Web Site Accessibility Blog

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.

As if I haven’t blogged about this subject enough. First, the WAI writes about it, then Internet News accuses Google of blocking visitors, and now this, thanks to Nick W and GreyHat Search Engine News.

Captcha solution?
Yahoo is attempting to help people find a way around the captcha by hiding text on the page. (Screenshot follows)

There is small, hidden text on the page reads:

Visually impaired or blind users: We can help you register. So that a customer care representative can contact you, please provide your phone number in addition to your required email address when you contact us by pasting this URL into your browser: http://add.yahoo.com/fast/help/us/edit/cgi_access

You can view the Yahoo page yourself and then press ctrl+a. Highlighting the page uncovers some very tiny text that is hidden in the page. The humor in this page is that this technique is considered search engine spam by the search engines themselves; except when they do it, we suppose.

The thought is in the right place, but the implemetation . . .
Now, I understand that this is most likely on the page for those users that rely on screen readers. I applaud Yahoo for the effort; however, there are a few additional considerations that need to be addressed.

Not all low-vision users rely on screen readers. Now, many sighted users combine screen readers with reading web pages, such as people with dyslexia or those who need assistance by reading and hearing the text. However, many low-vision users rely on a large monitor and/or with increased page magnification. They will never see the instructions on how to get past the captcha, as the captcha will block their access as well. It also difficult for low vision users or those with dyslexia to distiguish the characters in the captcha.

Either way – why not make it easier for people to find and know the options available to them? Why do those who cannot get past the captcha required to wait for a call from a Yahoo rep? What if they have a time restraint, like purchasing tickets for a concert?

While the intentions were surely good, it still separates users. It creates more questions. There are so many other options that can make the user experience better for everyone. Why not create a page and a means to get around the captcha that allows instant access? Why are the instructions for screen readers hidden? Wouldn’t the instructions help everyone, if they were available to see as well as hear? Instructions should be available for anyone to see, hear and find.

Disabled users don’t like being treated separately. Similarly, both web sites and physical buildings can change improve to increase access and it typically benefits everybody, not just those who need it.

Not two days after I mention the WAI website article about “captchas” than Internet News runs the headline, “Is Google Shutting Out The Blind? “.

As it turns out, Google’s requires registrations for user services which use the captcha, such as beta offerings, Blogger and Gmail. The article goes to explore the accessibility initiatives of Yahoo and MSN. Google expects to have some sort of resolution in about a month.

I’ll be in San Jose next month, speaking at the Search Engine Strategies conference. Usually, there is a big party at the Googleplex, so this question will be on the top of my list if it hasn’t been addressed by then.

Assistive Technologies for the Arab World
Nattiq Technologies, located in Dubai, is a leader of assistive technology to the Arab world. The upcoming GITEX, held in Cairo, Egypt, Nattiq will display their assistive technology in the Arab world. With their software, Hal SuperNova, this uses Windows Media Player to allow blind users to work with multimedia devices, such as TV’s & DVD recorders. They also offer a Pocket Ha which makes a PDA accessible by reading everything on the screen. Nattiq estimated that there are over 6 million blind Arabs in the Middle East, and has developed Arab OCR technology which allows document scanning and reading, which enables any book to be a “talking book�?. There are also technologies displayed that enable talking cell phones, which also allow blind users to use a cell phone independently and privately.

Cell Phones & PDA’s
The cell phone talking technology is one that I am interested in seeing soon. It seems, as devices get smaller, they become more unusable by people with blindness or low vision. I realized this the other day as I was attempting to set up a BlackBerry. Any user with a vision or physical need would have difficulty using this device. PDA’s are the same, as they rely totally upon vision prompts and the stylus to use the device.

While personal electronic devices to get smaller, I am surprised that manufacturers are also leaving out greater amounts of the market by creating devices that only teens with small fingers can operate. Why not design for the greatest available market? Creating a smaller device that is totally accessible would also make an easier device to operate for anyone, regardless of any disability.

Posted by Gary over at Search Engine Watch blog, a free service called SpeakWire reads selected RSS feeds in synthesized speech. You can select a number of available feeds and have them read to you, and set favorites. Selecting a particular feed can be done with a mouse or tabbing through the links on the page.

This service is provided by Speegle, who also brought us a synthesized speech version of Google results earlier this year.