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Articles on web accessibility, usability and compliance:

AbleGamers Kinects with Microsoft
It's been a few days since Microsoft announced its new Xbox 360 device: The Kinect. Not surprisingly, some new information has leaked out from E3 but sadly nothing we have enjoyed hearing so far. Many of you have been tweeting, emailing, and Facebooking us asking what AbleGamers opinion on the Kinect would be. One reader even questioned why I personally think the voice commands were more mentionable than the motion detection itself. In my world, voice commands are a form of accessible technology enabling me to play more complex games and to use remote controls. The truth is, like most technology for those who are disabled; it's going to be what you can make of it and not what it actually is. Nevertheless, we decided to reach out to Microsoft and talk to them about why new technologies in the gaming sector are often so unfriendly to those who are disabled in the gaming community.
Towards Global Access for the Print Disabled: A Policy Update from an engineer, Jim Fruchterman of Benetech
The international copyright negotiations in Geneva around a proposed Treaty for those who are Visually Impaired ("TVI") have been steadily heating up. Counterproposals have been made, governments have been engaging with rights holders, consumers and NGOs (or not!) and there's a general feeling something is going to happen. I'm heading to Geneva later this month for the next major meeting at the World Intellectual Property Organization ("WIPO"), to hear the latest and make my three-minute oration as an accredited NGO representative (first time for me!). My recommendation to the advocacy community is to continue to pursue a "yes-and" approach, as we have so far with the TVI and the Stakeholders' Platform. However, my suggestion is to pursue the U.S. Joint Recommendation and the TVI, but drop the Stakeholders' Platform.
Charity praises mobile applications
The growth of applications and websites for phones and other mobile internet enabled devices is good news for web users with disabilities, a leading charity has said. Robin Christopherson, of Abilitynet, said rather than excluding people with disabilities, mobile apps make it easier for them to use the internet. We talked to Mr Christopherson about whether by ignoring the needs of people with disabilities, app and mobile website developers could end up in breach of the Equality Act, which comes into force on 1 October, and replaces certain laws including the Disability Discrimination Act. However, as the head of accessibility services for the national charity, which helps adults and children with disabilities use computers and the internet, Mr Christopherson told Computeractive he was "excited" about mobile developments.
Partisan Bickering Erupts at Online Accessibility Hearing
Sparks flew at a hearing June 9 on HR 3101, The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, a bill that would update communications accessibility provisions in the 1996 Communications Act and apply them to access to broadband. Seeming to bely House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher's (D-Va.) introductory remarks about the bipartisan work being done on the bill, some questioning from the bill's sponsor, Ed Markey (D-Mass.), drew criticism from ranking Republican Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) and prompted Republican Lee Terry of Nebraska to say he felt he had been "politically slimed" by Markey. Consumer Electronics Association President Gary Shapiro has major problems with the bill, which he outlined at the hearing. He said the bill as drafted deters innovation because of overbroad mandates that require every device to be accessible to all disablilities. Markey said that was just not true. He also asked Sergeant Major Jesse R. Acosta of the American Council of the Blind, a veteran who is blind who was testifying for the bill, what he would say to Shapiro and CEO of members like Sony and Microsoft when they argued for for voluntary solutions. He then asked Shapiro what he would say to Acosta.
Republicans accuse Markey of rigging hearing for the disabled
Tempers flared during a Thursday hearing on a bill to make the latest technologies more accessible to the deaf and blind, with Republicans accusing Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) of rigging the discussion to favor people with disabilities. Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), the ranking member of a House subpanel on communications, technology and the Internet, honed in on a witness lineup that featured Consumer Electronics Association CEO Gary Shapiro and Jesse Acosta, a retired army sergeant major who lost his vision serving in war. "The gentleman from Massachusetts is setting up a war hero against a person who is the CEO of an association," said Stearns during a hearing on Markey's Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2009. Pressing further on the issue, Stearns said, "You've got to be very careful not to move on an emotional basis. Creating an emotional setup between a CEO and a war hero isn't the way to do it." Echoing the complaint, Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb.) accused Markey of "intimidation" after he invited Acosta to directly address Shapiro."Mr. Shapiro, you just saw how the new tone in Washington is," Terry said. Markey's bill updates technology requirements so that consumer electronics are accessible for people with disabilities. For instance, the legislation would ensure the availability of closed captioning on the latest devices and bring captions to online video. Industry heads and advocates for the blind and deaf split over whether the legislation is ready to move ahead, with CTIA executive vice president Bob Franklin and U.S. Telecom President Walt McCormick pushing for changes to it.
