Problems and Solutions in Accessibility and Usability of ICT for Disabled People

Gill Whitney Design for All Research Group Middlesex University [email protected]

My Background

I have worked to use the practical use of regulation, legislation and standardisation to support Digital Inclusion (or the belief that these are tools which should be used when relevant).

Digital Exclusion

“…increasingly we find that vital information, communications, better shopping and financial deals, and some public services are now only available online. Indeed, many of these facilities are most beneficial to those who are not using them. There is concern that those who are not using digital technology, and indeed those who wish to, but are trying to “catch up”, are excluded.” From the homepage of the SEEDS project http://www.fastuk.org/research/projview.php?id=1642

Real people have complex needs and lead complex lives A person with diabetes may have reduced sensitivity in their hands and feet and be blind or partially sighted. Their requirements could include some or all of the requirements for a user with mobility, dexterity and visual impairment. They may also have a lower level of literacy and also of digital literacy and live in a area of slow (or no) broadband access.

Example: A visually impaired user who wishes to access audio described television programmes would need:  to be able to have access to digital television,  to be able to select the audio description service,  to be able to find out which programmes have audio description (most likely through a web based television guide).

Recent Projects  Benchmarking Education about Standardization, funded by the British Standards Institute 2013 to 2014  The use of information systems for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2012 to 2013  I was one of the authors of the recent revision of ISO/IEC Guide 71:2014 Guide for addressing accessibility in standards, including leading the task force on process.

Digital Inclusion Information and communication technologies, or ICTs, play a key role in all our daily lives, in our work, education, public services and in our homes. More and more new and complex services can be accessed electronically through a range of devices. Yet access, service design, personal capacity, trust, skills, willingness and awareness can represent significant barriers to some of the very people able to benefit most from these services.

Transfer of Accessibility Information  The aim of this lecture is to look at the challenges faced by people who are restricted in online access – and why this matters.

 Key issues:  Discrimination,  Legislation  Regulation

What needs to be done to enable Digital Inclusion?

Solutions exist that can be used, therefore you need;  Background knowledge of existing best practice design solutions (codified in standards or available in existing prize winning designs).

 Background knowledge of existing governmental and other initiatives used to promote digital inclusion.  Knowledge of when new solutions must be sought.

Transfer of Accessibility Information  The successful transformation of accessibility information from the `accessibility community' to others who are responsible for the specification, design and maintenance of technology.  The transfer of accessibility information is not straightforward for two reasons;  The political angle – as accessibility is firstly driven by human rights legislation.

 The fact that the audience for the accessibility information may be unwilling recipients of the information (not for reasons of wishing to discriminate but simply for reasons of cost, time, etc.).

Transfer of Accessibility Information  Ongoing research makes use of communication theory to pass information from users who have experienced accessibility problems to the designers and specifiers of the systems.  Communication theory `that richer, more personal means of communication’ are more effective.  The visually impaired end users have a full power of veto on any editing to the messages that have been created from their experiences.  It is hoped that these messages will support the use of relevant accessibility standards.

Examples of Mandates and Legislation which drive Accessibility

 The Equality Act  Section 508  Mandate 376 - standardisation mandate to CEN, CENELEC and ETSI in support of European accessibility requirements for public procurement of products and services in the ICT domain.

 M/473 Standardisation mandate to CEN, CENELEC and ETSI to include “Design for All” in relevant standardisation initiatives

European Public Procurement

 Public Procurement is the term used to describe the purchasing of works, supplies and services by national, regional and local public bodies, including central government, local authorities, fire and police authorities, defence, health services, joint consortia of public bodies, and public and private utilities.  The annual value amounts to around £500 billion, estimated at around 11.5% of EU Gross national product.

ISO/IEC 40500:2012 Information technology -- W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0

ISO/IEC 40500:2012 [Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0] covers a wide range of recommendations for making Web content more accessible. Following these guidelines will make content accessible to a wider range of people with disabilities, including blindness and low vision, deafness and hearing loss, learning disabilities, cognitive limitations, limited movement, speech disabilities, photo-sensitivity and combinations of these. Following these guidelines will also often make your Web content more usable to users in general.

Missing Knowledge  ETSI STF488 to help improve the user experience of people with limited cognitive abilities when using mobile ICT.

 Easy Surfing http://www.facileasurfer.ch/  http://einfachsurfen.ch/wp content/uploads/2015/03/Einfachsurfen-Eng A4_ACC_send.pdf

The Coles web accessibility case  Gisele Mesnage, legally blind from birth, who stated to the media that the evolution of online grocery shopping had “changed her life”.

 "For about three-and-a-half years I managed to use the website, select the delivery time, and do my orders unassisted.

 The delivery options were broken in a 2013 update.

 http://www.accessiq.org/news/w3c column/2015/02/the-coles-web-accessibility case-two-important-lessons-for-corporate

The Consumer Experience 2014

Ofcom’s annual reports into the consumer experience of the fixed and mobile, internet and digital broadcasting markets, available from; http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/market-data research/market-data/consumer-experience reports/consumer-experience-14/

The use of information systems for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities  Report Published  Management and context issues  Complexity of user requirements

Benchmarking Education about Standardization, funded by the British Standards Institute 2013 to 2014  Report available via BSI or Middlesex  Mixed Results  Standardisation champions – versus mainstream HE and FE teaching  Particular Issues with respect to HCI

ISO/IEC Guide 71:2001

Guidelines for standards developers to address the needs of older persons and persons with disabilities This Guide provides guidance to writers of relevant International Standards on how to take into account the needs of older persons and persons with disabilities. Whilst recognizing that some people with very extensive and complex disabilities may have requirements beyond the level addressed in this Guide, a very large number of people have minor impairments which can be easily addressed by relatively small changes of approach in standards, thereby increasing the market for the product or service.

The social model of disability

 Disability is created by barriers in society.

 The barriers generally fall into 3 categories:  the environment – including inaccessible buildings and services   people’s attitudes – stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice organisations – inflexible policies, practices and procedures  https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/creating -a-fairer-and-more-equal-society/supporting pages/the-social-model-of-disability

ISO/IEC Guide 71:2014

Guide for addressing accessibility in standards ISO/IEC Guide 71:2014 provides guidance to standards developers on addressing accessibility requirements and recommendations in standards that focus, whether directly or indirectly, on systems (i.e. products, services and built environments) used by people.

ISO/IEC Guide 71:2014

Guide for addressing accessibility in standards  Accessibility Goals  Human abilities and characteristics    Combination of the social and medical models of disability.

Both models used by standardisers.

Other models exist.

Conclusion  There are two factors which enable a person to be digitally included;  Those which enable the individual to have access to and to make use of existing technology.

 Those which change the design of the technology which make it easier to use.