Propagating experience-based accessibility guidelines to user interface development
TL;DR: This paper presents a methodological approach towards the integration of accessibility guidelines into the user interface development life cycle with the use of a design repository and a supporting tool environment capable of encapsulating, customizing and reusing experience-based accessibility wisdom.
Abstract: This paper presents a methodological approach towards the integration of accessibility guidelines into the user interface development life cycle. The term accessibility guidelines refers to the consolidated design wisdom, as documented in general recommendations, principles of good practice, experience-based heuristics or otherwise ‘blessed’ rules, regarding the construction of interactive computer-based software for people with disabilities. At the core of the proposed method is the use of a design repository and a supporting tool environment capable of encapsulating, customizing and reusing experience-based accessibility wisdom, so as to facilitate the integration of previously generated, tested and agreed, accessibility recommendations into new design cases and user interface implementations. It is argued that the proposed approach eliminates some of the limitations or shortcomings associated with more conventional methods, such as the use of paper-based guidelines, or reviews by experts, while it faci...
Citations
More filters
01 Jan 1999
TL;DR: An expert survey on different acceptance factors, on the future development of media usage behavior, on network infrastructure and terminal devices as well as on the expected market development in Germany is conducted.
Abstract: For the acceptance of future network-based media services the technical advancement of the man-machine interface is of great importance. The Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI) in Karlsruhe has conducted an expert survey on different acceptance factors, on the future development of media usage behavior, on network infrastructure and terminal devices as well as on the expected market development. Drawing on the results we point out perspectives in the light of today’s user needs and the technical possibilities. Over the last two decades progress in software engineering and hardware miniaturization have turned the computer from a large device that could only be operated by specialists into a common consumer good that can be found in almost all areas of private and business life. The IBM Personal Computer (1981) and the Apple Macintosh (1984) were important early milestones on the way to the computer as a useful product for everyone. Today it is much more than a simple calculating machine or tool. With the establishment and commercialization of computer networks since the early 1990’s the computer became a new medium fulfilling information and communication needs [Friedewald 1999]. According to expert opinion online media services will lead to a substantial expansion of financial and time expenditure of private households for the use of media. Network-bound media offerings like Internet or online services enable easy access to conventional media contents, for example newspaper articles, music titles, and video sequences at each time of day. The most important progress however is the possible integration of different types of media as well as their linkage to additional services. This includes communication with other users, the handling of transactions, e.g. electronic shopping, and even interactive television. Supported by the German Federal Ministry for Education, Science, Research and Technology and in co-operation with a research association focussing on media education (Medienpadagogischer Forschungsverbund Sudwest) the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI) in Karlsruhe has conducted a survey on the expected future development of media usage behavior, on network technology and terminal devices, as well as on market development in Germany. 13 The survey is part of the research project “Development of Media Services“ (DeMeS) about the future media use in the private sector [Harnischfeger et al. 1999]. 281 experts have participated, 40 % of whom belonged to the German industrial sector (media industries, information and communication technology). In addition, experts were chosen from German Institutions, who either have a scientific interest in media or who are concerned with the shaping of the media sector and its social, political and economic conditions (politics, churches and unions, as well as professional organizations). The survey was conducted by mailing questionnaires. Most of the questions were closed, showing a variety of possible answers to be ticked. The experts were not asked to justify their estimates. However several questions focusing on related topics allowed a check for consistency. Furthermore comparison of estimates by experts from different professional backgrounds showed no significant difference concerning the results discussed below. In combination with the 1998 Delphi study questioning more than 2,000 experts on the global development of science and technology [Cuhls et al. 1998], this data allows a thorough view on what users require from future terminal equipment, and what technical developments can be expected. 1 Diffusion of Terminal Devices While in the middle of the 1970 there were no more than 165,000 computers world-wide, this number grew up to 200 million devices in 1997 [Phister et al. 1983, Kelly 1997]. Today a personal computer is available in more than 40 % of the US-American and in approximately 30 % of the Western European households. It is expected that in Europe this number will increase by further 10 % up to the year 2001 [Zerdick et al. 1999, EITO 1999]. Until recently stationary PCs were the only devices for using online services. In the future a multiplicity of new devices will appear: e. g. Network PCs that receive their software via network connection, television sets with computer functions or enhanced mobile phones. Because of particular features, such as the small display of mobile phones, the mode of interaction has to be adjusted for a number of new terminal devices [Oliphant 1999]. Media services based on the Internet Protocol Suite offer new application perspectives even for those users, who in the past did not see a reason for buying a PC with its stand-alone applications. Altogether the experts expect that the share of households with terminal devices for the use of online services will rise from 9 % today to more than 40 % in 2015. The growth will be even faster with mobile devices, which at present constitute a share of less than 1 %. It is expected that in 2015 almost 17 % of the households will be using mobile equipment (Fig. 1) [Harnischfeger et al. 1999]. The crucial point for this development is the users acceptance. Before discussing the technical factors with respect to acceptance it is worth mentioning that the social environment and the user competence are central as well. More than 80 % of the experts regard vocational practice with multimedia technologies, the integration of multimedia into the educational context, a highquality and reasonable priced customer service as well as personal non-commercial help in case of problems as important or very important for the acceptance. These findings illustrate that the formation of user competence by self-instruction or “trial and error” that is still often practiced today will not be sufficient for a broad acceptance and future diffusion in the view of the experts. 14 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 1995 200
256 citations
01 Jan 1999
TL;DR: A preliminary collection of design-oriented guidelines and development requirements for accessibility and universal design in HCI is presented, which aims to formulate a conceptual framework whereby accessibility becomes an integral component of the user interface development life-cycle.
