Why Accessible Web Site and How Website can be Accessible! Sep. 16, 2016.
First, let me tell what I mean by accessibility, accessibility refers to the design or creation plan of devices, services, products or places for people with disabilities. The concept of accessibility practice includes direct access and indirect access, direct access means unassisted access of product, services or places. However, indirect access means compatibility with a person's need of assistive technology (AT). In this writing, I will discuss about web accessibility, but the concept of universal design is beyond of this writing; therefore, it is not going to be discussed.
The census bureau study of 2012 shows that almost 20% or 57 million of the US papulation are disabled people. These disability includes people who have difficulties lifting or grasping a mouse or a keyboard, people with cognitive, mental, or emotional impairment who need some type of accessibility adjustment of website for their needs such as: with fonts size, blinking rate, background and foreground color, people with vision impairment who use screen readers or screen enlargement software, people with hearing impairment who communicate through the sign language. This means 20 percent of our papulation experience accessibility issues when using the internet. Thus, having accessible web site means is including this 20% of our papulation people who are with some type of disability.
Know people with disability:
People with disabilities are those people who have physical or mental limitation that disable them from performing one or more major life activities. According to the American with Disability Act (ADA), disability has defined as,
A person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment.
People with low vision, hearing or motor impairments, and people who have learning or reading difficulties often use a software that assist users in writing, spelling, reading and navigation, as well as having screen reader software that reads website's content aloud. In order for people with disability to access the Internet, websites should comply with the standards that make the Internet to render content properly.
Benefits of Accessible Websites:
Insuring web accessibility means is increasing number of users, increased search engine optimization (SEO) and improved Usability. Optimizing web accessibility ensures inclusion of diverse people to use websites. If people with learning or reading difficulties, people who are visually impaired, people with hearing impairment and people with physical problems are able to access or read contents of web pages, and user agents able to render content in a consistent and sensible way, no doubt that accessible web site increases market share, satisfies social responsibilities and complies to international and federal standard of accessibility. Hence, ensuring web accessibility on one's website is worth the investment.
What is Social Responsibility:
The ensyclopedia Wikipedia has defined social responsibility as,
Social responsibility is an ethical framework and suggests that an entity, be it an organization or individual, has an obligation to act for the benefit of society at large. Social responsibility is a duty every individual has to perform so as to maintain a balance between the economy and the ecosystems. A trade-off may exist between economic development, in the material sense, and the welfare of the society and environment, though this has been challenged by many reports over the past decade. Social responsibility means sustaining the equilibrium between the two. It pertains not only to business organizations but also to everyone whose any action impacts the environment. This responsibility can be passive, by avoiding engaging in socially harmful acts, or active, by performing activities that directly advance social goals.
Accessibility is one of many aspects of user experience on the internet and it is a technical foundation on which one build other aspects such as usability. Accessible web site ensures that many users can navigate, understand and interpret a website through their own assistive technology. Website designers, editors, developers and managers can ensure accessibility of website by complying to the web accessibility guidelines, covered by Section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG or Microsoft Accessibility Standard (MAS). Accessible website gives opportunities to provide needed information to many users and meets international and federal standard and commonly accepted industry practice. Furthermore, Government and educational institutions are obligated to adapt accessible website and should bound by the accessibility standard by the US Communication and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA), the American with Disability Act (ADA) or other international laws such as WCAG.
Who Standardize Accessibility or Web Accessibility?
Beside the ADA, Section 508, MAS standard and other web accessibility regulations, the World Wide Consortium (W3C) with its working group called Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) is the organization that standardize the definition and guidelines for accessibility. WAI not only defines web accessibility, but also it compose guidelines on how to ensure good web accessibility. The WAI definition and guidelines of accessibility service as international standard of accessible web site. These set of guidelines that cover websites are called Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and helps ensure web users to easily access a website. If a website complies with the accessibility standard, it ensures most user browsers and assistive technologies to show and interpret web pages in a consistent way.
Responsible Person for Web Accessibility:
Since Accessibility improvement lies on everyone who works with websites, all developers, designers, editors and managers should make life easier for all people with disabilities by following the accessibility guidelines and standard at the early web development stage. In short, web accessibility is very technical and many aspects should be ensured in the development phase.
