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Note that the information presented here does not necessarily reflect the most up to date syllabus or course information. Rather this information is intended to provide a general overview of course content from previous offerings.
This course will investigate the analysis and design of accessibility issues and features related to computing applications. It will investigate the major sources of information and work towards developing a comprehensive strategy for improving the accessibility of computing applications.
Accessibility is EXTREME HCI! Human-Computer Interaction is about designing usable systems. ISO 9241-171 Guidance on Software Accessibility defines accessibility as, "usability of a product, service, environment or facility by people with the widest range of capabilities " and it notes that: "The concept of accessibility addresses the full range of user capabilities and is not limited to users who are formally recognized as having a disability." Thus, good accessibility serves all of us.
Accessibility is the new frontier of developing usable systems. CMPT 480/840 Accessible Computing is in the forefront of this movement. ASSETS, the ACM conference that focuses on accessibility, published a paper, Techniques to Assist in Developing Accessibility Engineers, about our course in 2008, before any other accessible computing courses had appeared in North America.
Accessibility involves the ultimate in multi-media {visual, auditory, tactile} and media-shifting to communicate using media that the user is capable of using. Therefore, accessibility involves finding new and alternate ways of interacting with different users within a single application. This leads us to consider new ways of using existing technologies and new technologies for existing problems.
Please contact Prof. Jim Carter <carter@cs.usask.ca> for further information.
Jim Carter <carter@cs.usask.ca> 280.3 Thorvaldson Bldg, 966-4893.
Office hours: Mon/Weds/Fri 12:30 - 1:20 or by appointment.
Assignments:
A number of
interactive assignments will be used to acquaint students with a range
of accessibility issues and a range to techniques for dealing with
these issues.
Critiques:
Students will be
expected to become familiar with the assigned readings prior to the
class in which they will be discussed. Students will be assigned to
prepare critiques of particular readings.
Project: A major project will
require students to investigate a
related topic in greater detail than is covered in the class. Students
will be required to make a short accessible presentation about their
project.
5% Project Proposal [Oct 8]
10% Project Analysis and Design Report [Oct 29]
10% Project Implementation Report [Nov 12]
10% Project Evaluation Report [Nov 26]
5% Project Presentation [Nov 29]
20% Revised Project [Dec 3]
| Week | Topics: Basic Concepts | Reference Materials |
| Week
1 Sept 8 |
Introduction
to
Accessibility
Issues • Identifying Our Own Need • Developing An Approach to Accessibility |
--- |
| Sept 10 | A#1
Before
and
After Considering Accessibility |
|
| Week
2 Sept 13 |
Universal
Accessibility • Discussion of Stephanidis paper • Principles for an Information Society for All |
C. Stephanidis, 2000. From User interfaces for all to an Information Society for All: Recent achievements and future challenges, 6th ERCIM Workshop "User Interfaces for All", 14 pages, http://ui4all.ics.forth.gr/UI4ALL-2000/files/Position_Papers/Stephanidis.pdf |
| Sept 15 | • Perspectives
on Universal Accessibility - Some Critiques of Keates |
S. Keates, Pragmatic research issues confronting HCI practitioners when designing for universal access, Universal Access in the Information Society, 5(3) 299-305 [available from U of S Library via Springerlink: http://www.springerlink.com.cyber.usask.ca/content/1615-5297/] |
| Sept 17 | A#2
OS-Based
Accessibility
Settings
and
Services |
|
| Week
3 Sept 20 |
Sensory
Limitations {Visual, Auditory, Physical, Cognitive} • Discussion of class critiques of Jacko & Vitense |
J.A. Jacko and H.S. Vitense, 2001. A review and reappraisal of information technologies within a conceptual framework for individuals with disabilities, Universal Access in the Information Society, 1(1):56-76. [available from U of S Library via Springerlink: http://www.springerlink.com.cyber.usask.ca/content/1615-5297/] |
| Sept 22 | • Overview
model
of
User
Needs Summary • The User Needs Summary |
ISO/IEC 29138-1 - Accessibility Considerations for People with Disabilities - Part 1: User Needs Summary, SWG-A N339, http://www.jtc1access.org/documents/swga_docreg.htm |
| Sept 24 | A#3
Using
a
Screen
Reader |
|
| Week | Topics: Approaches to Providing
Accessibility |
|
| Week
4 Sept 28 |
Methodologies
for
Providing
Accessibility • A Model-Based Approach (UARM) |
J. Carter and D. Fourney, 2004, Using a Universal Access Reference Model to Identify Further Guidance that belongs in ISO 16071, Universal Access in the Information Society, 3(1):17-29. [available from U of S Library via Springerlink: http://www.springerlink.com.cyber.usask.ca/content/1615-5297/] |
| Sept 30 | • Using a Principled Approach (Gulliksen) | • Jan
Gulliksen et. al., 2003,
Key principles for user-centred systems design, Behaviour &
Information Technology, 22(6):397–409. [available
from U of S Library via: https://library.usask.ca/ejournals/view/954925254137 • ISO 9241-210 Human-centered design of interactive systems |
| Oct 2 | A#4
Using
Voice
Recognition |
|
| Week
5 Oct 4 |
Regulations regarding
Accessibility • The Canadian Approach (ADA) |
