Slide3-9 Quality Assurance Matters

Accessibility is the practice of using accessibility standards to make information, activities, and/or environments sensible, meaningful, and usable for as many people as possible.
Measurement: Productivity, Inclusion and Communications.

Accessibility evaluation tools perform web page automated checks, but each is designed for a specific target audience based on a specific conformance standard. So, it is important to choose an appropriate evaluation tool for the intended reporting purpose.

1. Many tools can only perform an evaluation and may be free to use, but many commercially available tools provide repair guidance in addition to the evaluation process.
2. Some tools are simple and limited and evaluate just one page at a time without downloading or installing an application.
3. Some tools are very detail oriented and examine large sites and check for a variety of errors.
4. Some tools are created as extensions to a browser.
5. Some tools require installation on your hard drive or server.
6. The AI Overlay widget browsers may offer assistance to people who have trouble typing, moving a mouse, gesturing or reading a screen. There are a number of reasons why you might consider using AI Overlays, but WCAG compliance should not be one.

Usability is the ease of use and learnability of a human-made object.
Measurement: Effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction.

An Accessibility Expert, or a assistive technology user group, can test the website functionalities and interoperability to determine the level of productivity and satisfaction.

1. Test for adaptive techniques that people with disabilities use to improve interaction with the web, such as increasing text size, reducing mouse speed, or turning on captions. Sometimes changing the user’s web browser, using additional software or hardware, or otherwise customizing the computer can further improve the accessibility user experience.
2. Accessibility browser extensions can provide a number of features to help navigation such as color filters, visible focus indicators, Caret browsing and spatial navigation.
3. Assistive Technology software or hardware like screen readers that read aloud web pages for people who cannot read text, and screen magnifiers for people with some types of low vision. Voice recognition software and selection switches for people who cannot use a keyboard or mouse.

Perform a quick usability test to identify some of the most obvious accessibility issues on the website: The Odd Bunch Using assistive technologies for manual testing and a brouser plugin, or cloud based, evaluation tools.

• ANDI: Accessible Name and Description Inspector, An accessibility plug-in testing tool
• WebAIM: Wave Web Page Checker
• W3C/WAI: Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools List

From information to knowledge (Knowledge is power). Designing a functional room, building, smart city, or website, requires features that allow humans to perceive their environment and make decisions. Marketing is about creating a recognized brand through customer relationships.

From accessibility to usability (Usability is enabling). Assuming you have access to the information and understand the options, can you independently act upon your decision, or are you dependent upon human assistance? Effective communications is about networking and branding.

From passive to active (Active is inclusive). Assuming you have access to the information and able to act independently upon your options, are you an active participant or a passive observer? Procurement of inaccessible tools and resources is one of the biggest employment barriers.

From chaos to stability (Stability is satisfaction). The digital revolution has disrupted the traditional management model, and the struggle for competitive advantage has forced organizations to respond to the rapid changes in technology innovation and human rights demands. This has resulted in systemic barriers in the job market for blind persons. Employment policies and procedures need to be flexible.

Visual disabilities range from mild or moderate vision impairments in one or both eyes (low vision or partial sight), to substantial and uncorrectable loss of vision in both eyes (blindness). Some people have reduced or lack of sensitivity to certain colors (color blindness), or increased sensitivity towards excessive brightness in colors.

Auditory disabilities range from mild or moderate hearing impairments in one or both ears (hard of hearing), to substantial and uncorrectable impairment of hearing in both ears (deafness). To support people who cannot hear, videos should have Closed Captions, subtitles and/or transcripts.

Physical disabilities include weakness, limitations of muscular control (such as involuntary movements including tremors, lack of coordination, or paralysis), limitations of sensation, joint problems (such as arthritis), pain that impedes movement, or missing limbs.

Cognitive and neurological disabilities involve disorders of any part of the nervous system, including the brain and the peripheral nervous system. This can impact how well people hear, move, see, speak, understand information, and inability to remember or focus on large amounts of information. Cognitive and neurological disabilities do not necessarily affect the intelligence of a person.

Age related or temporary disabilities will effect everyone at some point in their life. When driving you need hands free devices. When in a noisy environment you need text and images. Web Accessibility is essential For Some, but useful For All.