Post on 29-Jan-2016
© 2005 IBM CorporationIBM Printing Systems
IBM OUTPUT ENVIRONMENT
Evaluating the Accessibility of Laser Printers
Michael A. RodriguezIBM Printing Systems Division, Boulder, CO
Ron Van BuskirkIBM Systems and Technology Group, Tucson, AZ
Human Factors and Ergonomics Society – 49th Annual MeetingSeptember 29, 2005 – Orlando, Florida
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Why Make Accessible Products?
According to the World Health Organization, more than 750 million people worldwide have a disability and more than 54 million of those are in the United States (U.S. Department of the Census, 1997; World Health Organization, n.d.). The primary reason to produce accessible products is to make them usable by millions of people with disabilities
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Other Reasons to Make Accessible Products
Almost everyone needs accessibility - Most people during their lifetime will experience some kind of temporary or permanent disability or limitation
Millions of people with disabilities are potential customers - Additionally, products designed for use by people with disabilities are more usable for people as they get older
Compliance with worldwide regulations and standards - Many countries are adopting regulations and standards to meet the needs of people with disabilities
Accessible products benefit everyone - Generally, products designed with accessibility in mind are easier to use for everyone, partly because they have a more consistent user interface and are easier to learn
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IBM is committed to supporting accessible technology. IBM Printing Systems Division and the IBM Accessibility Center have developed checklists, guidelines and methodologies for evaluating printers with respect to the Section 508 Accessibility Requirements
The US Rehabilitation Act was amended by Congress in 1998 to require Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities
IBMs Commitment and The Law
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Typical Laser Printers
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Accessibility Tools
There are general methodologies for evaluating hardware and specific software applications to evaluate the accessibility of software, web pages and PDF documents
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Methods and Tools Available
Checklist Evaluation tools available Tool type
Hardware General ergonomic/human factors guidelinesWheelchair reach/clearance guidelinesForce gauge
General guidelinesStandard guidelinesMechanical force -measurement tool
Software(printer drivers)
JAWS® (Freedom Scientific)Windows-Eyes® (GW Micro)Inspect Objects (Microsoft®)ZoomText® - optional (Al Squared™)MAGic® - optional (Freedom Scientific)
Screen readerScreen readerObject inspectorMagnifierMagnifier
Web pages Home Page Reader™ (IBM®)JAWS® (Freedom Scientific)Windows-Eyes® (GW Micro)WebKing™ (Parasoft®)
HTML Screen readerScreen readerScreen readerWeb syntax analyzer
Documentation Acrobat® Reader® for PDF (Adobe®)Home Page Reader™ (IBM®)JAWS® (Freedom Scientific)Windows-Eyes® (GW Micro)WebKing™ (Parasoft®)Inspect Objects (Microsoft®)
PDF Screen readerHTML Screen readerScreen readerScreen readerWeb syntax analyzerObject inspector
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Accessibility Evaluations
In order to assist developers in meeting accessibility requirements IBM has developed checklists for evaluating accessibility in the following areas: Hardware Peripherals Accessibility* Software Accessibility* Web Accessibility* Documentation Accessibility* Java Accessibility Hardware Accessibility Lotus Notes Accessibility
* Applicable to laser printers
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Process for Evaluating Accessibility
Determine which checklists are necessary for the product
Evaluate each checklist item using the appropriate tools
Repeat the evaluations for each additional checklist
Combine and summarize the accessibility information
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Hardware Peripherals Accessibility Checklist
Controls and latches Keys and Keypads Color and Contrast Audio Timing
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Controls and Latches
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Software Accessibility Checklist (printer drivers)
Keyboard access Object information Sound and multimedia Display Timing Verify accessibility
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Printer Driver Accessibility
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Web Accessibility Checklist
Images and animations
Image mapsGraphs and chartsMultimediaScriptsApplets, plug-ins and
non-HTML contentFormsSkip to main content
FramesTable headersCascading style
sheetsColor and contrastBlinkingTimed responsesText-only pageVerify accessibility
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Printer Web Page
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Documentation Accessibility Checklist
Provide documentation in an accessible formatProvide documentation on all accessibility features
including keyboard accessTest for accessibility using available tools
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Page from User’s Guide File
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Accessibility and Usability
Meeting accessibility requirements and designing an easy-to-use product does not necessarily make the product easy to use for people with disabilities
Ease of use and ease of access efforts during product design should be performed concurrently
Usability studies and evaluations should include people with disabilities to improve overall ease of use
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Prioritizing Accessibility Fixes
1. Look at the target audience of your product. Your target audience may consist of more users with certain types of disabilities than others and those areas should be a higher priority
2. Fix all problems for a given barrier before fixing problems for another. For example, fix all of the problems that are a barrier for visually-impaired users, before fixing all of the barriers for mobility-impaired users
3. Fix all problems associated with a checkpoint before fixing other problems associated with other checkpoints. For example, remove all barriers to one-handed usage before removing reach limitation barriers
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Conclusion
Although this information has specifically addressed laser printers similar methodologies can be employed to evaluate other types of hardware and software products. Products designed for accessibility enhance the ability for millions of people to participate in a world where they may not otherwise have the opportunity
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Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge the work of IBM's Accessibility Center. Their creation of the IBM-customized checklists and evaluation techniques has provided education and guidance to all IBM usability professionals for conducting accessibility evaluations. Additionally, their continuous drive to make accessibility an integral part of IBM's culture has made our job as human factors practitioners much easier
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Resources
Section 508 Home Page: http://www.section508.gov
IBM Accessibility Center Checklists: http://www 306.ibm.com/able/guidelines
ADA Accessibility Guidelines Drawings: http://www.Access-by-design.com
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Questions?
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Backup slides
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Checklist Application
WebUse this checklist for: Web sites Web applications Portals and Portlets - For information on accessibility testing and development of portal applications, see the portal accessibility information page. DocumentationUse this checklist for: Product and Web site documentation. Domino Web ApplicationUse this checklist for: Web applications created with Domino Designer HardwareUse this checklist for: personal computers computer monitors server hardware
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Checklist Application (continued)
Hardware Self Contained, Closed Product (formerly Peripherals)Use this checklist for: copiers printers fax machines similar types of products which are designed such that the user cannot attach or install assistive technology JavaUse this checklist for: Java 2 or later applications Important: Do not use this checklist for an application written completely with Eclipse Controls. For such applications use the Software Accessibility Checklist Java based tools that create output that a user would interact with, such as a document, Web page, or application user interface. The output, as well as the tool's user interface, must also be accessible. For example, if a Java based Integrated Development Environment creates Java application widgets as output, those widgets must also be accessible. Lotus Notes ApplicationUse this checklist for: Notes applications that will be deployed on the Notes Client Notes applications that will be deployed on both the Notes Client and the Web
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Checklist Application (continued)
SoftwareUse this checklist for: general software products and applications that have a user interface Software based tools that create output that a user would interact with, such as a document, Web page, or application user interface. The output, as well as the tool's user interface, must also be accessible. For example, if a Software based Integrated Development Environment creates Eclipse application widgets as output, those widgets must also be accessible. Java 1.1.x applications that use standard AWT components and are designed to run only on Windows platforms software used by system administrators to control and monitor servers or other remote equipment Eclipse applications written with Standard Widget Toolkit (SWT) controls. Note: SWT controls do not use the Java Access Bridge. software with a command line interface see Frequently Asked Questions #12 for additional guidance.