Accessible Rich Internet Applications (Aria):
ARIA stands for 'Accessible Rich Internet Applications' and can help make your website more accessible to people with disabilities such as with hearing or visual impairments. One way we can use ARIA is by adding it to website page as html semantic element. These semantic elements in HTML such as nav, button, article, h1-h6 or header. These elements give more meaning to the content of a page, and they can be used with combination of these elements and ARIA in our markup. However, settting an ARIA role and/or aria attribute that matches the default ARIA semantics is NOT RECOMMENDED because these properties are already set by the browser. ARIA roles are HTML markup like an attribute and they define the type of element and suggest what purpose it serves. E.G. (<)header role = "banner"(>) the role of header has defined as banner. On the other hand, ARIA attributes are slightly different from roles and they are used to markup in the same way and express the elements states and properties attributes. The value of states can be changed as a result of user interaction; however, the value of properties is almost cannot be changed. E.G. the check box with the state of aria-checked indicates the state of Aria attribute. This shows the state of interactive elements, such as checkboxes and radio buttons, but are not the native elements themselves.
It is impossible to add ARIA to every element for two reasons. First, Arias roles have preassigned to their default semantic values. These default ARIA semantics refers to semantics that are already applied to an element by the browser. For example, elements such as nav, main, article, h1/h6, aside, footer, header and button have default ARIA statements of role = "navigation", role = "article", role = "Content Info", role = "Banner" and role = "button" respectively. An html element cannot have multiple ARIA roles. All roles are semantic in some way or another, and a single element cannot be two types of an object: a button and a heading! It has to be described the role that best fits the function of an element. In addition, Native Semantics cannot be changed. For example, 'article role = "button"' the article semantic tag cannot be assigned to "Button" element as it has default value of its own.
Second, rule of ARIA suggest that if it has to be, it has to be used a nested HTML element instead. E.G. (<)article(>) (<)button(>) the best technology in todays world. (<)/button(>) (<)/article(>) The "Button" element is nested with in the "article" semantic element. Moreover, the Markup can be More Accessible by using as Many Semantic Elements as Possible and this can be achieved by practicing until as to what element can be used that would be much better from all semantic elements.
In order of screen readers and other assistive technologies to be able interact smoothly with websites, roles and attributes make a differences when web content is processed; thus, integrating ARIA in code should be a regular practice. Accessible websites have been allowing millions of people with disability to interact with global market: do their shopping from comfort of their home as well as do their work even on a road. Therefore, making website accessible does not mean satisfying one's social responsibility only, but also accessible website increases market share and it means maximizes productivity and business profit. Hence, companies should keep up with the evolution of accessible website to achieving effectiveness and efficiency in business operation. This can be achieved by being compliant to the ADA, Section 508, MAS, W3C and other international web accessibility standard and guidelines.
Accessibility and Usability test for Microsoft Excel with JAWS the widely used screen reader by the visually impaired and totally blind people in the world. Microsoft Excel:
Microsoft Excel is one of among many spreadsheet programs designed by Microsoft Company and serves to create records mainly for financial decision making purpose; as a result, Excel is known as decision support system or tool for decision makers. A spreadsheet or Microsoft excel is a program operates on data represented as cells of an array, organized in rows and columns. Each cell of an array is element that can contain either numeric or text data, or the results of that automatically calculate and display a value based on the contents of other cells. Furthermore, Excel allows as to create, edit, save, and print records or present data in table, pie, charts, and line or in many other type of modern graphics presentation mode. JAWS is a screen reader widely used by blind people in the world for working with computers.
Usability and Accessibility Test for JAWS with Excel:
I Opened Microsoft Excel and I created sales forcast file by entering data in the worksheet that used to test accessibility of excel and usability of JAWS. In order to open the Microsoft Excel, pressed the windows logo key then type "Excel", Microsoft Excel icon poppes up then presse the enter key. Excel loades up in rows and column grid. Press the escape key and focus landes on cell A1. Where the rows and column meet is called a cell.
Navigation keys:
Use the arrow keys to perform basic navigation task. Press up/down right/left arrows and jaws follows the application pointer and reads the cell address and. JAWS says, "A One, b One etc ". Press ctrl + right arrow the application pointer moves to the end of the row and jaws says "XFD One" which is the last cell address in the first row in excel 2013. Press the home key the pointer moves to the beginning of the row and jaws says "A One" which means the first cell address in the first row. Again press ctrl + down arrow and the application cursor goes to the end of column A and jaws says "A1048576" which means jaws reads the last cell address in column A. JAWS does not read only the cell address, but it reads the content of that cell. First JAWS announces the cell address then reads the cell content. Therefore, jaws works well and Microsoft excel is easily navigable through the worksheet using JAWS as screen reader.
