Web Site Accessibility Blog

Now that Google has changes its policies and added an accessible alternative, I thought that others would fall in line. Wow, was I wrong. In the past few weeks I have been overwhelmed with CAPTCHA’s as I have opened accounts at many social media sites.

One of the most egregious was at Yahoo, which had an accessible alternative in the past, but seems to have dismissed it in order to gain access to Yahoo! Groups. I guess the blind have no business over at Yahoo Groups? Is that the message?

Fortunately, there was one CAPTCHA that rose above them all. A new social media site, Zoints has the best CAPTCHA alternative I have seen yet - a simple logic puzzle that requires the user to select two items that are edible out of a list of five - very simple, and it accomplishes the goal of the CAPTCHA -

(click to view larger image)

Here’s my rant:
By the way, by definition (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart) if the CAPTCHA does not allow blind users to access the site, then it has not done it’s job. Most offensively, you have called the blind users non-human by using an ineffective and poorly designed test that does NOT distinguish computer from human. ’nuff said.
Here now is the circus of CAPTCHA participants:

First up, Yahoo Groups. Not only is there a link for more information about the CAPTCHA, which I though would provide an alternative. It explains the need for the CAPTCHA, what it does - but provides NO ALTERNATIVE!

Next up - Social Media bookmark phenomenon, Digg, does not allow blind users to use the service.

And finally, MySpace (big surprise). I guess no blind people are allowed in MySpace - no big deal, it’s only porn anyway, isn’t it?

That’s it for today’s edition of Circus of CAPTCHA’s.Be sure to let the creators of Zoints know that you appreciate their creative, inclusive approach to the real purpose of the CAPTCHA.

I’m working on a large government accessibility project, and it is one of the most eye-opening and challenging projects I’ve been on.  Not so much because of the work involved, but because of the attitudes and the attempt to totally comprehensive in meeting accessibility standards.

First, the attitudes.  If I hear one more time that “we only have to make this accessible for less than 1% of people,” I’m going to go insane.  No matter how many times it is explained, or reasons expressed.  The motivating factor for being accessible seems to be, simply – not to get sued.

Second – for an extensive system to be used by citizens and employees, this is a huge project that has nuances throughout.  I am really looking forward to being able to consult on the testing of the system and get my hands on some of the awesome assistive technology that is being used for access.

Down to business
What amazes me the most if the ground that has to be covered in creating a comprehensive accessibility plan.  The very moment you dismiss something as being “irrelevant”, or “a small percentage,” you’ve missed the entire point of the project.

Accessibility is a matter of allowing people to access information in a method that is understandable and usable.  The difficulty intrinsic to the project is the variance among assistive technology and the access methods.  This is where I wish I could come up with some kind of chart that explains why this is such a difficult proposition.

Accessibility is not linear
Accessibility is not a horizontal approach where one single technique is used on a sliding scale to meet the needs of a group of people.  The higher you move the slider, the more people you give access to – unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way.  What does exist is an amazing testament to the human will to overcome.  I wish I could come up with some sort of chart to explain the process, I am working on it, but it’s taking some time to think through the many variations.

Here are some examples:

Vision
To look at it as a continuum; we can start with low vision as a starting point, as that is the beginning stages of assistive technology.  Usually low vision can be overcome with screen magnifiers, or at minimum, increased text size within a browser.  Both also benefit from high-contrast settings.

On the other side of low vision is no vision.  Users are then split between screen readers, Braille displays or a combination of the two.  However it does show an interesting point that is commonly overlooked - not all blind users know Braille.  To interface back to a website or system there are a few assistive technology devices, but many types within the market; Braille keyboards and speech-to-text programs.

Congitive
However, screen readers are not just used in the assistive vision realm.  Many people with dyslexia, which falls into the Cognitive Disorder category, use screen readers to assist in the reading and interpretation of the content.  These users rely on the design, colors and overall presentation of the site as cues, but the reality is that most of these users have excellent vision, but still use a screen reader.

This is important to note, as many programmers would simply dump anyone using a screen reader into a text-only version of an application or website.  However, knowing that not all screen reader can be lumped into the vision category interrupts this line of thinking.

Physical
Perhaps the most amazing category of assistive technology devices is in the physical category.  I am always amazed to see the amount of creativity in this area.  From large-key keyboards and speech to text programs, both of which are also used by low-vision users, to laser pointer keyboards, headset pointers, and an amazing array of similar devices.

There is so much cross-over in the types of access, that to lump accessibility into a small percentage of specific users is to ignore the bigger picture.  To put it simply, anyone who complains that the text is too small can use assistive technology.  Anyone who has arthritis or other physical limitation to typing or using a mouse can benefit from assistive technology.

Many times it is a small change in the big scheme of things, but the variety of technology is so large, and the benefits so huge, that a simple linear view of this issue is the most limiting factor.

First, Microsoft, who claims that Vista will be the most accessible Windows OS.

3 areas of Increased Accessibility
There are three areas that increase this functionality; first the accessibility options will no longer be labeled as such, as they found that most people will not use those options as they do not consider themselves disabled.

Accessibility Interview
However, Microsoft did find that 57% of working-age computer users can benefit from accessible technology. To remedy this, and to satisfy the accessibility needs of a wide variety of users, a wizard will walk new users through new features and gather information about their working habits, requirements and preferences. This could result in a naturally larger font size for some users, and less reliance on audio cues for others.

Functions
In a second step, functions such as speech recognition and screen magnification have been emphasized in the new OS. The speech recognition will also improve over time as it “learns” each user’s vocabulary and style. Included in this is a magnification layer that will enlarge graphics and text without the pixilation that happens in current programs or features. To change this, text will be rendered at a larger size from the start, and then reduced based on the preferences of the user.

Third Party Integration
The third area of improvement is Microsoft’s UI Automation. This feature will enable third-party devices to take advantage of the accessibility features built into Vista. Rob Sinclair, director of Microsoft’s Accessible Technology Group is excited about the developments, as the vision of a computer adapting to individual users is no longer a concept – which is an interesting premise.

I have long thought that each user should be able to customize the OS to his needs. There are many components of Windows that could be used to create a better user experience, yet they are not easily understandable, and most users are afraid to “mess” with their settings. A wizard that interviews users about their habits and needs could be a great way to begin the set-up for a personalized experience that will reduce frustrations of small text, inaudible cues, and enjoyment of features never before realized.
IBM Donates Code
From the IBM Side, IBM is once again donating code to the open-source community. IBM will work to integrate Dynamic Web Accessibility into the Dojo Toolkit widget set. This will create better accessibility interface features for developers using AJAX and Dojo. This is critical for screen readers and magnifiers, as screen readers have not been able to work within applications using AJAX technology.

AJAX, JavaScript & Accessibility
AJAX does not play well with screen readers, and Ajax cannot be considered an accessible technology yet. Many accessiblity advocates have expressed concern about assistive technology support for this technology. Roger Johansson has researched this and has put together a great resource of accessibility issues and commentaries about AJAX & Javascript.