Abstract: This paper presents a preliminary collection of design-oriented guidelines and development requirements for accessibility and universal design in HCI The processoriented guidelines aim to shed light into how a user-centred design process can be conducted, so as to account for the needs and requirements of the broadest possible end user population, including people with disabilities These guidelines are subsequently translated into key development requirements which should be preserved in user interface development tools in order for them to provide the required support for building user interface software for different users and contexts of use To this effect, we provide contextual definitions of key terms of reference and an account of related standards The proposed material does not intend to cover a particular technology Instead, it aims to formulate a conceptual framework whereby accessibility becomes an integral component of the user interface development life-cycle
67 citations
Cites background from "Propagating experience-based access..."
...Since users differ with regards to abilities, requirements and preferences, tentative designs should aim to accommodate the broadest possible range of capabilities across different contexts of use....
[...]
...Principles give rise to guidelines which may relate either to the syntactic- or physical-level of interaction [Akoumianakis and Stephanidis, 1998]....
[...]
TL;DR: Using the use of the conceptual framework presented here, accurate assumptions can be generated from knowledge of an individual’s impairments, and functional abilities to influence the creation of a user profile.
Abstract: With over thirty million individuals with disabilities being reported in the United States, and with information systems permeating nearly every aspect of society, there is a growing urgency to ensure that everyone has equal access to technology. To render information technologies universally accessible, researchers must have at their disposal an accurate and reliable user model. Through the use of the conceptual framework presented here, accurate assumptions can be generated from knowledge of an individual’s impairments, and functional abilities to influence the creation of a user profile. Ultimately, user profiles serve as a vital attribute of user models applied to the design of technology in an effort to achieve universal access.
56 citations
Cites background from "Propagating experience-based access..."
...For instance, computer accessibility guidelines for individuals with disabilities are commonly written according to disability classifications [2]....
[...]
...A leading research team in the field of adaptive interfaces has defined user profiling as a tool to identify critical design characteristics in a target population [2]....
[...]
01 Jan 2005
TL;DR: It is highlighted that a profusion of web usability guidelines exist that does not facilitate the designer’s task to select and apply appropriate guidelines, and potential areas where a need for guidelines exists that is not filled are shown, thus providing an opportunity for researchers.
Abstract: interpretation Concrete interpretation General guidelines Specific guidelines Standards Compilations of guidelines Style guides Ergonomic algorithms Design rules Figure 7 Guideline interpretation according to guideline source 6 Conclusion In this chapter, we highlighted that a profusion of web usability guidelines exists that does not facilitate the designer’s task to select and apply appropriate guidelines. Usability guidelines dedicated to the web should be clearly differentiated from guidelines for traditional GUI applications. Some sources, as standards, pretend to be general, embracing enough to accommodate a wide variety of design issues. While this assumption is probably true for traditional applications, it is unlikely to be the case for Web usability. Differences discussed in UI design and development both for GUI and the Web, the emergence of new questions for the web that were unprecedented, the rapid evolution of guideline types suggest that web usability guidelines should be treated separately. For example, GUI mainly focuses on guidelines for controls, while the Web divides guidelines for the navigation (the privileged interaction mode) and for forms, although Java applications can be considered similarly to GUI applications. Many wholes in usability knowledge still exist for the Web. To identify them, Basden (2003) used Dooyeweerd’s notion of irreducible aspects: the philosopher introduced a series of 15 aspect, each having a set of laws that enable meaningful functioning in everyday living. Basden (2003) then compared the Yale Style Guide (Lynch & Horton, 1999) with other style guides for the web to discover (Fig. 8) that some aspects are largely represented (e.g., spatial and movement in a web site are well described), while others remain underrepresented (e.g., the juridical aspect that discusses legal issues for the Web is rarely found, as well as ethical issues). Fig. 8 shows potential areas where a need for guidelines exists that is not filled, thus providing an opportunity for researchers.
56 citations
Book•
29 Jul 2010TL;DR: This monograph will present an overview of universal usability as it currently exists in the human–computer interaction literature, and will also present some future directions for work in universal usability.
