[CEUD-ICT] Accidental Accessible solutions

Wed Jan 28 13:54:49 GMT 2009

Hi,

Another  product not designed for visually impaired, but which provides
access to mp3 players  is the Rockbox firmware.  For more details see [1].

This firmware, when installed on an mp3 player, can provide access to spoken
menus,  and with a bit of extra work, access to spoken directory and
filenames.

The software was originally designed for people who wanted eyes free access
to their mp3 players.

This was the only way of getting access to features  of mp3 players for
years.  Also, it is completely open source, and reports of bugs  and
suggestions for improvements  for and from blind people was always
implemented quickly by the developers.

Just to note,  that Apple ripped off most of the ideas of rockbox when
designing speech access to the newly released iPod Nano.

Tim

[1]
http://www.rockbox.org

-----Original Message-----
From: ceud-ict-bounces at list.universaldesign.ie
[mailto:ceud-ict-bounces at list.universaldesign.ie] On Behalf Of Alan M.
Dalton
Sent: 28 January 2009 13:33
To: Centre for Excellence in Universal Design ICT mailing list
Subject: Re: [CEUD-ICT] Accidental Accessible solutions

My favourite example of a design solution that was designed for a market
other than disability but included all aspects of usability, is search
engine optimisation (SEO). SEO is the use of techniques to help a website
appear higher in a search engine's results for a search on a particular
keyword.

Google's page on "Webmaster Guidelines" [1] gives advice on how to implement
SEO. The webpage doesn't mention accessibility or usability; it just says
that "following these guidelines will help Google find, index, and rank your
site." However, practically all of those guidelines will also make a webpage
more usable by someone with a disability.

I've summarised Google's Webmaster Guidelines here.

Design and content guidelines:
- Clear hierarchical structure for the website
- Text links
- Site maps
- Information-rich websites
- Webpages that clearly describe your content
- Use of relevant keywords
- Use of text instead of images
- Accurate webpage titles
- Accurate, descriptive alternative text
- No broken links
- Correct HTML
- Short URLs
- Reasonable number of links per webpage.

Technical guidelines:
- Checking your website with a text-based browser
- Allowing search engines to examine your website
- Testing your site in different browsers.

Quality guidelines:
- User-centred content
- Using only relevant and useful links
- No hidden text or links
- No automatic redirects
- No irrelevant keywords
- No duplication of content
- No "badware"
- Unique and relevant content.

Anyone who follows those guidelines will create a better experience for
people with disabilities.

Regards,
Alan.

[1]
http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=35769

__________
Alan Dalton
Accessibility Development Advisor
Excellence through Accessibility http://www.nda.ie/eta
National Disability Authority, 25 Clyde Road, Dublin 4.

             "Donal J. Rice"                                               
             <DJRice at nda.ie>                                               
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             28/01/2009 12:22                                      Subject 
                                       Re: [CEUD-ICT] Accidental           
                                       Accessible solutions                
             Please respond to                                             
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Hi folks.

I'll row in with a couple of ICT examples seeing as this is an ICT list!!

Interesting examples so far.  the more complex the design and functionality
of the product, the bigger the challenge to design in universally accessible
features, particularly for ICT products and services.

Designing a product, service or ICT service to be accessible requires a
concerted effort and design methodology.  It is not just a case of, for
example including a token disabled persona in the hope of capturing the
requirements of people with disabilities who are not a homogenous grouping.
Methodologies developed by Greg Vanderheiden and Zimmerman from CAST
describe the careful use of use cases, scenarios and accessibility
guidelines that are then tested using test cases and checkpoints derived
from the guidelines. This work is also referenced on the Universal Design
website at
http://www.universaldesign.ie/useandapply/ict/universaldesignforict

I have not come across examples in the ICT domain where the designer
intentionally built in accessibility features that were not explicitly
required by the client.  That said some web design companies use (W3C)
standards correctly in the design and development of all websites for
clients.  While this may still result in issues with things like colour
contrast and link text, the website will go a long way to being usable with
AT and being customisable by the end user.  In fact this was the case with
the Oasis website, now www.citizensinformation.ie.  Our first audit and user
test revealed that most of the accessibility issues were fairly trivial to
fix and were not presenting big obstacles to begin with.  One of the
original motivations for using standards in this case was to ensure that the
tools used for backend publication process and XML work flow could be
swapped out according as better ones became available or the functionality
of the website changed.  I think one could make the case that this is a form
of sustainability which resulted in the website being accessible.

