1. Emerging technologies and digital access: building in or bolting on?
Dr Scott Hollier ITEE Engineers Australia 2019
Technology for everyone

2. Who am I? Professional: Academic: Personal: Digital access specialist
Invited Expert for W3C WAI APA
Research Questions Task Force
Co-founder Center For Accessibility initiative
Academic:
Senior Lecturer, Professional Certificate in Web Accessibility, CfID and UniSA
Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Edith Cowan University
Personal:
Author of book ‘Outrunning the Night’
Legally blind, first-hand knowledge of access issues

3. Topic for tonight:
Have we reached a point as a society where new consumer products are automatically engineered for people with disability?

4. Historical context
Pre-2000: electrical and software engineers tended to focus on innovation for the majority (4 in 5) of potential users
People with disability (1 in 5) put in the ‘we’ll get to them later’ basket or specialist products developed
This was understandable: it was a revolution after all
Some good disability-specific products developed

5. 1980s – Dawn of software Assistive Technology (AT)
Hardware-based
text-to-speech
showcased at 1981
International Year of
Disabled persons
SAM (Software Automatic Mouth) released in 1982 on various 8-bit systems such as Commodore
64, Atari and Apple

6. 1980s – Dawn of software Assistive Technology (AT)
Hardware-based
text-to-speech
showcased at 1981
International Year
of Disabled persons
SAM (Software Automatic
Mouth) released in 1982 on
various 8-bit systems such as
Commodore 64, Atari and
Apple

7. Issues with disability- specific development
Delayed release
Delayed compatibility
Expensive: ‘disability tax’
Even more expensive: ‘Australia tax’

8. What changed?
1998 US Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 508
Companies had to incorporate accessibility into mainstream hardware and software products to sell to US Federal government

9. Response in early 2000s
Hewlett-Packard laptops open with one hand without base flicking up
Microsoft did bare minimum, deferring to ‘specialists’ initially
Apple includes fully-fledged AT products e.g. VoiceOver screen reader in 2005
Microsoft started to compete with AT improvements in Windows 7
Message:
OS should be engineered for everyone
I shouldn’t have to pay $2,000 for the privilege of using my own computer!

10. Desktop - Windows 10 Change the icon and text size
Mouse pointer size & movement
High contrast colour themes
StickyKeys & ToggleKeys
Visual alerts
On-screen keyboard
Magnifier
Narrator screen reader
Cortana
Dual interface: keyboard & touch
Braille support
Eye control
NVDA: free alternative to Narrator

11. Desktop - Mac
Improvements over Windows:
Better screen reader
VoiceOver
However…
VoiceOver doesn’t work well with Office for Mac
Lacks touchscreen support, restricting interface choice

12. Mobile & tablet - Apple iOS
iOS (IPhone/iPad)
Great access:
VoiceOver, zoom,
captioned video, colour
changes, switch key
Helpful apps like Seeing AI and
Eye-D

13. Mobile & tablet - Google Android
Talkback screen reader, magnifier, colour contrast
adjustments, global
caption support
Good third-party apps
like BIG Launcher and
Eye-D
More affordable than Apple equivalent

14. Demonstration - mobile
Android TalkBack screen reader
ABC News app
The Australian app

15. WCAG 2.1
W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 became a W3C Recommendation in June 2018
Previous 2008 WCAG 2.0 standard currently Australian policy

16. WCAG 2.1 overview Perceivable:
Provide text alternatives for non-text content.
Provide captions and alternatives for audio and video content.
Make content adaptable, and make it available to assistive technologies.
Use sufficient contrast to make things easy to see and hear.

17. WCAG 2.1 overview Operable:
Make all functionality keyboard accessible.
Give users enough time to read and use content.
Do not use content that causes seizures.
Help users navigate and find content.
Make it easier to use inputs other
than keyboard. (new in 2.1)

18. WCAG 2.1 overview Understandable:
Make text readable and understandable.
Make content appear and operate in predictable ways.
Help users avoid and correct mistakes.
Robust:
Maximize compatibility with current
and future technologies.

19. Issue with ‘bolt-on’ approach to WCAG
Often guidelines only considered towards launch of app or website
Straightforward to incorporate during development process, but time-consuming, difficult and expensive to retrofit

20. Is mainstream access a given? Let’s look at IoT

21. Where we are today
Apple Watch a great example of expectations that accessibility is available on launch

22. It all comes down to the interface

23. …and the expectations

24. …while being mindful of missed opportunities.

25. IoT at CES 2019 – Matrix PowerWatch 2

26. Emerging
Self-powering devices
VR & AR eye-tracking
IoT potential: just at its infancy
Driverless cars
Five things we don’t know about yet!

27. Silver development
Silver (aka AG 3.0) Task Force set up to bring together WCAG, ATAG and UAAG into one Accessibility Guidelines (AG) standard along with accessibility guidance on new technologies such as IoT, VR and AR
Silver release date TBA

28. Conclusion
The era of ‘we’ll deal with disability later’ is over
Engineering inclusivity is not only essential, but expected
If we bolt-on instead of build-in, we’ll still get there but only after pain, delays and expense
Disability-specific innovation still has a place

29. Outrunning the Night available now!
a life journey of disability,
determination and joy.
Editions:
Paperback
Kindle e-book
Audio book
Go to outrunningthenight.com for
more information and sample chapter

30. E-mail: scott@hollier.info Website: hollier.info Mobile: 0430 351 909
Further information
Website: hollier.info
Mobile:
Twitter: @scotthollier
Newsletter:
Book: outrunningthenight.com