TGDC Meeting, Jan 2011 Accessibility and Usability Considerations for UOCAVA Remote Electronic Voting Systems Sharon Laskowski, PhD National Institute of Standards and Technology

TGDC Meeting, Jan 2011 Overview Goal: Provide guidance on best practices for usability and accessibility when designing and implementing remote voting systems White paper parallels the security considerations report Scope is electronic remote voting systems Page 2

TGDC Meeting, Jan 2011 Issues and recommendations are organized by technology 35 recommendations General accessibility and usability Web browsers Web ballot repositories Online ballot markers and electronic form fillers Kiosks Telephone-based interfaces Fax machines Page 3

TGDC Meeting, Jan 2011 General Guidance Refer to existing standards VVSG 1.0, 1.1, 2.0 Section 508 Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) guidelines and techniques including the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0) Test with voters, including voters with disabilities, in a user-centered design process Page 4

TGDC Meeting, Jan 2011 Web-Based Approaches Browser compatibility WCAG 2.0 guidelines Accessible authentication e.g., avoid visual CAPTCHAs Screen readers need clear focus of attention Universal design, e.g, plain language Page 5

TGDC Meeting, Jan 2011 Page 6 Built-in Accessibility vs. PAT Web-based systems can achieve some accessibility by designing for compatibility with Personal Assistive Technology (PAT) However, many voters with disabilities Do not have access to or experience with PAT Vote from a public location Accessibility should be built-in where possible E.g, magnification, audio Kiosk systems if designed to VVSG will have some built-in accessibility

TGDC Meeting, Jan 2011 Ballot Repositories: Electronic vs. Paper For usability and accessibility, minimize handling and marking of paper ballots Use on-line ballot marking following best practices and standards for electronic form-filling e.g., check for over- and under-voting e.g., use audio or magnification for filling out and verifying PDF needs to be accessible Marks must be understood by a screen reader Page 7

TGDC Meeting, Jan 2011 Other issues Telephone interfaces should follow best practices for interactive voice response systems US telecom standards might not apply overseas Fax machines, in general, will not be accessible Page 8

TGDC Meeting, Jan 2011 Proposed Resolution White paper on “Accessibility and Usability Considerations for UOCAVA Remote Electronic Voting Systems” The TGDC accepts the white paper titled “Accessibility and Usability Considerations for UOCAVA Remote Electronic Voting Systems” for transmittal to the Election Assistance Commission. This paper responds to the Technical Guidelines Development Committee (TGDC) resolution requesting that the National Institute of Standards and Technology conduct a short-term (several months) research study on accessibility and usability considerations for remote electronic Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Rights Act (UOCAVA) voting similar to the research document on "Security Considerations for Remote Electronic UOCAVA Voting. Page 9