CEA's Shapiro Asks Congress to Redo H.R. 3101 and Recognize That Innovation Leads to Accessibility, Not the Other Way Around
Pledges Industry Support for Accessibility through Creation of Voluntary Standards and Free Market Innovation. "Our objective is to meet the needs of disabled Americans while retaining the freedom we need to continue as the greatest innovation creator," said Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) President and CEO Gary Shapiro in testimony delivered today before a congressional committee. Testifying on behalf of CEA, Shapiro made his comments before a hearing held by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on Communications, Telecommunication and the Internet exploring, "The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2009." Shapiro agreed on the value of a centralized database of all products and services for Americans with disabilities. He explained CEA's concern that H.R. 3101, by requiring all Internet connected products and services be accessible by Americans with all disabilities, would freeze technology and deter innovation and entrepreneurs. Shapiro suggested several alternatives to the end goal of providing Americans access to information, education and entertainment. "The legislation before us - H.R. 3101 - is extremely broad in its scope; chilling innovation and the entry of new products. More, it ignores the increasing number of products on the market which serve the needs of many in the disability community." Note: while we disagree with this argument, we are posting this article in the interest of giving the NCDAE community the full scope of this critical issue
Accessibility for the visually impaired has come a long way, thanks to Apple, but not far enough
My friend Travis Fugate, a former member of the Kentucky National Guard, was hit in the face by an improvised explosive device in 2005, just south of Baghdad. He had some vision remaining after the injury, but because of complications in the following years, he lost all his sight. As someone who had never considered accessibility, Travis was appalled by how difficult it was to complete basic tasks, such as finding contacts on his cell phone. Today, he lives through his iPhone. He uses the oMoby app to identify products, ooTunes for radio streaming, Navigon for finding his way and Tweetero to keep up with friends and family. I wanted to learn more about accessibility, so yesterday I talked to Paul Schroeder, vice president of programs and policy at the American Foundation for the Blind. He is also the senior contributing editor for AccessWorld: Technology for Consumers with Visual Impairments, published by AFB Press.
Seven strategies for Accessible information using the CRPD
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) has been ratified by 87 countries to date. Disabled people in these countries can make the most of the accessible information provisions in the preamble and articles nine and 21 of the Convention. There are real opportunities created by the CRPD to engage with government, local and national, the wider public sector and the private sector to promote access to information. Working with other people who are disabled who experience barriers to information and with their supporters, people with disabilities can take charge of their own access to information. Taking an active and leadership role will mean people with disabilities' human rights progress will be faster. Nothing about us without us!
iPad apps may need to be made accessible to meet disability obligations
A draft British Standard on web accessibility warns organisations to consider how easily users with disabilities can access their websites on mobile phones, tablets and TVs. Ignoring their needs could breach BS 8878 and the Equality Act, it says. The British Standards Institute (BSI) has launched a second consultation on 'BS 8878 Web Accessibility - Code of Practice'. It is a non-technical standard that explains how organisations should create policies and production processes to identify and remove barriers that result in websites excluding people who are disabled and elderly. The first draft of the Standard was released in December 2008 and generated a vast amount of interest. That draft has now been considerably restructured to address issues including user-personalisation and dealing with user complaints.
Kill Accessibility
Let's get some reality on the web accessibility debate. We all know about WCAG 1, we have all at least had a look at the associated checklists. If you are lucky you may have glanced at WCAG 2. We all have been developing and designing our sites with semantic content, in compliance with W3C guidelines, using progressive enhancement for the interactive components, unobtrusive Javascript, and graceful degradation of the pages for legacy browsers. Maybe used some of the attributes of ARIA. Sure that's a no brainer. We know that doing this will solve most of the accessibility issues. So much so that one would think that the cause for accessibility and universal design was over. Right? No - wrong.
