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IT Accessibility Review
Volume 1, Number 7
Around the IT/Web Accessible World
Accessibility of Products: Finally a Priority
The French National Institute of Consumption (INC) in collaboration with the National Liaison Committee for the Rehabilitation of People with Disabilities (CNRH) carried out tests from 1996 to 2002 on the accessibility of products for people with disabilities. These tests are regularly published in the French consumer magazine "60 Millions de Consommateurs" and are related to the easiness of use of products, on a day-to-day basis by people with disabilities and older people.
The project leader, Mr Rémi Reuss, who is in charge of the technical service within INC, explains that the products tested have been evaluated according to each kind of disorder (motor, visual and hearing disorders) and that their use has also been "ranked." The evaluations were done on the basis of observations and interviews of seven people with disabilities who tested the products, using them as they would at home. An engineer, an ergonomist, and an ergo-therapist worked closely together on this project. They developed case studies and questionnaires that they used to carry out the tests. They reported afterwards on topics like the problems encountered and the level of satisfaction.
The results collected since 1996 indicate that some products used by the "general public" are better adapted than others for people with a physical or hearing disorder. Mr Rémi Reuss admits that a slow progress of the results could be observed overall. "However" he says, "manufacturers tend not to listen to INC´s recommendations; the issue of product "accessibility is considered as marginal and not as a priority, and is too often unknown." INC is convinced that the best way to solve the issue of accessibility is by applying the principles of design for all in the design phase of a product. Making a mass product accessible for the widest range of people is better than to give greater importance to specific solutions that are not always necessary.
In order to make manufacturers more sensitive to this, INC decided to actively participate in the strategic brainstorming group (GRS) chaired by AFNOR, the French Standardization Body. Furthermore, INC also participated in the AFNOR working group on "products and services" which produced a guide of good practice for industry and standard bodies concerning the accessibility of white products (large domestic appliances). It obviously takes into account the CEN/CENELEC Guide 6 on safety and use of products by people with disabilities. Ms. Marie-Solange Bureau, who is in charge of the GRS group in AFNOR, confirms that the above mentioned guide of good practice is currently being published and that another guide relating to accessibility signs in cities has just been published.
- Visit "60 Millions de Consommateurs" magazine at: www.60millions-mag.com
- Visit CONSO at www.conso.net
- Visit AFNOR at www.afnor.fr
Interview: Anne McGuire MP, New Minister for Disabled People
Anne McGuire was appointed Minister for Disabled People a few short weeks ago, replacing Maria Eagle. In one of the first interviews published since taking that role, BBC News website Disability Affairs Correspondent Geoff Adams-Spink finds out more about the minister and her take on disability.
- To read the interview: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/news/btn/geoff_mcguireiv.shtml
Improving the Design of Neighborhoods (I´DGO) Project
A team of University researchers from the United Kingdom is working with government organizations, designers, older people and disabled people to find out how the design of the outdoor environment can improve the quality of life (QoL) of older people.
The first task was to identify the aspects of quality of life likely to be affected by the outdoor environment and 15 focus groups with older people were conducted across the UK to determine this. From this, the following thirteen aspects of QoL were identified (listed in alphabetical order):
- Autonomy (independence; self-actualization; self-esteem)
- Care and support (looked after by enablers / family)
- Control (Self-efficacy; motivation)
- Emotional well-being (mental health; opportunities for relaxation)
- Enjoyment (satisfaction with the neighborhood including cleanliness and attractiveness; going out, feeling good and relaxed)
- Good neighborhood (lack of noise; safety; security; cleanliness)
- Mobility (ease of access to facilities / amenities and open space; ability to go out; wayfinding ability)
- Perceived safety (from attack / assault / robbery; frightening young people)
- Physical health (opportunities for exercise; access to fresh air)
- Safety and comfort (not falling or having accidents; safety from traffic)
- Sense of community (belonging; social support networks)
- Social interaction (extent of interaction with people in the neighborhood; involvement in social activities)
- Stimulation (opportunity for variety; sense of purpose)
The next stage of the research is to look at how different elements of the design of the outdoor environment help or hinder the aspects of quality of life identified above. This stage involves a number of different questionnaires with residents and surveys of people´s neighborhood environments. The combined analysis of this will provide a useful guide for designers in thinking about how to more effectively design outdoor environments such that they are inclusive.
Further information on the Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors (I´DGO) project is available at www.idgo.ac.uk or from Rita Newton at r.newton@salford.ac.uk
Source:
Global Universal Design Educator´s Online News
April-May-June 2005 Issue
DRC Launches National Debate on the Future of Equality
The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) has launched a major national debate on the future of disabled people´s equality in Britain with its discussion paper, Shaping the Future of Equality.
