Web design critique from visually impaired perspective CMSC 434 Sep 13, 2005 Hyunyoung Song Ahmad H. Ibrahim

Outline Screen reader Screen reader Section 508 Section 508 JAWS, Homepage Reader JAWS, Homepage Reader Demo Demo

Screen reader Architecture Applications User Interface Text to Speech Braille Display Screen ReaderPixel based GUI OS Off-screen model Accessibility API Messages

Challenges in a Screen reader Limits from Accessibility API Limits from Accessibility API MS Word and MS Active Accessibility MS Word and MS Active Accessibility Limits from Application Contents Limits from Application Contents Animations in Macromedia Flash Animations in Macromedia Flash Applications User Interface Pixel based GUI OS Off-screen model Accessibility API

Applications Commercial Products Commercial Products JAWS by Freedom Scientific JAWS by Freedom Scientific Window-Eyes by GW Micro Window-Eyes by GW Micro VoiceOver for Mac OS X by Apple VoiceOver for Mac OS X by Apple Homepage Reader by IBM Homepage Reader by IBM Open Source Products Open Source Products BRLTTY and suse-blinux for unix text consoles BRLTTY and suse-blinux for unix text consoles Gnopernicus for unix graphical applications exporting the AT-SPI interface Gnopernicus for unix graphical applications exporting the AT-SPI interface Screenfull, an in-progress screen reader for Windows Screenfull, an in-progress screen reader for Windows Windows XP Windows XP Narrator +U Narrator +U

Outline Screen reader Screen reader Section 508 Section 508 JAWS, Homepage Reader JAWS, Homepage Reader Demo Demo

Purpose Purpose Give access to electronic and information technology to federal employees with disabilities Give access to electronic and information technology to federal employees with disabilities Software applications and OS Software applications and OS (c) A well-defined on-screen indication of the current focus shall be provided that moves among interactive interface elements as the input focus changes. The focus shall be programmatically exposed so that assistive technology can track focus and focus changes. (c) A well-defined on-screen indication of the current focus shall be provided that moves among interactive interface elements as the input focus changes. The focus shall be programmatically exposed so that assistive technology can track focus and focus changes. (d) Sufficient information about a user interface element including the identity, operation and state of the element shall be available to assistive technology. When an image represents a program element, the information conveyed by the image must also be available in text. (d) Sufficient information about a user interface element including the identity, operation and state of the element shall be available to assistive technology. When an image represents a program element, the information conveyed by the image must also be available in text. (l) When electronic forms are used, the form shall allow people using assistive technology to access the information, field elements, and functionality required for completion and submission of the form, including all directions and cues. (l) When electronic forms are used, the form shall allow people using assistive technology to access the information, field elements, and functionality required for completion and submission of the form, including all directions and cues.

Web-based intranet and internet information and applications A text equivalent for every non-text element A text equivalent for every non-text element Non-text element Non-text element Multimedia presentation: alternative text repr. Multimedia presentation: alternative text repr. Color: shouldn’t imply information (ex. Markup) Color: shouldn’t imply information (ex. Markup) Link: provide redundant text link instead of image link Link: provide redundant text link instead of image link Tables: provide rows and column headers Tables: provide rows and column headers Script language sequence should have equivalent functional text that can be read by assistive tech. Script language sequence should have equivalent functional text that can be read by assistive tech. Client-side image maps provided instead of server-side image maps Client-side image maps provided instead of server-side image maps Web Content Accessibility Guildlines 1.0 Web Content Accessibility Guildlines 1.0

Outline Screen reader Screen reader Section 508 Section 508 JAWS, Homepage Reader JAWS, Homepage Reader Demo Demo

IBM Home Page Reader 3.04 The voice of the World Wide Web IBM Home Page Reader 3.04 The voice of the World Wide Web Reads Web pages, the Microsoft Windows desktop an d selected system applications Incorporates magnification and highlighting Assists Web developers in testing for accessibility Supports Adobe PDF and Macromedia Flash content Provides access to popular Web-based applicat ions Includes Multilanguage IBM text-to-speech technology Cost: $149.00

Freedom Scientific JAWS Skim Reading Summary Skim Reading Summary PAC Mate Desktop PAC Mate Desktop PAC Mate Desktop allows you to control your desktop computer with your PAC Mate via an ActiveSync connection. Hear Unicode and Hexadecimal Characters Hear Unicode and Hexadecimal Characters Language Detection Language Detection detect the language of the current word and read it using the appropriate synthesizer voice. detect the language of the current word and read it using the appropriate synthesizer voice. Control How JAWS Uses Style Sheets Control How JAWS Uses Style Sheets customization customization PDF Table Verbosity Options PDF Table Verbosity Options Wide-Range of supported software Wide-Range of supported software Cost: $795.00; $1,495.00(NT) Cost: $795.00; $1,495.00(NT)

Usability for the Visually Impaired User User input devices : keyboard vs. User input devices : keyboard vs. mouse 1. ALT+D Ctrl+L 2. Tab User interface: text vs. User interface: text vs. image 1. menu icons 1. menu icons 2. notepad, word 2. flash, shockwave

Usability for the Visually Impaired User Readymade audio content ♪♫♪ Readymade audio content ♪♫♪ Favorite activities: , Downloading, Chatting Favorite activities: , Downloading, Chatting mail.yahoo.com, bittornado, AOL Instant Messenger mail.yahoo.com, bittornado, AOL Instant Messenger Favorite websites: live concert audio feed Favorite websites: live concert audio feed Favorite applications: FTP, Direct Connect Favorite applications: FTP, Direct Connect

Outline Screen reader Screen reader Section 508 Section 508 JAWS, Homepage Reader JAWS, Homepage Reader Demo Demo

First Hand Experience Guest: Ahmed Zaghal

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