1. Assistive Technology Update and Creating Accessible Training Jonathan Avila Chief Accessibility Officer jon.avila@ssbbartgroup.com

2. Document Accessibility Introduction Agenda Introduction Assistive Technology Update Maintain a Productive Workforce –Create Accessible Training –Provide the right assistive technology –Promote growth

3. Document Accessibility Introduction Background SSB Background Founded in 1997 by engineers with disabilities Over 1,000 commercial and government customers 2,000+ enterprise projects successfully completed Over fifty percent staffing mix of individuals with disabilities Pioneers of commercial accessibility validation tools Investment of 10 years and 8.7M dollars into AMP platform My Background 15 years experience Work with end users who are blind visually impaired Assessed worksite software Custom scripting solutions Develop accessibility best practices Create technology policy Create training Create accessibility solutions: –Web –Flash –Multimedia

4. Document Accessibility Introduction Accessibility Policy WCAG 2 is now a ISO standard Dept. of Justice desires to apply ADA to the web –Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking –Netflix ruling Twenty-first Century Video and Communications Act (CVAA) –Advanced communication systems, media players Section 508 refresh –Standards harmonization Structured negotiations/Settlements –Major League Baseball, Charles Schwab –Accessibility Information Pages

5. Document Accessibility Assistive Technology Update

6. Document Accessibility Assistive Technology Update Mobile Mainstream mobile apps replace specialized devices –Barcode readers, currency identifiers, Optical Character Recognition (OCR) –Global Positioning System (GPS), transportation/travel apps, (including indoor GPS) Transportation is significant factor in employee –Task reminders (location or time based) –Reading and writing assistance Expectation of mainstream apps vs. cost for specialized apps

7. Document Accessibility Assistive Technology Update Android Android (Jelly Bean) –TalkBack Gestures Explorer by touch Contracted braille support –Magnification –TTY access/total conversation software –Voice search –Apps Gesture Search Text-to-speech Text Entry/Word prediction

8. Document Accessibility Assistive Technology Update iOS Latest features –Assistive Touch –Guided Access –Support for multiple assistive features at once Apps –Fleksy (typing prediction) –Communication software for deaf/blind

9. Document Accessibility Assistive Technology Update Windows Windows 8 Surface Pro/RT –Narrator support for IE –Narrator gesture support –Approximately 80 commands for Narrator –Continue to support AT ease of access features like Built in Voice Recognition, on-screen keyboards, sticky keys –Varied support for existing AT (no mirror drivers) ZoomText still in beta NVDA, JAWS, Dragon –Gesture commands for NVDA No screen reader in Windows Phone 8

10. Document Accessibility Assistive Technology Update Additional AT Updates JAWS 14 –Flexible Web ZoomText on Mac OS Open source assistive technology –NVDA screen reader –Glassbrick screen magnifier –More text-to-speech synthesizers Braille –Multiline braille displays practical in next year –Cost reduction in braille displays

11. Document Accessibility Maintain a Productive Workforce

12. Document Accessibility Maintain a Productive Workforce Overview Consistent and accessible training The right technology/assistive technology Growth potential Goals Empower employee to take responsibility (self efficacy)

13. Document Accessibility Create Accessible Training

14. Document Accessibility Create Accessible Training Consistent Training Types of training –Individual –Class –eLearning Issues with rapid eLearning development tools Issues with simulations –Actual system with test account Universal Design for Learning (UDL) from Center for Applied Special Technology –Flexible learning environment –Accommodate individual differences –Multiple means of presentation, expression, and engagement

15. Document Accessibility Create Accessible Training Consistent Training ADDIE framework Assess –The audience (people with disabilities), requirements, goals Design –Accessibility of instruction, experience, and interfaces Develop –Built in accessibility supported methods Implement –Perform the training, train the trainer, etc. Evaluate –Evaluate attainment of goals and adjust training

16. Document Accessibility Create Accessible Training ADDIE - Analysis Identify the applicable standards and audience –e.g. WCAG 2 Level A and AA Identify technology being used (delivery method) –Multimedia, simulation –Job aids, documents, PDF –Adobe Flash, RIA, interactive content –In-person (communication methods) Identify accessibility of frameworks, dev tools, LMS –Rapid development tools (Captivate, Lectora, Camtasia, etc.) –JQuery, Dojo, YUI, GWT What are the goals/outcomes for the training

17. Document Accessibility Create Accessible Training ADDIE - Design Storyboarding Instructional soundness to different learners Technical Design –Consistent, clear, and multiple ways of navigation –Placement of controls for audio, dynamic content, and multimedia –Presentation of alternatives, captions, dynamic content –Ability for content to be resized and adjusted by the user –Use of color, contrast, and indication of focus –Sequence, order, and consistent identification of content –Error handling –Avoidance of flashing content –Wording and placement of labels and instructions

18. Document Accessibility Create Accessible Training ADDIE - Development Implement items from design phase Implement items in an accessible manner –Keyboard Access and focus handling –Expose equivalents for non-text elements appropriately –Implement structural markup Tables, headings, lists, language indication –Text instead of Images of text –Create programmatic link between information and relationships

19. Document Accessibility Create Accessible Training ADDIE – Development (cont.) Automated testing Manual inspection –Accessibility toolbars Testing with assistive technologies –Do not test to AT but use it as a tool for testing –Test with various AT Screen Reader Screen Magnifier Voice Recognition Testing with users that have disabilities –Testing in LMS environment

20. Document Accessibility Create Accessible Training ADDIE - Implement Train facilitation on how to work with people with disabilities Train on accessible deliver methods –Sign language interpret/CART –Describe visual information in audible format –Provide materials in accessible format –Accessibility of the physical training environment

21. Document Accessibility Create Accessible Training ADDIE - Evaluate Where the outcomes met for the audience? Use feedback to modify future activities Encourage self efficacy Help employees understand how they learn Create best practices

22. Document Accessibility The Right Assistive Technology

23. Document Accessibility The Right Assistive Technology Overview Assistive technology assessment –Perform functional evaluation –Try out different AT options –Combine AT when needed –Efficiency E.g. text-to-speech may be more effective than magnification at high level Certain AT may not be compatible with certain ICT Balance keeping AT updated with cognitive load/efficiency –Updates can take user out of production –Can provide new features Have ICT support desk plan

24. Document Accessibility The Right Assistive Technology Upgrade Plan –Separate machine –Update AT –Have expert assist –Test with user –Switch over once testing is complete Scripting/customization to software –Script may increase efficiency beyond non-disabled staff Customize physical environment Search for different interfaces –Increase in mobile and web apps –Inaccessibility of certain third party applications

25. Document Accessibility Growth Potential

26. Document Accessibility Growth Potential Overview Accessibility of internal/external job site and application process –Career center –HR documentation Accessibility of testing/assessments Accessibility of technology used in different position Bring current AT to new position ICT support desk accessibility training

27. Document Accessibility Resources Android Access – rates accessibility of Android Apps http://androidaccess.net/browse.php iOS Accessible Apps http://applevis.com/ Technology Best Practices by Platform https://www.webaccessibility.com/best_practices.php AMP (Accessibility Management Platform) http://amp.ssbbartgroup.com CAST's Universal Design for Learning (UDL) http://www.cast.org/udl/ ADDIE framework http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADDIE_Model

28. SSB Bart Group: Jon Avila jon.avila@ssbbartgroup.com