An Overview 1 Pamela Harrod, DMS 546/446 Presentation, March 17, 2008

 What is Universal Usability/Accessibility? ◦ Focus on web-based services, however, can be applied to software.  Challenges in attaining Universal Usability/Accessibility.  Discussion of the World Wide Web Consortium Web Accessibility Initiative. 2

 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

 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 4

 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.

 _HouseholdInternet2007.pdf _HouseholdInternet2007.pdf 6

 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.

 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.  W3C primarily pursues its mission through the creation of Web standards and guidelines.

 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

 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.

 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

  Sec. 508 Compliance  It is important, however, not just to rely on validation tools; user testing should be completed. 17

The footer on each slide contains the URL of where the information was obtained. 18