In what promises to be the biggest and most wide-ranging debate ever on disability in Britain, Bert Massie, Chairman of the DRC said, "The Disability Debate is the opportunity to become actively involved in shaping a fresh agenda for disability equality. Over the coming months we want to talk to our friends and stakeholders in order to identify the major priorities for a new agenda - one which will push forward the frontier of disabled people´s opportunities and continue the momentum, built up over the last ten years, towards a society in which disabled people can participate as equal citizens."
Mr. Massie continued, "While massive progress has been made since the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) first came onto the statute book in 1995, there is still a long way to go to reaching this goal."
The Disability Debate seeks to identify and articulate the big priorities for a new disability agenda and provide a roadmap for both the Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR) and Government over the next 10-15 years.
Questions that will form part of the Disability Debate include:
- How can we ensure disabled people are safe in their communities?
- How can disabled people be equipped with the skills to play an active role in society?
- How can we ensure that disabled people are in control of their own lives?
- How can we reform the welfare state so that it supports independence rather than creating dependence?
Bert Massie said, "Being an equal citizen means sharing responsibilities as well as having rights, but if you live in a society where you are not valued, where prejudice circumscribes in advance what you can offer and even throws up barriers to your inclusion - in work, at school, or in your community - your worth as a member of society diminishes, as does your opportunity to make a valued contribution. That is the state, despite the DDA, of many disabled people and finding the ways to overcome this is the challenge of the Disability Debate. The DRC wants to hear from people about their priorities, ideas, and thoughts concerning a fresh agenda."
The DRC will be employing a range of innovative techniques and offering a host of different opportunities for people to get involved. These include SMS text messaging and a dedicated phone line where people can leave their comments and ideas.
Bert Massie continued, "A new agenda will only be credible if it is informed by the experiences and priorities of disabled people. It will only be delivered if it is widely owned and supported. We call on people to play an active part over the coming months in helping us develop a new agenda - one which by 2020 could truly see a Britain in which disabled people have become equal citizens."
The DRC Discussion Paper, Shaping the Future of Equality, is available at: www.disabilitydebate.org or by calling the DRC Helpline on 08457 622 633 or by textphone on: 08457 622 644.
Source:
- http://www.disabilities.afreepress.com/articles/index.cfm?artOID=302754&cp=3
Australian Government Moves to Improve Websites
Special Minister of State, Senator Eric Abetz has announced the Australian Government will review its Guide to Minimum Website Standards to make it easier for the public to access information and encourage agencies to adopt ´best practice´ methods.
"Government websites are becoming easier to use and more accessible for public to do business with government, but we must keep up the momentum," Minister Abetz said.
"The ongoing review of website standards demonstrates the government´s continuing commitment to improving service delivery and public accessibility."
The Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO) will conduct the website standards guide review. The Guide to Minimum Website Standards, introduced in 2002, sets out the minimum website standards that government agencies must use to ensure website development, management and functionality are world class.
"The guide is an active and positive ´agent of change´ and supports the government´s overall e-government strategy," Minister Abetz said.
The AGIMO review will include a stock take and gap analysis of existing government standards. This will be part of a wider list of e-government initiatives that focus on improving government administration, information management, and service.
Source:
- AGIMO
http://www.agimo.gov.au/media/2005/may/42991.html
JISC Approves National Standard of Information Accessibility
The Japanese Industrial Standards Committee (JISC) has approved a national standard of information accessibility. The standard is Part 4 of X 8341 series. The title is "JIS X 8341-4 Guidelines for Older Persons and Persons with Disabilities -- Information Communication Equipment and Services -- Part4 Telecommunications Equipment."
Now Japan has four standards:
- JIS X 8341-1 Part 1 Common Guidelines
- JIS X 8341-2 Part 2 Information Processing Equipment
- JIS X 8341-3 Part 3 Web Contents
- JIS X 8341-4 Part 4 Telecommunications Equipment
Also, we expect "Part 5 Office Machines" will be submitted this fall.
We contribute to international standardization. X 8341-1 is the baseline document of ISO 9241-20 "Ergonomics of Human-System Interaction -- Part 20; Guidance for the Accessibility of Information Communication Equipment and Services" now under discussion in ISO/TC159/SC4/WG6.
X 8341-4 has already been submitted to ITU-T/SG16 (Q2605016, "Telecommunications Accessibility Guidelines for Older Persons and Persons with Disabilities.") X 8341-3 is referred by W3C/WAI in the process of developing WCAG 2.0.