A case I heard of anecdotally a couple of years ago was the development of
an online mobile phone banking interface.  The development company told me
that the interface was reasonably accessible as a result although
accessibility was not in the design brief.  So accidental accessible design
by virtue that mulitmodality was in the design spec.

The examples Laurence pointed to show how some large product companies are
incrementally improving the universal appeal of their products by
introducing accessibility features in their mainstream lines.  For example
the ovens with the fold away door or the automated lift feature.  None of
these examples are fully accessible to the extent that they cater for a wise
range of disabilities.  But it does show a definite design trend towards
catering for people with a greater spectrum of requirements.

hope this helps,
Dónal.

             Antoinette
             Fennell
             <antoinettefennel                                          To
             l at eircom.net>             ceud-ict at list.universaldesign.ie
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             ign.ie                    Re: [CEUD-ICT] Accidental
                                       Accessible solutions (Antoinette
                                       Fennell)
             27/01/2009 13:49

             Please respond to
                Centre for
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             iversaldesign.ie>

Hello,

I'm guessing the examples don't have to be ICT specific?

If not, another very simple example, which I have yet to see quoted in
relation to accessibility, is the ingenious Punch Colour Catcher. These are
small sheets that you place in the washing machine to prevent colours
running.

>From a sustainability point of view, you don't have to do two or three
separate washes and you don't have to worry about throwing out clothes that
are no longer white!

>From an accessibility or independent living point of view, a person who 
>is
unable to see the clothes, or to distinguish between the colours, does not
have to worry about a rogue red sock getting into the white wash.

>From a physical point of view, it might make washing just that small 
>bit
less laborious now that you don't have to separate the clothes. Though
perhaps I'm clutching at straws with that one!

I'm sure I've thought of other examples over the years, so will get back to
you Cearbhall if I think of them.

All the best,

Antoinette

Dr Antoinette Fennell
Research Fellow - Project Scientist
TrinityHaus
Trinity College Dublin

Dr Antoinette Fennell
Research Fellow - Project Scientist
TrinityHaus
McNamara Centre for Construction Innovation and Sustainability Trinity
College Dublin

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> Today's Topics:
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>    1. Accidental Accessible solutions (Cearbhall O Meadhra)
>    2. Re: Accidental Accessible solutions (Laurence Veale)
>    3. Re: Accidental Accessible solutions (Eamon Mag Uidhir)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:51:21 -0000
> From: "Cearbhall O Meadhra" <cearbhall.omeadhra at idd.ie>
> Subject: [CEUD-ICT] Accidental Accessible solutions
> To: "'Centre for Excellence in Universal Design ICT mailing list'"
>            <ceud-ict at list.universaldesign.ie>
> Message-ID: <B627842E11AB4264A169708C65BBED10 at ProjectIDD1>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Hello,
>
> Would you know of any design solution such as a building, product or 
> service that was designed for a particular market other than that of
> disability but
> yet included all aspects of usability so that the result was
> comfortably
> usable by any person with a disability?
>
>  I am researching use cases of examples where wise designers have 
> realised that sustainability requires preparation for the future by 
> building in
> accessibility requirements even though the client does not demand
> such
> compliance.
>
> I look forward to hearing from you. My contact information is shown 
> below.
>
> Yours sincerely,
>
> Cearbhall E. O'Meadhra
>
> "Good design enables - Bad design disables"
>
> Tel: +353 1-2864623 Mob: +353 83 3323487 Em: omeadhrac at ncad.ie
>
>
>
>
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> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:05:26 +0000
> From: Laurence Veale <laurence.veale at iqcontent.com>
> Subject: Re: [CEUD-ICT] Accidental Accessible solutions
> To: Centre for Excellence in Universal Design ICT mailing list
>            <ceud-ict at list.universaldesign.ie>
> Message-ID:
>            
> <440f656b0901260805s1f9bc8a1qab47892ad1ad1d3a at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> Hi Cearbhall,
>
> there are a few examples up on:
>
>
http://www.universaldesign.ie/exploreampdiscover/definitionandoverview/examp
les