Website accommodation rules on the horizon
Almost every company has a website these days. We buy, sell, promote, show videos, convey information, and do just about everything electronically that's historically been done only in brick and mortar stores, offices and plants. It's easy to presume that many of the laws and requirements that businesses work with daily in the physical world can be overlooked in the virtual business world, but that's not always the case, according to the Department of Justice. Most employers take great care to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act in their physical business world. They install elevators and ramps, include Braille on signs and ATMs, provide special parking spaces, and offer many other reasonable accommodations to allow the public with disabilities equal access to products and services. Few employers however, give much thought to whether their website is accessible, and if it can be used on an equal footing with persons who aren't disabled. The Department of Justice hasn't overlooked this though, and intends to issue regulations about website accessibility as soon as September of this year. The DOJ is the enforcement agency for Title III of the ADA covering public accommodations.
iPad apps may need to be disabled-accessible: Possible legal duty, says BSI
A draft British Standard on web accessibility warns organisations to consider how easily users with disabilities can access their websites on mobile phones, tablets and TVs. Ignoring their needs could breach BS 8878 and the Equality Act, it says. Standards body BSI has launched a second consultation on 'BS 8878 Web Accessibility: Code of Practice'. It is a non-technical standard that explains how organisations should create policies and production processes to identify and remove barriers that result in websites excluding people who are disabled and elderly. A first draft of the Standard was issued in December 2008 and attracted what BSI described as "an unprecedented amount of interest." That draft has been extensively restructured, according to BSI. The latest draft addresses new issues including user-personalisation and dealing with user complaints.
Devs urged to keep web access in mind
Web developers should remember to test apps to see whether people who are disabled can use them, according to legal expert Struan Robertson. Apps for popular devices such as the iPhone need to comply with disability regulation, Robertson said on Tuesday. "Developers need to consider whether iPhone apps are accessible, and test them with users with disabilities," said Robertson. "For example, if [a user] is blind, the app needs an audio function." Technology lawyer Robertson was involved with the development of the BSI's Web Accessibility code of practice, which is currently under review. The BSI has asked interested parties to comment on the code of practice.
U.S. Proposed Agreement Fails to Adequately Promote Disabled People's Rights
If you had a vision-impairment, how easy would it be for you to get a readable copy of your favorite book, whether in Braille or in some accessible digital format? Chances are that it would be quite difficult, partly due to insufficiently flexible copyright laws. It is infringement in many countries to make Braille or disabled-accessible digital copies of copyrighted works without permission from the copyright owner. These laws make access to copyrighted works much more difficult for those who are print-disabled than it is for others. There are two proposed methods of dealing with this problem on an international level: a binding treaty proposed by four countries last year, and the non-binding alternative agreement introduced by the U.S. on May 27th. Unfortunately, this non-binding agreement has several defects that make it an inadequate remedy. It does not require parties to have any standard limitations and exceptions to copyright, it discriminates between physical Braille copies and digital copies, and it only allows non-profit entities or government agencies to make disabled-accessible digital copies. Because of these features, the U.S. proposal fails to meet the needs of those who are visually disabled for equal access to copyrighted works.
FCC Releases White Paper on Broadband for People with Disabilities
On April 23, 2010, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued its first-ever working paper on disability access and technology issues, entitled "A Giant Leap and A Big Deal: Delivering on the Promise of Equal Access to Broadband for People with Disabilities." The paper is the second in a series of working papers being released in conjunction with the National Broadband Plan. A link to the document is available from this site and a discussion by its author can be found on the broadband website blog.
Comments needed on new standard on accessible websites
BSI is inviting all interested parties, and in particular website owners, web product managers, web procurement managers, usability and accessibility specialists, marketing professionals and disabled web users, to review and comment on the draft of a new standard on accessible websites, DPC BS 8878 Web accessibility - Code of Practice.
How to make the web accessible to everyone
Despite a range of legislation and best practice advice, cyberspace is still far from equitable for those of us "non-standard" enough to be using adaptive or assistive technology. There is plenty of guidance available, from legislation such as the Disability Discrimination Act and the Disability Equality Duty, specific recommendations in the form of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 and even an enforcing body, the Equality and Human Rights Commission. But the majority of websites are still not accessible to those dependent on using keystrokes instead of a mouse, nor those using screen-reading technology or voice recognition software. In addition, many of these tools do not work on a mobile platform, so anyone using a handheld device may be similarly prevented from achieving full access. The majority of providers still flout the guidelines, ignoring even the most basic requirements such as adding "alt text" for pictures and ensuring that functionality of content is operable through a keyboard interface.