Abstract: Computers are used all over the world in a variety of contexts by users with all levels of technical experience. This includes users such as kindergarteners, older users, people with various impairments, people who are busy doing other tasks (such as driving a car), and users with differing levels of education, literacy, and socio-economic means. The concept of computer interfaces that will be easy to use, for all of these users, in all of these different situations, is known as “universal usability.” Making progress toward this goal requires innovations in techniques for gathering and understanding requirements, designing and developing interfaces, evaluation and assessment, development and use of standards, and public policy, and much work in this field remains to be done. This monograph will present an overview of universal usability as it currently exists in the human–computer interaction literature, and will also present some future directions for work in universal usability.
48 citations
Cites background from "Propagating experience-based access..."
...In 1999, Akoumianakis and Stephanidis noted that accessibility design guidelines are often seen as an afterthought and are more of a reactive than proactive approach [6]....
[...]
References
More filters
Journal Article•
TL;DR: The role of psychology and human-computer interaction (HICI) studies in system design is examined in this article, where the authors present an approach which, although acknowledging the contribution that different disciplines can make to the design process, ultimately depends upon the users themselves to articulate their requirements, along with the system design team composed of a variety of specialists acting in the capacity of consultants to the project.
Abstract: Publisher Summary This chapter examines the role of psychology and human–computer interaction (HIC) studies in system design. Human factors (HF), or ergonomics considerations, are often incorporated into the design process simply as a set of specifications to which the delivered system must adhere. The actual work of the human factors personnel is seen as operator task analyses to be fed into these specifications, and perhaps some interface retouching near the end of the development cycle, when the system design has already been fixed. In general, the role of these people has been seen as ancillary to the main task of building the system. The role of HF or HCI in system design today should be more fluid and pragmatic. Input is vital in discussing the initial capabilities of the system and its required functionality, persisting in the development and evaluation of prototypes, and in final screen layout considerations. This chapter presents an approach which, although acknowledging the contribution that different disciplines can make to the design process, ultimately depends upon the users themselves to articulate their requirements, along with the system design team composed of a variety of specialists acting in the capacity of consultants to the project.
444 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: An organization of interaction techniques, based on the user tasks for which the techniques are used, is proposed in this article, where the characteristics of a variety of techniques are enumerated and many of the considerations important to their effectiveness are discussed.
Abstract: An organization of interaction techniques, based on the user tasks for which the techniques are used, is proposed. It is suggested that task requirements limit the set of techniques that can be considered for a particular application. The characteristics of a variety of techniques are enumerated and many of the considerations important to their effectiveness are discussed. Relevant experimental and experiential comparisons are tabulated.
409 citations
TL;DR: An organization of interaction techniques, based on the user tasks for which the techniques are used, is proposed, suggesting that task requirements limit the set of techniques that can be considered for a particular application.
Abstract: An organization of interaction techniques, based on the user tasks for which the techniques are used, is proposed. It is suggested that task requirements limit the set of techniques that can be considered for a particular application. The characteristics of a variety of techniques are enumerated and many of the considerations important to their effectiveness are discussed. Relevant experimental and experiential comparisons are tabulated.
377 citations
03 Jan 1992
TL;DR: This chapter presents an approach which, although acknowledging the contribution that different disciplines can make to the design process, ultimately depends upon the users themselves to articulate their requirements, along with the system design team composed of a variety of specialists acting in the capacity of consultants to the project.
Abstract: Publisher Summary This chapter examines the role of psychology and human–computer interaction (HIC) studies in system design. Human factors (HF), or ergonomics considerations, are often incorporated into the design process simply as a set of specifications to which the delivered system must adhere. The actual work of the human factors personnel is seen as operator task analyses to be fed into these specifications, and perhaps some interface retouching near the end of the development cycle, when the system design has already been fixed. In general, the role of these people has been seen as ancillary to the main task of building the system. The role of HF or HCI in system design today should be more fluid and pragmatic. Input is vital in discussing the initial capabilities of the system and its required functionality, persisting in the development and evaluation of prototypes, and in final screen layout considerations. This chapter presents an approach which, although acknowledging the contribution that different disciplines can make to the design process, ultimately depends upon the users themselves to articulate their requirements, along with the system design team composed of a variety of specialists acting in the capacity of consultants to the project.
356 citations
TL;DR: The Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University has developed a set of seven Principles of Universal Design that may be used to guide the design process, to evaluate existing or new designs, and to teach students and practitioners.
Abstract: The Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University has developed a set of seven Principles of Universal Design that may be used to guide the design process, to evaluate existing or new designs, and to teach students and practitioners. This article presents preceding design guidelines and evaluation criteria, describes the process of developing the Principles, lists The Principles of Universal Design and provides examples of designs that satisfy each, and suggests future developments that would facilitate applying the Principles to assess the usability of all types of products and environments.
345 citations