Boosting New Media Accessibility Dr Scott HOLLIER Presentation for Web Directions South 2009

Who is Media Access Australia? Not-for-profit organisation addressing access issues in: TV Cinema DVD Education New Media Access issues include captioning, audio description, computer-related and Internet-related access issues

Not-for-profit organisation addressing access issues in:

TV

Cinema

DVD

Education

New Media

Access issues include captioning, audio description, computer-related and Internet-related access issues

Who am I? Professional: Project Manager New Media, Media Access Australia Advisory Committee member of the W3C Academic: PhD thesis examined ways to make computers and the Internet more accessible to people with disabilities Personal: Legally blind, first-hand knowledge of access issues

Professional:

Project Manager New Media, Media Access Australia

Advisory Committee member of the W3C

Academic: PhD thesis examined ways to make computers and the Internet more accessible to people with disabilities

Personal: Legally blind, first-hand knowledge of access issues

Introduction Why should you care for the IT needs of people with disabilities? Brief history of access: benefits and barriers User perspective: how do people with disabilities use computers and the Internet? Developer perspective: W3C, WCAG 2.0 and ATAG 2.0 (draft) Online video: perception and the reality How MAA can support your development projects

Why should you care for the IT needs of people with disabilities?

Brief history of access: benefits and barriers

User perspective: how do people with disabilities use computers and the Internet?

Developer perspective: W3C, WCAG 2.0 and ATAG 2.0 (draft)

Online video: perception and the reality

How MAA can support your development projects

What is new media? New Media used to be about the emergence of digital technologies: now it’s about convergence MAA looks at new media in terms of usability and accessibility Usability is generally associated with intuitiveness and ease of use. Accessibility focuses on application and design issues specifically for people with disabilities. Usability is an important part of accessibility

New Media used to be about the emergence of digital technologies: now it’s about convergence

MAA looks at new media in terms of usability and accessibility

Usability is generally associated with intuitiveness and ease of use.

Accessibility focuses on application and design issues specifically for people with disabilities. Usability is an important part of accessibility

Cases for accessibility Moral/Social case: care for others in society, good thing to do Educational case: accessible online resources leads to improved educational opportunities, then to a reductions in unemployment and poverty Corporate case: inaccessibility may prevent customers from purchasing goods and services Legal case: danger of being sued if accessibility not considered (SOCOG, Target USA, HSBC)

Moral/Social case: care for others in society, good thing to do

Educational case: accessible online resources leads to improved educational opportunities, then to a reductions in unemployment and poverty

Corporate case: inaccessibility may prevent customers from purchasing goods and services

Legal case: danger of being sued if accessibility not considered (SOCOG, Target USA, HSBC)

Brief history of access For the mainstream population, Internet was viewed primarily as an information and communication resource For people with disabilities, Internet was viewed as a gateway to independence

For the mainstream population, Internet was viewed primarily as an information and communication resource

For people with disabilities, Internet was viewed as a gateway to independence

Where we are Today, both mainstream and people with disabilities view the Internet as an essential service due to: Choice of media type: text, audio and video on demand Real-time information delivery: Internet TV and radio Real-time AV communication: Skype Collaboration: Cloud computing and social networking

Today, both mainstream and people with disabilities view the Internet as an essential service due to:

Choice of media type: text, audio and video on demand

Real-time information delivery: Internet TV and radio

Real-time AV communication: Skype

Collaboration: Cloud computing and social networking

Access issues Although these products sound great, people with disabilities are 18% less likely to have any form of Internet access in the home. Issues include: Broadband access remains poor 70% of the population 30% of people with core disabilities Website accessibility issues (social networking)

Although these products sound great, people with disabilities are 18% less likely to have any form of Internet access in the home. Issues include:

Broadband access remains poor

70% of the population

30% of people with core disabilities

Website accessibility issues (social networking)

Access issues Limited captioning and audio description availability Cloud computing: some good hardware options (netbooks) but still access issues with phones/PDAs/online applications and OS.

Limited captioning and audio description availability

Cloud computing: some good hardware options (netbooks) but still access issues with phones/PDAs/online applications and OS.

Why your work is important Initial premise of PhD study: people with disabilities are not using the Internet as much as the able-bodied population because they try to access computers and the Internet, but give up after running into barriers. Was this true?

Initial premise of PhD study: people with disabilities are not using the Internet as much as the able-bodied population because they try to access computers and the Internet, but give up after running into barriers.

Was this true?

Why your work is important No! People surveyed were aware of importance of IT and highly knowledgeable Although there were barriers, they don’t give up and continue to fight for access How to resolve: Communication and engagement between developers and the end user is the key Improvements to policy and legislative frameworks

No!