Government of Canada Accessibility Domain Architecture, http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/fap-paf/documents/accessibility/access00_e.asp |
| Oct 6 | • The US Approach
(Section 508) |
• US
revision of 508 and 255 Standards • Preamble to the revision |
| Oct 8 |
**** Project Proposal
due A#5 Automatic Accessibility Evaluations |
|
| Week
6 Oct 11 |
Thanksgiving Day - no classes
today |
|
| Oct
13 |
Web-specific
Guidance • W3C Web Accessibility Initiative Guidelines • Content and Presentation Technologies |
W3C
Web
Content
Accessibility
Guidelines, http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/ • J. Abascal et. al., The use of guidelines to automatically verify Web accessibility, Universal Access in the Information Society, 3(1):71-79 [available from U of S Library via Springerlink: http://www.springerlink.com.cyber.usask.ca/content/1615-5297/] • W3C User Agent Accessibility Guidelines, http://www.w3.org/TR/UAAG20/ • W3C Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines, http://www.w3.org/TR/ATAG20/ • W3C Web Accessible Rich Internet Applications, http://www.w3.org/TR/wai-aria-primer/ |
| Oct 15 | A#6
Using
Captioning |
|
| Week
7 Oct 18 |
Accessibility
Standards • ISO 9241-20 |
ISO 9241-20 Accessibility guidelines for information/ communication technology (ICT) equipment and services. |
| Oct 20 | • ISO 9241-171 • ISO/IEC 29138-2 Standards Inventory |
•
ISO
9241-171 Guidance on software accessibility • ISO/IEC 29138-2 - Accessibility Considerations for People with Disabilities - Part 2: Standards inventory, SWG-A N340, http://www.jtc1access.org/documents/swga_docreg.htm |
| Oct 22 | A#7
Cultural
and Linguistic
Issues |
|
| Week
8 Oct 25 |
Cultural
&
Linguistic
Adaptability • CLA requirements • CLA strategies |
ISO/IEC TR 19764
Guidelines, methodology, and reference
criteria for cultural and linguistic adaptability in information
technology products • ISO/IEC TR 24785 Taxonomy of cultural and linguistic adaptability user requirements |
| Oct 27 | • Translation tools & databases | J. Jagne & A. S. G. Smith-Atakan, Cross-cultural interface design strategy, Universal Access in the Information Society, 5(3) 299-305 [available from U of S Library via Springerlink: http://www.springerlink.com.cyber.usask.ca/content/1615-5297/] |
| Oct 29 | A#8 Colour
Shifting and Shading |
|
| Week | Topics: Technologies |
|
| Week 9 Nov 1 |
Accessibility
Profiles,
Settings,
and
Features • The Common Accessibility Profile (CAP) |
D. Fourney
& J. Carter, 2006. A standard
method of
profiling the accessibility needs of computer users with vision and
hearing impairments, CVHI 2006, 6 pages. • ISO/IEC 24756 Information technology – Framework for specifying a common access profile (CAP) of needs and capabilities of users, systems, and their environments, 24 pages. |
| Nov 3 | • User Needs Mapping | • ISO/IEC
24786
Accessible user interface for accessibility settings on information
devices, 17 pages • ISO/IEC 29138-3 - Accessibility Considerations for People with Disabilities - Part 3: Guidance on User Needs Mapping, SWG-A N292, http://www.jtc1access.org/documents/swga_docreg.htm |
| Nov 5 | ****
Project
Analysis and Design due A#9 Using Single Switch Input |
|
| Week
10 Nov 8 |
Assistive
Technologies • The Role of Assistive Technologies • The Range of Assistive Technologies • Assistive Software Technologies • Accessibility APIs |
ISO/IEC
13066-1 IT - AT Interoperability • Guidelines for Creating Alt-text • Microsoft, Types of Assistive Technology Products, http://www.microsoft.com/enable/at/types.aspx • UNUMProvident, Assistive Technology Decision Tree, http://download.microsoft.com/download/7/e/b/ 7ebfb5a1-69af-4e2a-aba7-7f11e2d66fed/atdecisiontree.pdf |
| Nov 10 |
• New
approaches towards ATs |
• National Public Inclusive Infrastructure • Raising the Floor - Current Master List of Projects |
| Nov 12 | A#10 Assisting
Low Vision |
|
| Week
11 Nov 15 |
Adaptive
Technologies • Individualization {customization & adaptation} |
ISO 9241-129 Guidance on individualization |
| Nov 17 | • Designing
for Adaptation • Adaptive Software Architectures |
• C.
Stephanidis, A. Paramythis, C. Karagiannidis, A.
Savidis, 1997. Supporting Interface
Adaptation: the AVANTI Web-Browser,
14 pages http://ui4all.ics.forth.gr/UI4ALL-97/stephanidis.pdf • B. Kules, 2000. User Modeling for Adaptive and Adaptable Software Systems, http://www.otal.umd.edu/UUGuide/wmk/ |
| Nov 19 | ****
Project
Implementation
Due A#11 Cognitive Issues |
|
| Week | Topics: Advanced Topics |
|
| Week
12 Nov 22 |
Advanced
Research
Topics • Content and Cognitive Aspects |
C. Stary, A Structured Contextual Approach to Design for All, 6th ERCIM Workshop "User Interfaces for All", 15 pages, http://ui4all.ics.forth.gr/UI4ALL-2000/files/Long_papers/Stary.pdf |
| Nov 24 | • Cognitive
and Affective Aspects • Putting It All Together |
• R. Adams,
Decision and stress: cognition and
e-accessibility in the information workplace, Universal
Access in the Information Society, 5(4): 363–379 [available from
U of S Library via Springerlink: http://www.springerlink.com.cyber.usask.ca/content/1615-5297/] • C. Lewis, Simplicity in cognitive assistive technology: a framework and agenda for research, Universal Access in the Information Society, 5(4): 351–361 [available from U of S Library via Springerlink: http://www.springerlink.com.cyber.usask.ca/content/1615-5297/] |
| Nov 26 | ****
Project
Evaluation
Due A#12 Secondary Encodings |
|
| Week 13 Nov 29 Dec 1 Dec 3 |
Student Project Presentations - student presentations - student presentations (cont) **** Revised Project Due |
|
