Disabilities and Computing Program

On April 28 the DCP presented a look at the Web Content Authoring Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, which became an official W3C Recommendation in December, 2008. We presented a brief review of the history of adaptive technology and how it fits in or clashes with web technology. This was followed by a discussion of the Web accessibility Guidelines and the basic things that authors can do to be part of a universally accessible Web experience.

Here are the Outline notes for the talk.

For many years T.V. Raman has been a force to be reckoned with in the accessibility world. He has written his own screen reading programs and worked for several major companies. The NY Times story describes some of his current work at Google:

For the Blind, Technology Does What a Guide Dog Can’t

Google’s many web interfaces have varying levels of accessibility. The basic search screen that we all know has been functional from the beginning, and added more structure (heading tags) about two years ago. The Gmail interface is much more difficult, but many accessibility improvements have been made as the service has evolved. However, the Chrome browser is reaching its completed “1.0″ status without any screen reader accessibility.

You may follow selected projects of interest from the myriad of Google activities on our Google Development(s) page.

The Web Content Authoring Guidelines 2.0 were made an official W3C Recommendation yesterday. The changes to the Guidelines and associated documents expand Web accessibility to include file formats and technologies that have become common: PDF, Javascript and Flash, among others. The Guidelines now also emphasize testable results, bringing accessibility closer to an objectively measurable standard.

The Guidelines are based on four principles, from which a vast array of technical documents and specifications are derived. In the shortest form, all Web content should be perceivable, operable and understandable to everyone, and the content should be robust.

The table of contents for the Guidelines document also serves as a summary and brief explanation of the accessibility principles:

• 1 Perceivable
  • 1.1 Provide text alternatives for any non-text content so that it can be changed into other forms people need, such as large print, braille, speech, symbols or simpler language.
  • 1.2 Provide alternatives for time-based media.
  • 1.3 Create content that can be presented in different ways (for example simpler layout) without losing information or structure.
  • 1.4 Make it easier for users to see and hear content including separating foreground from background.

• 2 Operable
  • 2.1 Make all functionality available from a keyboard.
  • 2.2 Provide users enough time to read and use content.
  • 2.3 Do not design content in a way that is known to cause seizures.
  • 2.4 Provide ways to help users navigate, find content, and determine where they are.
• 3 Understandable
  • 3.1 Make text content readable and understandable.
  • 3.2 Make Web pages appear and operate in predictable ways.
  • 3.3 Help users avoid and correct mistakes.
• 4 Robust
• 4.1 Maximize compatibility with current and future user agents, including assistive technologies.

Some blog entries from participants in the process give a sense of the work that has been done since 1999, when the original Guidelines were published.:

A personal reflection on the WCAG 2.0 publication, by Shawn Lawton Henry (Web Accessibility Initiative Outreach Coordinator);

Thoughts from Matt May (from Adobe).

Direct links to the most important WCAG documents can be found on our Web Access Developments page.

Michael Bernstein, a development lead on the User Interface Platform team for Microsoft Windows has written a detailed article: Accessibility In Windows 7. He describes four areas of improved accessibility in Windows 7, which will be the successor to Windows Vista.:

• The Windows Automation API provides more and clearer ways for applications to communicate with adaptive technology software. This means more features should be accessible out of the box. It is available to programmers in C++ and .Net. This system replaces but is designed to be compatible with the older Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA).
• There are enhancements to the Windows access tools: an improved On-Screen Keyboard (with word prediction) and Magnifier (now with modes for Full Screen and Lens magnification).
• There are new software checking tools for programmers: AccChecker and UIA Verify,
   which have been released as open-source.
• Accessibility engineers now monitor new Windows features for “accessibility risk”. The goal is to identify and fix emerging problems, so that Windows itself doesn’t create accessibility barriers.

There are recent or planned upgrades for three of the main software packages offered at the DCP. We plan to have them available for our Lab and laptops by the end of the Fall Quarter. Once we have done our own testing, we will be happy to help individuals on campus with training or questions about purchase and installation.

Dragon

Nuance has released Version 10 of the Dragon NaturallySpeaking software for speech recognition. New features include faster processing of dictated text, better recognition of regional accents, and support for the Firefox Web browser. New commands use simple phrases to search quickly for items on popular sites, including Wikipedia, Youtube and eBay. For more details, read the What’s New in Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10  and Dragon Product Comparison Matrix.

Dragon 10 is now installed in the DCP Lab and is being added to our laptops.

Kurzweil 3000

Kurzweil 3000 Version 11 is now out. New features concentrate on writing assistance, with tools for brainstorming, organizing and preparing final documents. There is also a new Web-based license management system. A series of videos demonstrates the changes:
New Features in Kurzweil 3000 for Windows Version 11.

We are in the process of coordinating orders for the campus.

JAWS

Version 10 of the JAWS screen reader for blind users is in a public beta. The final version is scheduled for release in early November. Improvements include support for Internet Explorer 8, automatic detection of edit fields on Web pages, and a subscription service allowing users to connect two computers running JAWS (for example, to facilitate troubleshooting). For all the details, please read What’s New in JAWS 10 .

We have tested it and will add it to our Lab workstations in our next round of upgrades.