People surveyed were aware of importance of IT and highly knowledgeable

Although there were barriers, they don’t give up and continue to fight for access

How to resolve:

Communication and engagement between developers and the end user is the key

Improvements to policy and legislative frameworks

User experience Today, people with disabilities generally use assistive technologies to help use a computer Assistive Technology is the practical implementation of technology to support and help people OS contains many tools, but additional products often required for full featured access AT software costs about $1200-$2000

Today, people with disabilities generally use assistive technologies to help use a computer

Assistive Technology is the practical implementation of technology to support and help people

OS contains many tools, but additional products often required for full featured access

AT software costs about $1200-$2000

Windows XP/Vista features Change the icon and text size Adjust cursor width and blink rate Toggle Keys Mouse pointer size and movement Mouse Lock and Toggle Keys Change the colour scheme to high contrast Show Sounds On-screen keyboard Magnifier Narrator

Change the icon and text size

Adjust cursor width and blink rate

Toggle Keys

Mouse pointer size and movement

Mouse Lock and Toggle Keys

Change the colour scheme to high contrast

Show Sounds

On-screen keyboard

Magnifier

Narrator

Additional Windows products Screen reader (JAWS, Window Eyes) Screen magnifier (ZoomText, MAGic)

Screen reader (JAWS, Window Eyes)

Screen magnifier (ZoomText, MAGic)

Mac features Improvements over Windows XP/Vista: Improved screen reader VoiceOver Full-screen Zoom feature Braille display support However… VoiceOver doesn’t work with the Office suite (only works with Cocoa apps) Hit-and-miss with Safari, although improved with Snow Leopard

Improvements over Windows XP/Vista:

Improved screen reader VoiceOver

Full-screen Zoom feature

Braille display support

However…

VoiceOver doesn’t work with the Office suite (only works with Cocoa apps)

Hit-and-miss with Safari, although improved with Snow Leopard

What’s changing? Mainstream options reducing the need for expensive assistive technology products Windows 7: Full screen magnifier Predictive text in on-screen keyboard Works well on netbooks Free screen readers: WebAnywhere, NVDA Netbooks becoming 3G and touch-capable Reliance on collaboration and the cloud iPhone 3GS with VoiceOver now an option

Mainstream options reducing the need for expensive assistive technology products

Windows 7:

Full screen magnifier

Predictive text in on-screen keyboard

Works well on netbooks

Free screen readers: WebAnywhere, NVDA

Netbooks becoming 3G and touch-capable

Reliance on collaboration and the cloud

iPhone 3GS with VoiceOver now an option

Web development World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) formed by Tim Berners-Lee in 1992 Initially inaccessible as AT products couldn’t ‘read out’ graphics Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 published in 1999, became definitive standard for web accessibility 65 checkpoints across three Priority levels

World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) formed by Tim Berners-Lee in 1992

Initially inaccessible as AT products couldn’t ‘read out’ graphics

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 published in 1999, became definitive standard for web accessibility

65 checkpoints across three Priority levels

WCAG 2.0 Original WCAG very HTML-specific, became rapidly outdated In 2001, WCAG 2.0 working group formed Shift in focus from developer code compliance to user task achievement

Original WCAG very HTML-specific, became rapidly outdated

In 2001, WCAG 2.0 working group formed

Shift in focus from developer code compliance to user task achievement

WCAG 2.0 controversy Development process went for seven long years: ‘To Hell With WCAG 2’: a frustrated Joe Clark felt that 165 pages for the ‘easy to understand’ manual was too obscure, vague, and a backwards step ‘To Hell With Joe Clark” by Martin Kliehm felt that WCAG 2.0 simplified the issues, provided achievable goals and better supported new web technologies

Development process went for seven long years:

‘To Hell With WCAG 2’: a frustrated Joe Clark felt that 165 pages for the ‘easy to understand’ manual was too obscure, vague, and a backwards step

‘To Hell With Joe Clark” by Martin Kliehm felt that WCAG 2.0 simplified the issues, provided achievable goals and better supported new web technologies

WCAG 2.0 Released in December 2008 Although WCAG 1.0 still used in Australia, 2.0 quickly adopted in US, EU Based around four POUR design principles: Perceivable (adjustable) Operable (finding what you want) Understandable (content) Robust: (other technologies)

Released in December 2008

Although WCAG 1.0 still used in Australia, 2.0 quickly adopted in US, EU

Based around four POUR design principles:

Perceivable (adjustable)

Operable (finding what you want)

Understandable (content)

Robust: (other technologies)

WCAG 2.0 Perceivable: Provide text alternatives for non-text content. Provide captions and alternatives for audio and video content. Make content adaptable; and make it available to assistive technologies. Use sufficient contrast to make things easy to see and hear.

Perceivable:

Provide text alternatives for non-text content.

Provide captions and alternatives for audio and video content.

Make content adaptable; and make it available to assistive technologies.

