Designing in the Dark A Collaborative Project

I am so Lucky! At UTC, I am part of the SoTL community AKA the Faculty Fellows At UTC, I am part of the SoTL community AKA the Faculty Fellows One of the previous year’s Faculty Fellows was trying to include the Web in his technical writing class. One of the previous year’s Faculty Fellows was trying to include the Web in his technical writing class. Because of the collegial milieu fostered in the Faculty Fellows, he came to me for collaboration. Because of the collegial milieu fostered in the Faculty Fellows, he came to me for collaboration.

Learning Objective “We today acculturate our students and inform them on such issues so that tomorrow they may go on with their lives familiar with the many and diverse needs of readers and users of screen-based texts.“ “We today acculturate our students and inform them on such issues so that tomorrow they may go on with their lives familiar with the many and diverse needs of readers and users of screen-based texts.“ Dr. Joe Wilferth

Utility and usability as goals in technical communication readers should be able to access and use the information presented and this is traditionally contingent on visual cues, bold type bold type bulleted lists bulleted lists hierarchically arranged headings hierarchically arranged headings graphics graphics charts charts images images

Utility and usability as goals in technical communication However, not all of the audience can follow these “traditional” visual cues Persons with disabilities may have trouble in a variety of areas. To accommodate these disabilities, you have to identify the persons abilities

Persons with visual disability Disability - Has difficulty seeing. Maybe blind but maybe just low vision Disability - Has difficulty seeing. Maybe blind but maybe just low vision Ability – Will probably have use of their other sensory pathways. Hearing and touch being the next most sophisticated. Ability – Will probably have use of their other sensory pathways. Hearing and touch being the next most sophisticated. Adaptation – have visual information presented aurally or tactilely. Adaptation – have visual information presented aurally or tactilely.

Adapting the user interface Visual pathways are thought to process information in parallel. Auditory and tactile pathways are thought to processed information in series.

Good visual design places the navigation near the content so the reader can choose their own order of reading Problem: Auditory or tactile pathways cannot process navigation text at the same time as content. A different layout is needed Adapting the user interface

Where did this problem come from?

The W 3 eb In the beginning was the word The world wide web was a text only system. The world wide web was a text only system. Screen readers could read it. Screen readers could read it.

The W 3 eb Someone got the bright idea to add pictures Someone got the bright idea to add pictures Someone else thought the reading experience could be improved using layout principles. Someone else thought the reading experience could be improved using layout principles. Screen readers could no longer access all the content. access all the content.

The W 3 eb Page layout with frames separated content into different html files. Page layout with frames separated content into different html files. Page layout with tables chopped sentences up into different cells. Page layout with tables chopped sentences up into different cells. Garbled the understanding of both content and context.

ADA compliance Federal law requires all entities that draw federal monies to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (like universities)

ADA compliance Which means that people with disabilities must be able to access information produced by these institutions (catalog information online course delivery systems)

ADA compliance Page layout methods of most current HTML web pages are designed for people without disabilities (frames for layout tables for text layout)

Universal Accommodation The concept of creating something from the beginning in such a way that it will not require adaptation to become accessible. The concept of creating something from the beginning in such a way that it will not require adaptation to become accessible.

Universal accommodation Create content that can be received through various sensory pathways Create content that can be received through various sensory pathways All visual information needs to available in verbal form or in tactile form (Braille) All visual information needs to available in verbal form or in tactile form (Braille)

There are two different ways that you can accommodate these needs. 1. Duplicate all content to be accessible through multiple sensory pathways 2. Create content that can be “multi- purposed” by the end user to what ever their individual needs are Universal accommodation

Multiple files approach Yeah right, we barely have time to create the content once. Yeah right, we barely have time to create the content once. Most content developers have a limited knowledge of disabilities and how to accommodate them Most content developers have a limited knowledge of disabilities and how to accommodate them

Multiple layout, one file Solution: CSS (Cascading Style Sheet) allows an html file to be shown differently for different end users. Separation of content from layout. Separation of content from layout. End user has control over how text is displayed End user has control over how text is displayed

Low vision – Does not need text read to them Solution – Increase contrast Increase contrast Increase text size Increase text size Remember to allow the least intrusive accommodation possible Adapting the user interface

Create content that can be “multi-purposed” A person with low vision will be able to adjust the contrast and size of the content.

For verbally presented content, the navigation needs to be presented before the content. Needs to be present on every page Needs to be present on every page Needs to be “skippable” if the reader does not need it. Needs to be “skippable” if the reader does not need it. Adapting the user interface

Create content that can be “multi-purposed” A person who is Blind can choose to have the content presented verbally or tactilely through a Braille screen Pictures will be described not just named. Pictures will be described not just named. Video will have DVS (Descriptive Video Services.) Video will have DVS (Descriptive Video Services.)

Who is the Audience? The primary focus of this process so far was to accommodate people with visual impairment. The primary focus of this process so far was to accommodate people with visual impairment. The Blind The Blind Low Vision Low Vision The World Wide Web is currently a visually predominant medium

Who is the Audience? But they are not the only disability types out there. But they are not the only disability types out there. Physical Disabilities Physical Disabilities Cognitive Disabilities Cognitive Disabilities Psychosocial Disabilities Psychosocial Disabilities Developmental Disabilities Developmental Disabilities The Deaf The Deaf

Create content that can be “multi-purposed” Physical Disability has probably gotten the most press over the years because it is the easiest to see and understand. Accessibility issues are more with interacting with the information rather than with getting the information

Physical accommodation can overcome these issues Typing on a keyboard using only one hand Simplify your web addresses and page names Controlling a mouse with a hand palsy Space out navigation links Clicking a hyperlink using mouthstick Make the target big enough to hit

Physical accommodation can overcome these issues Cognitive disability – Have information presented through multiple sensory pathways. This helps activate the reticular activating system and increases attention.

Physical accommodation can overcome these issues Psychosocial disability – Have information presented in clear, concise chunks to help reduce frustration. Make sure navigation is efficient.

Developmental disabilities A combination of all of the other disability groups. A combination of all of the other disability groups. But the abilities of the individuals will always be unique But the abilities of the individuals will always be unique

The Deaf All verbal information needs to be found in text form. Once again ALT= tags but this time on audio files.

Continue the conversation Create content that is accessible through multiple sensory methods Create content that is accessible through multiple sensory methods Content should not be split between sensory pathways. It should be “duplicatable” Content should not be split between sensory pathways. It should be “duplicatable” Use CSS to format content for multiple audiences instead of creating multiple files (we like styles, not files) Use CSS to format content for multiple audiences instead of creating multiple files (we like styles, not files)