The document describes the 1st International AEGIS Conference which will take place on September 7-8, 2010 in Seville, Spain. The conference will discuss challenges and barriers to accessibility on mobile devices for people with disabilities. Topics will include the limitations of mobile devices, usage situations, knowledge gaps among developers and designers, and integrating standards and guidelines to improve mobile accessibility.

1. 1st International AEGIS Conference
Rogério Bandeira
FFCUL
Portugal

2. 1st International
AEGIS Conference
 Wealth of
information and
services
 Increasingly used
also by people with
disabilities
 Mobile devices
usage exploding all
over the world
 Both domains pose
several challenges
7 – 8 September 2010, Seville, Spain

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AEGIS Conference
 Limitations
 Device size
 Input methods
 …
 Usage Situations
 Mobile vs Impairments
 Developers & Designers
 Knowledge both domains
7 – 8 September 2010, Seville, Spain

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AEGIS Conference
 Improve
◦ Accessibility & Mobile Adequacy
◦ Towards mobile accessibility
 Support
◦ Developers, Designers, Experts, Users
 Integrate
◦ existing knowledge,
◦ standards, guidelines, rules
7 – 8 September 2010, Seville, Spain

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AEGIS Conference
 Data on mobile applications use -
scarce
 AEGIS and Accessible (2009)
 Over 600 people with disabilities
 Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany,
Greece, Italy, Spain, Sweden, UK)
 High need A8e mobile applications
 AT broadened the world
 Still several barriers identified
7 – 8 September 2010, Seville, Spain

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AEGIS Conference
 AT Awareness
 End users largely unaware of available AT solution
 Vision impairment users more informed
 Lack of A8e training on AT (experts, end users)
 AT easiest to obtain are also the most abandoned
 Non use most frequent on first-time users
 AT Price
 High purchasing costs (major barrier)
 Even for disability organizations
 Mismatch – needs and offered
 results in high % discarded within 1 year
7 – 8 September 2010, Seville, Spain

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AEGIS Conference
 Mobile Use
 Active use
 Most cell phones
 Increasingly smart phones
 Daily basis (at home and at work)
 Considered practical tools, some even consider
part of their lifestyle.
 Purchasing factors
 Ease of use (determining purchase factor)
 Price (also important), availability, manufacturer
familiarity
7 – 8 September 2010, Seville, Spain

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AEGIS Conference
 Functionalities
 Making calls, text messaging, managing contacts.
 Address/contact list considered very important.
 Chatting live and email (wanted)
 Internet (wanted) - Mobile accessible content
 Accessibility
 Experts prefer accessible mainstream mobile
phone to avoid AT stigmatization
 End users demand
 standardization of mobile interfaces (menus/icons)
 Standardization of HW key icons and labels
7 – 8 September 2010, Seville, Spain

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AEGIS Conference
 User Interface
 Simplicity very important
 Difficult day to day use specially for visual impaired.
 Command structure varies across models and
specially across brands.
 Assistive Technologies
 Speech output - most used across all groups
 Text message would benefit from it
 Integrated features used but often unknown
 Training
 Hardly any training not even at purchasing time
 Manuals in printed version and small sized letters
7 – 8 September 2010, Seville, Spain

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AEGIS Conference
 W3C guidelines to tailor Web site quality for
different audiences
 Web Content
 Mobile Web Initiative
MWBP, mobileOK Basic Tests
 Web Accessibility Initiative
 WCAG
 Checklists (HTML, CSS, Content, Navigation,
Page Layout, User Input, …)
 Evaluation software(designer & developer aid)
 BW, HAM
7 – 8 September 2010, Seville, Spain

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AEGIS Conference
Content Disabilities context Mobile context
Information conveyed Visually impaired, Limited color palette
solely with color Colorblind Outdoors usage
Missing or Blind, screen reader. Small screen or
inappropriate page list of open windows viewport
title (e.g. long)
Audio-only prompts Deaf or hard of Noisy usage situations
(beeps) hearing
Content spawning new Low vision, Restricted Single window
windows without field of vision, interface.
warning user Blindness, Cognitive Multiple stacked
disabilities windows on small
don’t realize new screen hide each other
window
http://www.w3.org/WAI/mobile/experiences
7 – 8 September 2010, Seville, Spain

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AEGIS Conference
• Best Practices (Mobile usage context)
• Disability Type Related
• General Mobile Usage
• Disability type inadequate
• MWBP
7 – 8 September 2010, Seville, Spain

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AEGIS Conference
7 – 8 September 2010, Seville, Spain

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AEGIS Conference
7 – 8 September 2010, Seville, Spain

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AEGIS Conference
 Diversity of mobile devices
 Diversity of people with disabilities
 Coping with idiosyncrasies of Mobile Web
Accessibility
 Guidelines intersection
 New guidelines (e.g. touch screen)
 Conclusion
 Web content access by impaired people wanted and
growing
 Mobile a11y is a major issue
 Harmonizing Mobile and A11y best practices
 Towards mobile accessibility
7 – 8 September 2010, Seville, Spain

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AEGIS Conference
Thank you !
rbandeira@lasige.di.fc.ul.pt
http://www.accessible-project.eu
7 – 8 September 2010, Seville, Spain