Download Universal Usability/Accessibility

An Overview
Pamela Harrod, DMS 546/446 Presentation, March 17, 2008
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What is Universal Usability/Accessibility?
◦ Focus on web-based services, however, can be
applied to software.
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Challenges in attaining Universal
Usability/Accessibility.
Discussion of the World Wide Web
Consortium Web Accessibility Initiative.
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Having more than 90% of all households as
successful users of information and
communications services at least once a
week.
By definition, accessibility is a category of
usability: software that is not usable by a
particular user is not accessible to that
person. Just like other usability measures, it
is necessary to define accessibility with
respect to the user task requirements and
needs.
http://universalusability.org/files/Shneiderman-May2000CACM.pdf
http://www.otal.umd.edu/uupractice/vision/
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To have web-based services usable and
accessible to every citizen; enable the widest
range of users to benefit from web services.
“In a fair society, all individuals would have
equal opportunity to participate in, or benefit
from, the use of computer resources
regardless of race, sex, religion, age,
disability, national origin or other such
similar factors." – Association for Computing
Machinery Code of Ethics
http://www.universalusability.org/introduction
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The growth of the Internet has led to
unprecedented access to information and
interaction.
E-commerce, communication, education,
healthcare, finance, travel, and those who
provide access to government information (such
as the US Library of Congress' THOMAS system to
provide full texts of bills before the Congress)
are expanding and users are becoming
dependent on them.
Therefore, there is a strong push to ensure that
the widest possible audience can participate.
http://www.universalusability.org/introduction
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http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/2008/Table
_HouseholdInternet2007.pdf
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Technology variety: Supporting a broad range
of hardware, software, and network access
User diversity: Accommodating users with
different skills, knowledge, age, gender,
disabilities, disabling conditions (mobility,
sunlight, noise), literacy, culture, income, etc.
Gaps in user knowledge: Bridging the gap
between what users know and what they need
to know.
http://www.universalusability.org/introduction
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W3C is an international consortium where
Member organizations, a full-time staff, and
the public work together to develop Web
standards. W3C's mission is:
◦ To lead the World Wide Web to its full potential by
developing protocols and guidelines that ensure
long-term growth for the Web.
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W3C primarily pursues its mission through
the creation of Web standards and guidelines.
http://www.w3.org/Consortium/
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One of several guidelines is the Web Content
Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 1.0.
WCAG 1.0 was developed by the WCAG
Working Group, which is part of the W3C Web
Accessibility Initiative (WAI) that works with
organizations around the world to develop
strategies, guidelines, and resources to help
make the Web accessible to people with
disabilities.
WCAG 2.0 working draft is to be published
sometime in 2008.
http://www.w3.org/WAI/about-links.html
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WCAG explain how to make Web content
accessible to people with disabilities. Web
"content" generally refers to the information
in a Web page or Web application, including
text, images, forms, sounds, and such.
Although the guidelines were developed to
make Web content accessible to people with
disabilities, following these guidelines make
Web content more available to all users and
help to make finding information on the Web
quicker and easier.
http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/wcag.php
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The guidelines consider that many users may be
operating in very different contexts, for example:
◦ They may not be able to see, hear, move, or may not be
able to process some types of information easily or at all.
◦ They may have difficulty reading or comprehending text.
◦ They may not have or be able to use a keyboard or mouse.
◦ They may have a text-only screen, a small screen, or a slow
Internet connection.
◦ They may not speak or understand fluently the language in
which the document is written.
◦ They may be in a situation where their eyes, ears, or hands
are busy or interfered with (e.g., driving to work, working in
a loud environment, etc.).
◦ They may have an early version of a browser, a different
browser entirely, a voice browser, or a different operating
system.
http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/wcag.php
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1. Provide equivalent alternatives to auditory
and visual content.
 Provide content that, when presented to the user, conveys
essentially the same function or purpose as auditory or
visual content.
2. Don't rely on color alone.
 Ensure that text and graphics are understandable when
viewed without color.
3. Use markup and style sheets and do so
properly.
 Mark up documents with the proper structural elements.
Control presentation with style sheets rather than with
presentation elements and attributes.
http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/
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4. Clarify natural language usage
 Use markup that facilitates pronunciation or interpretation
of abbreviated or foreign text.
5. Create tables that transform gracefully.
 Ensure that tables have necessary markup to be
transformed by accessible browsers and other user
agents.
6. Ensure that pages featuring new
technologies transform gracefully.
 Ensure that pages are accessible even when newer
technologies are not supported or are turned off.
http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/
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7. Ensure user control of time-sensitive
content changes.
 Ensure that moving, blinking, scrolling, or auto-updating
objects or pages may be paused or stopped.
8. Ensure direct accessibility of embedded user
interfaces.
 Ensure that the user interface follows principles of
accessible design: device-independent access to
functionality, keyboard operability, self-voicing, etc.
http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/
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9. Design for device-independence.
 Use features that enable activation of page elements via a
variety of input devices.
10. Use interim solutions.
 Use interim accessibility solutions so that assistive
technologies and older browsers will operate correctly.
11. Use W3C technologies and guidelines.
 Use W3C technologies (according to specification) and
follow accessibility guidelines. Where it is not possible to
use a W3C technology, or doing so results in material that
does not transform gracefully, provide an alternative
version of the content that is accessible.
http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/
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12. Provide context and orientation
information.
 Provide context and orientation information to help users
understand complex pages or elements.
13. Provide clear navigation mechanisms.
 Provide clear and consistent navigation mechanisms -orientation information, navigation bars, a site map, etc. - to increase the likelihood that a person will find what
they are looking for at a site.
14. Ensure that documents are clear and
simple.
 Ensure that documents are clear and simple so they may
be more easily understood.
http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/
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http://www.w3.org/QA/Tools/
Sec. 508 Compliance http://www.cynthiasays.com/
It is important, however, not just to rely on
validation tools; user testing should be
completed.
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The footer on each slide contains the URL of where the information was obtained.
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