Transcript powerpoint slides

Day 12
1. Designing for Accessibility
2. Heuristic Evaluations
Objectives
 Consider different types of impairment and how
they affect people’s ability to use software
 Learn how assistive technologies such as screen
readers and refreshable braille displays help make
software more accessible
 Consider specific techniques for assuring compliance
with accessibility guidelines
 Also … heuristic evaluations of projects
 http://www.webaim.org/intro/
Deaf-blindness
 Deaf-blind users can neither see nor hear
 They can use an electronic device called a
refreshable braille display
 These are designed to fit between the computer
keyboard and the user
 They are used in combination with a screen reader
 The braille display converts the screen reader’s
output to braille
WebAIM’s summary of issues and solutions
 http://www.webaim.org/articles/userperspective/
It’s the law in Australia
 Section 24 of the Disability Discrimination Act
1992
 http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2010C00023
Has anyone ever been sued?
The complaint
 The complainant requested that the
HREOC make the following orders:
 That SOCOG include ALT text on all images
and image map links on the website;
 That SOCOG ensure access from the Schedule
page to the Index of Sports; and
 That SOCOG ensure access to the Results
Tables on the web site during the Olympic
Games. (HREOC 2000)
The decision
 The decision was delivered 24 August 2000,
with SOCOG found to have engaged in unlawful
conduct by providing a web site which was to a
significant extent inaccessible to the blind and
the web site ordered to be made accessible by
the start of the Sydney Olympics (HREOC
2000)
The order
 SOCOG was ordered to engage the following by
15 September 2000:
 include alt text on all images and image map links on
its Web site
 provide access to the Index of Sports from the
Schedule page
 provide access to the Results Tables to be used on
the Web site during the Sydney Olympic Games
But …
 SOCOG refused to comply with the order and was
later ordered to pay Bruce Maguire $20,000 for
its refusal to comply
 http://www.tomw.net.au/2000/bat.html
More complaints …

http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php?id=973165449&eid=-180
Also see ...

http://www.hreoc.gov.au/disability_rights/standards/www_3/www_3.html
Today’s lab
 What is it like to use a screen reader?
 More on tables and accessibility
 Heuristic evaluations of projects