Additional hot keys for fanction and navigation:
Needed Action
Command
Go to cell
F5 key then enter cell reference
Start of worksheet
Ctrl Home
End of worksheet
Ctrl End
Start of row
Home
In addition, the title bar is accessible by pressing the JAWS + T keys. The file menu is accessible by pressing ALT + F keys then press up/down arrows and press the tab key at the right tab to make your selection. The Ribbon works well with JAS and it is accessible by pressing the Alt key then by pressing left/right and up/down arrows to use your liking tools. At the main body of the worksheet you can create a document by typing data then you may add, edit, copy, delete, save, export, import, print or chart range of data cells for presentation purposes.
Worksheets:
Needed Action
Command
List worksheets
Ctrl Shift S
Next Worksheet
Ctrl page down
Previous worksheet
Ctrl page up
Rename Worksheet
Format Menu, Sheet, Rename, type new name, Enter
Enter data and move to next cell
Enter or tab or arrow keys
Start a new line in the same cell
Alt + enter
Enter todays date
Ctrl plus semicolon
Selecting cells:
Needded Action
Command
Select column
Ctrl spacebar
Select row
shift + spacebar
Select region
Ctrl Shift 8
Microsoft Excel is very accessible by JAWS; as a result JAWS is very usable with Excel. Microsoft Excel has a built-in function that can be used to give names to a rows and columns header title. Microsoft Excel provides a great tool of accessibility to the screen readers. As a result, JAWS looks for certain specific names to identify which cells contain row and column titles and reads them. Hence a blind user cannot get lost in the middle of the worksheet. E.G. press the Alt and rlease it then move by pressing the right arrow until JAWS says "formula" tab or press the ALT + M directly to go to the formula tab. At the formula tab press down arrow until JAWS says, "Define name". Press the enter key or Click on the define name dialog box; again press the enter key or click on the define name dialog box. Type unique name plus the range of rows and columns that needs to be read as a label of rows and columns during navigation of the
worksheet. E.G. write "TitleRegion1..q14" in the edit dialog box and save it. Now JAWS would read the defined region's row and column headers through out the worksheet.
Editing the wordk sheet with JAWS:
Needed Action
Command
Edit existing cell
F2
Fill down
Select cells to be filled then Ctrl + D
Fill Right
Select cells to be filled then Ctrl + R.
Insert a row
Select row below, application key, select insert
Insert a column
Select column to left, application key, select insert
Delete a column
Select column, application, select delete
Delete a row
Select row, application key, select delete
Even JAWS describes the type of charts. For example, on the Sales Forcast data that I created I was able to create pivot table and chart it by completing the following steps.
Creating a Pivot Table:
1 Press the hot key ALT + n then pressed down arrow untill JAWS says, "Table" then press the enter key or press the right arrow key.
Make a selection of pivot table and enter the range desired data E.G. (a1:q14) and press the enter key.
Focus will be on a3. Press the F6 key and the tab key once.
When you hear the first field name of your data press the application key by up/down arrow make your selection for the field data value.
Again press down arrow and on the field name press the application key then the up/down arrow and make your selection, and repeat the process until the desired point.
Press shift + F6 to go to the new pivot table.
Give a title to the pivot table and label the field name.
Practice by repeating the same process until you learnit or obtain the desired result.
Charting the Data:
JAWS enables blind people to chart the data in excel worksheet for presentation purposes. Press alt + N to access the insert tab then pres down arrow untilJAWS says, "chart". At the chart dialog box press right arrow or the enter key. Move by down arrow key and select the appropriate chart for your data presentation. Press the JAWS + CTRL + C , JAWS describes the chart on screen. Furthermore, It is possible to analyse data using availavle analysis tools such as "what-if analysis", "consolidate data" tools etc.
In addition JAWS can read the cells content, Column Total, row total, formula, contents of focus, cell format and many more through the JAWS keyboard hot keys.
Keys to press for Formulas:
Needed Action
Command
Autosum
Alt =
Formula input model
=
Paste a function into a formula
Shift + F3
Fill down a formula
Select cells first including formula then Ctrl D
Fill across a formula
Select cells first including formula then Ctrl R
Furthermore, JAWS lets us use its Command Search feature to find out excel function keys. For example press INSERT + SPACEBAR and then press J. The Search dialog box for JAWS opens. JAWS beebs to indicate that forms mode is on; and type the word you are looking for, for example type the word "sum" without the quotes and press the tab key. When you tab focus moves to the next heading search result. The headings are also links, and if that is your selection pres the enter key to execute the command. The JAWS dialog box closes and focus returns to the spreadsheet area.
