionate about offering the same experience to all candidates who take a test using Surpass, regardless of their age and ability, and accessibility is the key to achieving that. We don\u2019t think that anyone should be excluded from being able to sit their test, or be at a disadvantage because of the software being used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines set out criteria and guidelines that need to be met in order to be classed as accessible. These fall under four main headings: Perceivable \u2013 information and user interface components cannot be invisible to all senses; Operable \u2013 the interface must not require interaction that the user cannot perform; Understandable \u2013 information and the operation of the software must be easy to understand; Robust \u2013 content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are testable success criteria within each of these areas, and the software must meet these criteria in order to be classed as accessible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, there are many ways we can provide support, and the team are always happy to share their expertise when it comes to the creation of accessible tests. We can provide a thorough and impartial audit of a Test Form, and advise on what needs to be done to achieve the required level of conformance. We can also work closely with third-party auditors, helping them to understand the tests, and customers to interpret the findings that come back, which we translate into actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are 3 levels of WCAG conformity \u2013 A (lowest), AA, and AAA (highest). Surpass HTML delivery achieved WCAG AA conformance, which means that the test meets all the level AA criteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\nCan you tell us more about why having an accessible software application is so important?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How do you know whether something is accessible or not?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Can BTL help customers in determining whether a test conforms with accessibility criteria?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You mentioned \u2018required level of conformance\u2019, what does that mean?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n