1. Architecting & Designing for Accessibility Misty McLaughlin Information Architecture & Design I October 19, 2004 Misty McLaughlin Information Architecture & Design I October 19, 2004

2. Accessibility Why and What Types of disabilities Assistive / adaptive technology Legislation, policy, standards Design techniques Testing, simulation and repair tools Opportunities to practice

3. Why? 20 million: Americans with disabilities that seriously affect their use of the Web 50%: Americans over 65 with disabilities 500-750 million: People with disabilities internationally $690 million: Annual cost to make federal websites accessible From “Who Are the Disabled?” and Maximum Accessibility“Who Are the Disabled?”

4. What is Accessibility? Some Accessible Design Philosophy Point of Cohesion Same information, same tasks Does not depend on a single sense or ability Points of Contention Accessibility v. usability Is accessibility a patch or a fundamental design consideration?

5. Formal Disabilities Cognitive / learning Auditory Motor / physical Speech Visual - legal blindness - impaired vision - color blindness

6. Quasi-disabilities… a.k.a. “Access Barriers” Slow internet connection Old browser Missing plug-ins No speakers Small display (old monitors, handheld devices) No mouse Age Language issues Noisy environment Eyes or hands busy Photosensitive epilepsy

7. Assistive / Adaptive Technology As defined by the Assistive Technology Act of 1998: “…any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.” “…mediates and decodes the technology for users with disabilities.” “…make information devices more accessible.”

8. Assistive / Adaptive Technology AuditoryClosed captioning VisualScreen readers & magnifiers, refreshable Braille display Motor / physical Alternative keyboard layout & mouse system Slow-mo software SpeechSpecial voice recognition software Cognitive / learning ???

9. Accessibility Legislation National Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) – 1990Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) Section 508 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act – 1973Section 508 - Requires that electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained, or used by the Federal government be accessible to people with disabilities. Statewide Chapter 206 of the Texas Administrative Code, the “Access to Information” Law - 2002Chapter 206

10. Policy – In-house Rules UT Austin’s Web Accessibility PolicyUT Austin’s Web Accessibility Policy - Section 508 compliant - Accessibility policy link required - Responsibility - Testing & Documentation

11. Standards Checklists, guidelines, & practical info W3C’s WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) –Over 60 checkpoints –International acceptance (EU, Canada, Australia) Section 508 Guidelines - Applies only to federal agencies, legally - 16 checkpoints - based on WCAG’s most critical points - objective & measurable From Maximum Accessibility

12. Design Considerations Some rules “The ultimate error that any developer of accessible applications can commit is to modify the user’s environment.” --John Paul Mueller, Accessibility for Everybody Graceful transformation, understandability, navigability --Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, W3C

13. Visual Style Color Don’t use color to convey primary meaning High contrast Font Sans-serif Relative font size

14. Images & Multimedia Provide a text- equivalent to visual or audio information (alt- text or captions) If video, captions / alt- text should be synchronized Avoid flickering “The Living Room Candidate,” American Museum of the Moving Image Simulation exercise for the non-disabled: 1)Turn your speakers off and watch. 2)Turn your monitor off and listen.

15. Markup Correct, structural rather than fixed markup Use CSS to control page elements (but don’t convey critical info through CSS) Elastic, relative units Avoid: Font tags, fixed pixel sizes

16. Quality Content Plain, readable language Quality descriptions and link text Clear referents Avoid jargon and specialized language unless your audience is insider-only

17. From Maximum Accessibility Can Use If You Do It Carefully Don’t Do It If You Can Help It Image MapsImages that blink or flicker Data tablesDecontextualized pop-ups Graphs and charts Scripts Frames Applets and plugins Forms

18. Tips 1-pixel accessibility info at the top of your page “Skip navigation” or “skip to main content” Offer alternative stylesheet option

19. Testing, Simulation & Repair W3C’s Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) - comprehensive listW3C’s Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) - comprehensive list * Accessibility Toolbar (for IE) *Accessibility Toolbar (for IE) Evaluating Web Site Accessibility (checklists, tips, and more)Evaluating Web Site Accessibility (checklists, tips, and more) Simulation of www.utexas.edu appearance for users with diabetic retinothopywww.utexas.edu

20. Best Testing Tool User testing with groups of users who have mixed disabilities

21. Local Accessibility Opportunities Accessibility Internet Rally - AIR-Texas - AIR-University UT’s Accessibility Institute - Free training - Accessibility research - Site evaluation and user testing Knowbility Accessible TechnologyKnowbility Accessible Technology - Community training programs - Annual accessibility conference (free to UT students, faculty & staff) Jim Thatcher, Accessibility ConsultantJim Thatcher, Accessibility Consultant - Free training - Site evaluation

22. References Clark, Joe. Building Accessible Websites. New Riders, 2002. Slatin, John and Rush, Sharron. Maximum Accessibility: Making Your Web Site More Usable for Everyone. Boston: Addison- Wesley, 2003. Mueller, John Paul. Accessibility for Everybody: Understanding the Section 508 Accessibility Requirements. Berkeley: Apress, 2003. Thatcher, Jim. Constructing Accessible Websites. San Francisco: Apress, 2003. Van Duyne, Douglas and Landay, James and Hong, Jason. The Design of Sites: Patterns, Principles, and Processes for Crafting a Customer-Centered Web Experience. Boston: Addison-Wesley. 2002.

23. Accessibility Resources Online Glossary Toolbar Resource Center Course / tutorial

24. Questions? Contact m.mclaughlin@mail.utexas.edu.