JAWS is great and it works very well with Microsoft Excel. Also Microsoft Excel is very accessible too.
Introduction
In this writing I will tell my finding about usability of the following screen readers: JAWS Ver 17, windows eyes 9.4, NVDA and Narrator with windows 10 platform and accessibility of Windows 10. First, Thanks to all technology and assistive technology (AT) makers including: Microsoft accessibility team, Freedom Scientific
(Now part of Vision Freedom Optelec (VFO)), AI Squared (as part of VFO), NV Access, and many others for working so hard to make this world accessible and the best for all.
Screen Readers:
According to the encyclopedia Wikipedia,
Screen readers are assistive technology (AT) which are essential to people who are blind, as well as useful to people who are either visually impaired, illiterate or suffer a learning disability. Screen readers are a software application which, rather than presenting web content visually, converts text into synthesized speech allowing user to alternatively listen to content. In more accurate terms content displayed in screen is sent to standard output, whether a video monitor is present or not. Interpretations are then synthesized to the user with text-to-speech, sound icons, or a Braille output device.
Usability and Accessibility:
Usability>
Usability is the ease of use and learnability; it is the degree to which a device or product can be used by consumers to achieve intended result with effectiveness and efficiency.
Accessibility>
Accessibility is the design or creation plan of devices, services, products or places for people with disabilities.
Scope:
I believe usability and Accessibility is determined by personal needs and preferences; therefore, ranking the screen readers might be up to the individual person's needs; however according to my test, the above mentioned screen readers are usable and accessible and work well with the following component of Windows 10 platform.
Screen readers:
JAWS, Windows Eyes, NVDA and Narrator work well with the credentials or initial computer Interface. After the computer boot up processing all these screen readers able to load automatically because of their default setting; therefore, the computer prompts for the credentials in order to gain the computer access. Upon typing required user name and password then by pressing the enter key all screen readers are lands on the right focus at the desktop. In order to test the windows 10 platform at the desktop, press the tab key. On each press of the tab key, all the screen readers follow the system focus and reads all the control buttons means: the Start button, the task view button, the Microsoft edge button, the Notification bar, and the Show me desktop button. All these screen readers are able to follow the system cursor.
The title bar is accessible through the hot key ctrl + shift T keys by Window Eyes, insert + T by the JAWS and NVDA. Furthermore, the status bar is also accessible through the hot keys insert + ctrl + S keys by Windows Eyes and insert + pgdn by JAS and NVDA. However, Narrator reads the entire window when cap + W key is pressed. Narrator does not have a hot key for tell me the status line.
The system tray, the taskbar, and the notification bar are accessible through the tab key and left/right arrows by all these screen readers above. These screen readers tell the running programs when pressed the right/left arrows at MS-Edge button; in addition of that, JAWS and NVDA use the insert + F10 keys to access currently running programs. Moreover, all application software/system programs can be called by pressing the Windows Logo key then by typing the first few letters of the program name at the edit box. After the desired program pops up press the enter key to execute it.
Through the use of general windows short cut keys such as the windows logo + E/d/x/I, The file explorer, drives, desktop and all folders are accessible. These screen readers work well with these all component of the windows 10 platform. They follow the system focus or pointer; hence, they work well with the control panel, computer management, disk management, power options, with the task manager, and with all setting options of the windows 10 operating system. JAWS, NVDA, Window Eyes and Narrator do not have usability or accessibility problems with many of the Windows 10 component. Here to make it clear, I do not say these screen readers do not have usability problems with other programs as well as with other windows component that I have not tested them.
Narrator and the Microsoft Edge:
Through what is called scan mode, Narrator is working well with Microsoft Edge. The scan mode can be turned on/off by pressing caps + the space bar keys. When scan mode is off, it is possible to tab through active elements, use Windows keyboard commands, and navigate by means of preferred preferences; such as, links, headings, and paragraphs. When scan mode is on, it is possible to navigate through everything on the screen that includes text, website elements, and application controls by using the tab key, arrowing around the screen, or pressing navigations letter. When the scan mode is on, just arrow up/arrow down and read the text associated with that button. However, needs to toggle scan mode off when want to pause audio track through the use of the keyboard commands such as control P. So far, Narrator is the only screen reader that accesses and works better with Microsoft Edge.