8 Gadgets for Disabled Computer Users
Some of us take for granted the ability to surf the Internet, email a friend, or pay a bill online. Scratch that. All of us take those conveniences for granted. But many people have disabilities that inhibit them from using the computer. Fortunately, there's a slew of technologies both currently on the market and in development that will make computing easier for these folks. After the jump is a quick rundown of some of the most innovative and useful gadgets that are helping to improve the computer lives of people with disabilities.
The Digital Divide of Disability
An audio program and transcript: Knowbility is an organization that advocates for technology that allows people who are blind, deaf and otherwise disabled to use the net. Knowbility's Sharron Rush and Desiree Sturdevant talk about the challenges they face in raising awareness and changing the laws surrounding online usability.
Cambridge University Press Grants Worldwide Digital Rights to Bookshare - Includes Academic and Educational Content from All Regions.
Cambridge University Press has entered into a license agreement with Bookshare, the California-based nonprofit organization that provides books in accessible formats for people with qualified print disabilities such as blindness or low vision, a physical disability or a severe learning disability that affects reading. Under the terms of the digital rights license agreement, Cambridge will deliver academic and scholarly books from all of its regional publishing centers around the world to Bookshare for conversion into accessible formats. Individuals with qualified print disabilities around the world will be able to download the books for a nominal Bookshare membership fee and read them using a computer or other assistive technology, with voice generated by text-to-speech technology, as well as options for digital Braille. Qualified students in the U.S. will have free access to the books, thanks to a special award from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs.
BSI seeks feedback on web accessibility code of practice
The British Standards Institute is inviting website owners, web product managers, web procurement managers, usability and accessibility specialists, marketing professionals and web users with disabilities, to review and comment on the draft of a new standard on accessible websites. The National Standards Body of the UK is developing the new code of practice DPC BS 8878 Web accessibility Code of Practice, to ensure the web is more accessible to elderly and users with disabilities. There are three main drivers for organizations to take steps to make their web products more accessible and usable: Commercial, Ethical and Legal.
Accessible e-Books 'Tantalisingly Close'
Many of the barriers that currently hinder access to electronic book reading platforms by people with disabilities are easily correctable by altering the implementation of existing technologies, according to a new report. The best practice guide on e-book accessibility was produced for the publishing industry by the Publishers Licensing Society and JISC TechDis, the disability and technology advisory agency for the education sector. Findings in the guide, which form part of a lengthier full report on the research, are based on the results of accessibility testing of e-book platforms carried out in 2009 by disability charity the Shaw Trust. Technology users with disabilities tested a number of platforms for compatibility with screen-readers; voice recognition; keyboard commands; and colour contrast and magnification.
Accessible Gaming
One of the things that a great many games have in common is that they are visually rich and actually require a keen visual sense in order to play them. In this post, I'll briefly review the idea of accessible gaming in the sense of accessible video games, hopefully as a springboard for a series of posts that explore some of the design principles around accessible games, and maybe even a short accessible game tutorial. So what do I mean by an accessible game? A quick survey of web sites that claim to cover accessible gaming focus on the notion of visual accessibility, or the extent to which an unsighted person or person with a poor vision will be able to engage with a game. However, creating accessible games also extends to games that are appropriate for gamers who are hard of hearing (audio cues are okay, but they should not be the sole way of communicating something important to the player); gamers who have a physical disability that makes it hard for the player to use a particular input device (whether that's a keyboard and mouse, gamepad, Wiimote controller, or whatever.); and gamers who have a learning disability or, age or trauma related cognitive impairment.