>
> Lar
>
> Laurence Veale
>
> Usability | Design | Content | Analytics
>
> Blog: www.iqcontent.com/blog
> Tel: (office) +353 1 817 0768
> Tel: (mobile) +353 87 900 2999
> Fax: +353 1 817 0769
> Email: laurence.veale at iqcontent.com
>
> iQ Content Limited.
> Registered in Ireland. No 329994
> Registered Office: Unit 19 Docklands Innovation Park, 128-130 East 
> Wall Road, Dublin 3
>
>
> On Mon, Jan 26, 2009 at 3:51 PM, Cearbhall O Meadhra < 
> cearbhall.omeadhra at idd.ie> wrote:
>
> >  Hello,
> >
> > Would you know of any design solution such as a building, product
> or
> > service that was designed for a particular market other than that
> of
> > disability but yet included all aspects of usability so that the
> result was
> > comfortably usable by any person with a disability?
> >
> >  I am researching use cases of examples where wise designers have
> realised
> > that sustainability requires preparation for the future by building
> in
> > accessibility requirements even though the client does not demand
> such
> > compliance.
> >
> > I look forward to hearing from you. My contact information is shown
> below.
> >
> >
> > Yours sincerely,
> >
> > Cearbhall E. O'Meadhra
> >
> > "Good design enables - Bad design disables"
> >
> > Tel: +353 1-2864623 Mob: +353 83 3323487 Em: omeadhrac at ncad.ie
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > CEUD-ICT mailing list
> > CEUD-ICT at list.universaldesign.ie 
> > http://list.universaldesign.ie/mailman/listinfo/ceud-ict
> >
> >
> -------------- next part --------------
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>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2009 10:34:04 +0000
> From: Eamon Mag Uidhir <eamon at maguidhir.com>
> Subject: Re: [CEUD-ICT] Accidental Accessible solutions
> To: ceud-ict at list.universaldesign.ie
> Message-ID: <20090127103404.cdjmpb2oz4swcgs4 at www.maguidhir.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain;          charset=UTF-8;          DelSp="Yes";
       format="flowed"
>
>
>
> The proverbial lever door-handle replacing the hard-to-grip round 
> door-handle in the period since the second world war may be the 
> greatest-ever implementation of accessibility and usability by 
> stealth. It's a very useful example when you're giving accessibility
>
> awareness training to people who haven't thought about the subject 
> before.
>
> A more recent achievement has been the arrival of the current 
> generation of milk carton closures from Avonmore and Premier. When I
>
> was without the use of one arm due to injury last year I thought I was
>
> going to be snookered whenever I wanted to open a new milk carton, but
>
> lo and behold the spiral movement that twists off the closure tab is
>
> perfectly doable with just one hand. I doubt that efficient one-handed
>
> use was uppermost in the minds of the product design team that created
>
> the closure, but that's what came out.
>
> Eamon
>
>
>
>
>
>     ?amon Mag Uidhir 
> ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
>                       eamon at maguidhir.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> RESPONDING TO Laurence Veale <laurence.veale at iqcontent.com>:
>
>
>
> > Hi Cearbhall,
> >
> > there are a few examples up on:
> >
> >
>
http://www.universaldesign.ie/exploreampdiscover/definitionandoverview/examp
les

> >
> > Lar
> >
> > Laurence Veale
> >
> > Usability | Design | Content | Analytics
> >
> > Blog: www.iqcontent.com/blog
> > Tel: (office) +353 1 817 0768
> > Tel: (mobile) +353 87 900 2999
> > Fax: +353 1 817 0769
> > Email: laurence.veale at iqcontent.com
> >
> > iQ Content Limited.
> > Registered in Ireland. No 329994
> > Registered Office: Unit 19 Docklands Innovation Park, 128-130 East
> Wall
> > Road, Dublin 3
> >
> >
> > On Mon, Jan 26, 2009 at 3:51 PM, Cearbhall O Meadhra < 
> > cearbhall.omeadhra at idd.ie> wrote:
> >
> >>  Hello,
> >>
> >> Would you know of any design solution such as a building, product
> or
> >> service that was designed for a particular market other than that
> of
> >> disability but yet included all aspects of usability so that the
> result was
> >> comfortably usable by any person with a disability?
> >>
> >>  I am researching use cases of examples where wise designers have
> realised
> >> that sustainability requires preparation for the future by building
> in
> >> accessibility requirements even though the client does not demand
> such
> >> compliance.
> >>
> >> I look forward to hearing from you. My contact information is shown
> below.
> >>
> >>
> >> Yours sincerely,
> >>
> >> Cearbhall E. O'Meadhra
> >>
> >> "Good design enables - Bad design disables"
> >>
> >> Tel: +353 1-2864623 Mob: +353 83 3323487 Em: omeadhrac at ncad.ie
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> CEUD-ICT mailing list
> >> CEUD-ICT at list.universaldesign.ie 
> >> http://list.universaldesign.ie/mailman/listinfo/ceud-ict
> >>
> >>
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> CEUD-ICT mailing list
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