Use sufficient contrast to make things easy to see and hear.

WCAG 2.0 Operable: Make all functionality keyboard accessible. Give users enough time to read and use content. Do not use content that causes seizures. Help users navigate and find content.

Operable:

Make all functionality keyboard accessible.

Give users enough time to read and use content.

Do not use content that causes seizures.

Help users navigate and find content.

WCAG 2.0 Understandable: Make text readable and understandable. Make content appear and operate in predictable ways. Help users avoid and correct mistakes. Robust: Maximize compatibility with current and future technologies.

Understandable:

Make text readable and understandable.

Make content appear and operate in predictable ways.

Help users avoid and correct mistakes.

Robust:

Maximize compatibility with current and future technologies.

Application development W3C also provides the Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines ATAG 2.0 supports WCAG 2.0, but still in draft Two parts: PART A: Make the authoring tool user interface accessible PART B: Support the production of accessible content

W3C also provides the Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines

ATAG 2.0 supports WCAG 2.0, but still in draft

Two parts:

PART A: Make the authoring tool user interface accessible

PART B: Support the production of accessible content

ATAG 2.0 (draft) PART A: Make the authoring tool user interface accessible Authoring tool user interfaces must follow applicable accessibility guidelines Editing views must be perceivable Editing views must be operable Editing views must be understandable

PART A: Make the authoring tool user interface accessible

Authoring tool user interfaces must follow applicable accessibility guidelines

Editing views must be perceivable

Editing views must be operable

Editing views must be understandable

ATAG 2.0 (draft) PART B: Support the production of accessible content Production of accessible content must be enabled Authors must be supported in the production of accessible content Accessibility solutions must be promoted and integrated

PART B: Support the production of accessible content

Production of accessible content must be enabled

Authors must be supported in the production of accessible content

Accessibility solutions must be promoted and integrated

Online video Most online video lacks accessibility features Many arguments as to why it’s not possible Perception and reality are different

Most online video lacks accessibility features

Many arguments as to why it’s not possible

Perception and reality are different

Online video The perception: “ The technology can’t support closed captions or audio description.”

The perception:

“ The technology can’t support closed captions or audio description.”

Online video The reality: Flash, Windows Media, Real, QuickTime and open standards all support closed captions. Internet Captioning Forum: http://ncam.wgbh.org/icf/tech.php Only Windows Media doesn’t support multiple audio tracks for AD, but Microsoft have released AMP to resolve this: http://www.codeplex.com/amp

The reality:

Flash, Windows Media, Real, QuickTime and open standards all support closed captions. Internet Captioning Forum: http://ncam.wgbh.org/icf/tech.php

Only Windows Media doesn’t support multiple audio tracks for AD, but Microsoft have released AMP to resolve this: http://www.codeplex.com/amp

Online video The perception: “ It’s all too hard and time-consuming.”

The perception:

“ It’s all too hard and time-consuming.”

Online video The reality: CaptionTube: an easy way to caption YouTube clips http://captiontube.appspot.com Captions can be saved back onto local machine, don’t have to be put on YouTube If uploaded to YouTube, captions can be translated in real-time to different languages

The reality:

CaptionTube: an easy way to caption YouTube clips http://captiontube.appspot.com

Captions can be saved back onto local machine, don’t have to be put on YouTube

If uploaded to YouTube, captions can be translated in real-time to different languages

Online video The perception: “ There’s no point: hardly anyone is captioning online, and online audio description is like the Yeti: you hear about it but no one's ever seen it.”

The perception:

“ There’s no point: hardly anyone is captioning online, and online audio description is like the Yeti: you hear about it but no one's ever seen it.”

Online video The reality: BBC iPlayer now features both closed captions and audio description In a nutshell: if TV shows are already captioned, it can be easily included online HTML 5 info in Silvia’s presentation up next

The reality:

BBC iPlayer now features both closed captions and audio description

In a nutshell: if TV shows are already captioned, it can be easily included online

HTML 5 info in Silvia’s presentation up next

AWARe AWARe: Australian Web Access Review 5 websites per month for testing Answer some simple questions MAA will take data to government, industry to create change Forum to discuss access issues http://www.aware.org.au

AWARe: Australian Web Access Review

5 websites per month for testing

Answer some simple questions

MAA will take data to government, industry to create change

Forum to discuss access issues

http://www.aware.org.au

Addressing the issues AWARe home page:

AWARe home page:

Addressing the issues AWARe ‘Participate’ section

AWARe ‘Participate’ section

Further information Large collection of web resources: www.mediaaccess.org.au/newmedia Advice is free E-mail: [email_address] Phone: (02) 9212 6242

Large collection of web resources: www.mediaaccess.org.au/newmedia

Advice is free

E-mail: [email_address]

Phone: (02) 9212 6242