I served as the chair of the drafting committee for X 8341-4, and I am very happy today to have achieved this goal.
Accessibility Standards Meeting Report
The ISO/IEC JTC 1/SWG-A, Task Group 2-- Accessibility Standards Inventory & Gap Analysis held a meeting on July 21-22, 2005, at St. Michael´s College, Toronto University, Toronto, Canada.
The objective of the TG 2 meeting was to progress development of the Inventory of Accessibility Standards and Gap Analysis.
The TG 2 meeting was preceded by a meeting of TG 1 (User requirements). Several experts from TG 1 also attended the TG 2 meeting.
The discussions in this meeting addressed several topics relating to the proposed Inventory of Accessibility Standards and Gap Analysis Process:
Inventory of Accessibility Standards
It was agreed that the results of the work of TG 1 (User requirements) should be used to gather information of accessibility standards, but that TG 2 should not wait until this activity was complete and that a questionnaire be developed for distribution to standards producing organizations for this purpose.
The term "users" in the terms of reference was elaborated as "product users and standards users".
It was agreed that it would be the responsibility of national body organizations participating in SWG-A to contact users to share and promote the work of the SWG-A.
There was a discussion regarding recording the minutes of the TG 2 meetings, i.e., "written" minutes versus real time transcription. Written minutes were agreed as being the most practical at this time.
A prototype inventory in the form of a spreadsheet was available and discussed at this meeting. While there was not a great deal of discussion on its structure, the issue of how the information that would be used to populate the inventory would be gathered initiated considerable discussion.
It was also recognized that not all standards generating organizations would be able to complete the questionnaires and that TG 2 members would also have to complete some questionnaires.
It was recognised that the questionnaire would need several trial cycles before it would be considered fully ready to use.
At the TG 2 meeting, a prototype questionnaire was prepared and trialled by three sub-groups using ISO 9241-20, the W3C WCAG WAI Guidelines and an IMS standard. Several new requirements were identified:
- The need for a user instructions for the questionnaire
- The need for more than just check boxes. i.e., room for comments and explanations
- The ability to "turn-off" columns not required
- The spreadsheet was not accessible
- That one provision in a standard may map to several user needs Space to add provisions in the standards that were not in the questionnaire
- That user needs should be arranged by domain
- That the user needs should be more simply described
- That two new user needs be included, i.e.,
- Easy to return to default settings
- More time to understand information
- That this information be provided to TG 1
Consequently, a number of resolutions were agreed:
- That JTC 1 consider maintenance of the inventory following the 2-3 year life of SWG-A
- That JTC 1 considers amending the forms for New Project ballots to include a question on accessibility requirements
- An ad hoc group was formed to commence the population of the standards inventory
- An ad hoc group was formed to conduct trials and develop the user needs questionnaire
- An ad hoc group was formed to restructure the User Needs Summary to simplify the assessment process
- An ad hoc group was formed to research metadata approaches to enable the most appropriate collection of standards data for subsequent gap analysis
- An ad hoc group was formed to research vocabulary-based approaches available to best identify the mapping of provisions against user needs and to make recommendations to Task Group 2 on how to proceed
NOTE: All of these ad hoc groups will report back to the next SWG-A meetings in September.
Experts attending in this meeting:
| Name: | Country: |
|---|---|
| Judy Brewer | USA |
| Deborah Finn | USA or Canada? |
| Jennifer Garner (SWG-A secretariat) | USA |
| John Gill | United Kingdom |
| Kate Grant | United Kingdom |
| Andy Heath | United Kingdom |
| Karen Higginbottom (SWG-A convenor) | USA |
| Richard Hodgkinson (editor) | United Kingdom |
| Masato Katsumata | Japan |
| Alex Li | USA |
| Yoshihiko Nakano | Japan |
| Liddy Nevile | Australia |
| Shigetoyo Nomura | Japan |
| Connie Myers | USA |
| Erlend Overby | Norway |
| Dave Sawdon (convenor) | United Kingdom |
| Andi Snow-Weaver | USA |
| Michael Takemura | USA |
| Jason Thompson | Canada? |
| James Thurston | USA |
| Jim Tobais | USA |
| Jutta Treviranus | Canada |
| Hajime Yamada | Japan |
Future Meetings:
| Dates: | Location: |
|---|---|
| 2005-09-12 to 2005-09-16 | Tokyo, Japan |
| 2006-03-13 to 17 or 2005-03-06 to 10 | TBD |
| 2006-06-12 to 16 or 2006-06-05 to 09 | TBD |
| 2006-09-25 to 29 or 2006-09-18 to 22 | TBD |
