About UPA 2010 Panel
How Accessibility Fits into Today's Usability Practice:
Presenting and debating perspectives, approaches, and techniques
Page Contents
Resources mentioned during the panel
Books
- Just Ask: Integrating Accessibility throughout Design, by Shawn Lawton Henry (book available online and in print) - readable, usable, useful, and engaging for practitioners in the usability analysis, user-interface and interaction design, and user-experience professions. ...provides readers with a very down-to-earth, practical, and readable introduction to incorporating these concerns into daily professional practice. — Aaron Marcus
- Design Meets Disability, by Graham Pullin - a major source of inspiration and a demonstration that inclusive design and creativity can go hand-in-hand —David Sloan
Online
- Developing a Web Accessibility Business Case for Your Organization, including new page on case studies, statistics, and other resources
- Videos of How People with Disabilities use ICT
- Involving Users in Web Projects for Better, Easier Accessibility - an introduction for those not familiar with usability techniques
- Web Accessibility and Older People: Meeting the Needs of Ageing Web Users
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
Panel abstract
We've known how to integrate accessibility in UCD for over 10 years, but many organizations are now using different methodologies such as agile development. Panelists will discuss: new approaches to accessibility; the role of usability specialists versus accessibility specialists; and combining standards with usability techniques to create accessible user experiences.
Panelists
- Shawn Henry, W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
- Amy Chen, Oracle
- Liam McGee, Communis
- Rolf Molich, DialogDesign
- David Sloan, Digital Media Access Group, University of Dundee
Notes from Shawn's presentation
- The first step not standards/guidelines. The first step is understanding the basics of how people with disabilities use the web.
- Accessibility is not about passing a checklist; accessibility is about people.
- ISO 9241-11 defines usability as the "extent to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals effectively, efficiently and with satisfaction in a specified context of use.”
Accessibility focuses on:- “specified users” including people with disabilities
- “specified context of use” covering a wide range of situations, including assistive technologies
- or:
- Usability means designing your website to be effective, efficient, and satisfying.
- Accessibility makes sure it is effective, efficient, and satisfying for more people — especially people with disabilities — and in more situations — including with assistive technologies (AT).
- Design for disabilities/functional limitations benefits users with situational limitations (e.g., can't see because electricity went out and room is dark, can't use hands to operate device because driving, etc., etc.).
- Accessibility is about all sorts of people in all sorts of situations.
- Accessibility is about designing your website so that more people can use it effectively in more situations.
- The web provides opportunity for unprecedented access to information and interaction for people with disabilities, compared to the physical world.
- Accessibility is one things that can vastly improve people’s lives around the world advance your career and
benefit your organization.
And not doing it harms people around the world. - Accessibility is an act of enlightened self-interest. [reference: ??? need to find again]
Notes from Amy's Presentation
- Accessibility should be incorporated into all phases of the user-centered design process.
- Oracle's Accessibility Program
- For a complicated enterprise-class application to be used successfully by a person with a disability, many things have to work together just right.
(See also Essential Components of Web Accessibility)
Notes from Liam's Presentations
- Two ways of working:
- Test things and then fix them
- Build them right first time
- Usability: Accessibility for Sissies... (just teasing)
Usability: an essential part of Accessibility
Notes from David's presentation
The role of an accessibility specialist in the usability profession in 2010 and beyond? How about:
- Technical adviser – implementing guidelines, advising on new technologies, evaluation
- Motivator – generator of empathy for inclusive design and spark for inspiration
- Translator - expressing practical, sensible and workable accessibility demands in recognisable terms to all members of the development and implementation team
- Gerontechnologist – someone who recognizes the particular value of older people in an inclusive design approach
More in David's blog post: The role of accessibility in the usability profession today – and tomorrow.