City of Nettuno - Facilitating access for the disabled community
Nettuno is a town and municipality of the province of Rome in the Lazio region of central Italy, 60 kilometers south of Rome. A resort city and agricultural center on the Tyrrhenian Sea, it has a population of approximately 46,000. Nettuno has a touristic harbor hosting about 860 boats and a shopping center, selling everything for fishing and sailing. Built in the ninth century, the city of Nettuno presents many obstacles to access and mobility for citizens and tourists with disabilities who need to know which shops, offices, government buildings, restaurants and public transportation options are wheelchair-accessible. Until recently there was no centralized, up-to-date source for accessibility information disabled people could rely on to plan their itineraries. Nettuno developed an interactive service providing real-time accessibility information via a smartphone application. Named Accessibility City Tag (ACT!), the service enables users to download a free application that identifies which town buildings provide easy and safe access. The service locates the user via GPS capabilities in the user's handset and streams data via Wi-Fi or 3G networks.
Accessible marketing, it's not just for disabled people y'know.
Around five years ago I first came across conventional attitudes to accessible marketing. I would regularly be on the receiving end of comments such as 'We can't afford to do our print and produce an accessible one as well it's too expensive', or 'We have an Access Brochure that tells you how to visit our venue if you are in a wheelchair', 'We can't afford to produce Braille brochures', 'Can we just photocopy our brochure so the print is bigger?' or 'We have an accessibility statement on our website'. Here we are now in 2010, and whilst the technological landscape and world demographics have changed significantly, I'm not convinced that these attitudes have.
New guidelines boost Web Access
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has announced a new standard to make sites more accessible to people who are older or disabled. Version 2.0 of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) will apply to text, images, audio and video. It also covers web applications and is said to give developers more flexibility than the old guidelines. According to the consortium, WCAG 2.0 should also be easier to understand and use. The guidance is designed to address barriers encountered by people with visual, hearing, physical, cognitive and neurological disabilities and older people with access needs.
Post Visually impaired gamer sues Sony Online
It's not uncommon for gamers who are blind to feel invisible in addition to visually impaired. For instance, when gamer Brandon Cole wrote THQ a letter suggesting changes to make its Smackdown series of WWE wrestling games more accessible to those who are blind, he received a form letter back thanking him for his appreciation of the game's graphics. But now, one gamer who is visually impaired has gone beyond simply requesting accessibility features and is demanding them by way of a lawsuit. Last month, disabled gamer Alexander Stern filed suit against Sony, Sony Online Entertainment, and Sony Computer Entertainment America in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. The suit alleges that Sony is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to implement features to make its games accessible to gamers who are visually impaired.
Blind Bargains: A preview of accessibility for the iPhone 3GS and iPod Touch
Yes, it is true, the iPhone 3GS and iPod touch both have a unique voice. If you've been on the fense on whether or not to check out these devices as potential gifts for friends or self, wait no longer... Please navigate to the provided link for an excellent video demonstrating the features of VoiceOver, the screenreader built in to the iPhone 3GS and the iPod Touch.
Making the Web more accessible
What if you could not use a traditional keyboard or mouse interface? Have you ever been frustrated by the distorted letters a webpage uses to prove you are human, as if you could be a chicken typing the keys. Well movement is underway to help make the Web available to people with severe disabilities. Websites of today are like the entry way to a business, and there is a big market in making the business open to as many people as possible. Studies tell us that there are about sixty million of us with some kind of disability. The World Wide Web Consortium, which develops standards for the Web, has issued guidelines for designers to help them create more accessible sites. They include providing text labels for images, captions on audio and video and making keyboard shortcuts for people who can't use a mouse. "When the Web is designed well, it is so enabling. It allows people to contribute on an equal plane," said Shawn Lawton Henry, outreach coordinator at the consortium's Web Accessibility Initiative. While most federal government Web sites are required by law to be accessible, companies have no legal obligation to incorporate the features. But Jim Thatcher, who developed the IBM screen reader, which blind who are people use to read the Internet, said the threat of civil rights lawsuits has motivated some companies.
Suzanne Robitaille Launches New Book
Congrats to Suzanne Robitaille, of ablebody.com, for the launch of The Illustrated Guide to Assistive Technology and Devices. The book has five chapters: Vision, hearing, physical, cognitive and communications. It offers insight and illustrations on gadgets -- from screen readers to iPhone apps -- for people with physical or mental disabilities, as well as advice on how to find and pay for these technologies. Jim Fruchterman, CEO of Benetech, graciously provided the foreword. There will be a book signing and press event on February 9, 2010 at the New York Public Library in NYC. Stay tuned for details.

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