Window Eyes and narrator common Usability Problems:
Nevertheless, windows eyes and Narrator do not work well with the command shell or command line. In addition it is not possible to switch to a review mode and manage the screen for the command line because Narrator and Windows Eyes do not have the screen review option at least at the default setting level. It is evident that Narrator uses a single cursor; it does not have virtual cursor, review cursor or invisible cursor like JAWS does.
Possible Usability recommendations:
Microsoft accessibility team is focusing on their actual customers; as a result, Narrator is able to work with Edge which is the latest browser from Microsoft Company. Nevertheless in order for Narrator to become a fully developed and usable screen reader, Narrator should provide drivers that support braille device, scripting development, screen review mode capability, and ease of keyboard hot keys learnability.
All developers of the assistive technology or screen readers need to keep up with all the changes and updates coming from Microsoft on an almost daily basis! It is crucial that Microsoft accessibility team, Freedom Scientific, AI Squared, and NV Access screen reader developers should play an active role in making sure these screen readers are usable and accessible by working together with users as screen readers and with Microsoft Company in timely manner. The assistive technology software/hardware developers and platform makers not only needs to comply with the accessibility guide lines and rules, but they should work together during early stage of their product development to satisfy their social responsibility toward the visually impaired people.
Success of Visually and Blind Students and Accessibility Challenges:
Nowadays accessibility in the area of employment, education, health and daily living activities of people with disability is a matter of civil rights. Accessibility differs depend the nature and type of disability. In this writing, I will address the role and effectiveness of accessible technology and accessibility challenges in the course of the blind students educational goals. But, first thanks God and thanks America that we as blind student have the best technological accessible educational system here in the US than any other part of the world. However, talking about educational accessibility for blind doesn't make sense without talking about assistive technology (AT) for visually impaired or blind students. Therefore, I will define what assistive technology means is and what type of AT used and how and what AT blind students use for educational purposes. Finally, I will talk the effectiveness and problems of accessible technology or accessibility challenges for blind students and recommend
possible solutions.
Assistive Technology (AT)
The Disabilities Act of 1988 known as the "Tech Act", Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and The Assistive Technology Act, known as the "AT Act", assistive technology is defined as,
any item piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.
Assistive Technology has been using by blind students for communication, socialization, education, employment, health, for function and for fun etc. In short, AT enables blind people to be more independent and to have better quality of life. However, each AT has its own advantage as well as challenges.
How Do Visually or Blind Students Achieve their Educational goals:
Blind and visually impaired students face many challenges and barriers when it comes to education. However, this does not mean that achieving educational goals are impossible. Of course yes many companies like Microsoft, AT maker venders, and law maker institutions are dedicated to ensure that technologies are accessible and useable to the visually impaired people in the course of their school or in the course of their life.
Blind or visually impaired students use assistive technology like White Cane, Guide Dogs, Screen readers, Text-to-speech software, Braille Displays, Braille embossers, Braille note takers, Scanners, Screen Magnification software, Video Magnifiers/CCTV and Large Print Keyboards... to speed up and achieve their educational objectives. Because of assistive technology, visually impaired and totally blind students are able to graduate from high school as well as from colleges and universities; as a result, we see many blind and visually people working in different field with different type of companies, organizations and governmental institutions.
Accessibility challenges:
Nevertheless, there are so many accessibility challenges for visually impaired or blind students. Most of these challenges are due to lack of compliance to accessibility guide lines and rules. Even though, technology platform offers accessible setting user interface, but many technology makers fail to provide accessible product and services. Visually impaired student needs access of all learning materials in order to successfully turn in their class/home work. Student needs to scan text books and read, resize fonts, to set high contrast, to change focus rectangle thickness, or adjust volume system sound etc. In using online materials visually impaired students' needs to have multiple way of accessing web sites. Students need direct access to the navigation menu, direct access to the main content of the page and needs to know the images, input forms, links, tables, videos, and control buttons in the site.
Accessibility Solutions:
Technology makers and web site designers should design their products and services with accessibility in mind. Furthermore, the problems blind students have can be solved if technology software/hardware developers and web site designers comply with the accessibility guide lines and rules. If technology makers and website designers incorporate the accessibility methodology into early stage of their product development and comply to the US American with Disability Act (ADA), US Communication and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA): 255, 716, 718 Communication Act, Microsoft Accessibility Standard (MAS), Web Content Accessibility Guide Line (WCAG 2.0), Section 508, and other international laws, the technology makers would increase their productivities, increase their market shares, reduce company's costs, and satisfy their social responsibilities.
