Thanks for the article, Everett! I just got around to reading it this weekend. Its a great read on how business meets accessibility design and how things are changing in the future.
cheers, Alistair On Wed, Feb 17, 2010 at 9:18 PM, E.J. Zufelt <[email protected]> wrote: > > Begin forwarded message: > > From: "John > Date: February 17, 2010 2:59:07 PM EST > Subject: [Members] How to Make Technology Work > How to Make Technology Work: A Study of Best Practices in United States > Electronic and Information Technology Companies > > Anthony Tusler > Coordinator, Technology Policy Division > World Institute on Disability > E-mail: [email protected] > > Disability Studies Quarterly, Vol 25, No 2 (2005, Spring 2005 > > Abstract > > This article documents the best practices in electronic and information > technology (E&IT) companies to make their goods and services accessible to > people with disabilities. The results of structured interviews were analyzed > and grouped by themes. The research presents discrete best practices that > emerged including the need for accessibility champions, the importance of > valuing disability, and the value in transforming the company. A case study > of AOL's success is included along with recommendations for people with > disabilities who wish to advocate for more accessibility to E&IT products. > Contributing to the bottom line was found to be the primary motivator for > companies to include and maintain accessibility. This article is an > abbreviation of the World Institute on Disability publication How to Create > Disability Access to Technology. > > Keywords: disability, business, technology, universal design > > Introduction > > Since the 1970s, the world-particularly the United States-has experienced a > subtle, yet profound, change. People with disabilities, who were once > relegated to back rooms and second-class citizenship, are now more visible > and have secured basic civil rights. Although much work remains to be done, > the built environment in particular has radically changed to include > assistive listening devices, curb cuts, Braille, and more. > > Meanwhile, the digital revolution has dramatically changed the ways we > access information, services, and goods. People with vision, hearing, and > mobility limitations initially found computers moderately simple to use, > making it easier for them to improve their lives through access to jobs, > society, and citizenship. That access continues for some people with > disabilities. The rise of instant messaging, for instance, has universalized > text messaging far beyond the deaf community making communication between > the deaf and hearing communities much easier. Unfortunately, other groups of > people with disabilities are adversely affected by lack of access due to > inaccessible interfaces and software. The increasing use of multi-media, > which restricts people with visual or hearing limitations, or the > miniaturization of buttons and displays on portable devices, which confounds > people with dexterity limitations. Gaining access is increasingly > intimidating, difficult, or impossible. The threat to some disabled people's > ability to earn a living, communicate, be citizens, and participate in > society > is disquieting. > > In 2002, the World Institute on Disability (WID) held structured interviews > and conversations with knowledgeable industry and disability activist > experts to discover how leading electronic and information technology (E&IT) > companies are successfully making technology accessible, usable, and > valuable for people with disabilities. Dedicated to promoting the civil > rights and full societal inclusion of people with disabilities, WID is a > nonprofit public policy > center and an international leader and advocate for increased accessibility > to mainstream technology. > > The study and the resulting WID publication, How to Create Disability Access > to Technology, were funded by the California Consumer Protection Foundation. > This paper is an abbreviation of the longer publication. (The full report > will be found in the Publications section of WID's Web site, > http://www.WID.org/publications). > The report cites best practices distilled from the WID interviews and > illustrates them with extensive, anonymous examples. It reveals the > experiences and > lessons learned by these technology industry experts, who are charged with > being internal advocates for disability access and concerns. We call them > Accessibility > Champions. This review of best practices is intended to encourage the > technology industry and others to continue improving accessible products and > services. As the economic, social, and moral incentives for disability > access develop and become known, more accessibility will be created. > > One Accessibility Champion recommended that other Accessibility Champions > "find true north and follow it." There is social good and profit to be found > by including people with disabilities in the design, testing, and marketing > of electronic and information technology to ensure accessibility and > usability. That is the true north of this report. > > What Is Access? > > Although disability, as an inclusive term, is valuable when describing the > social condition of people with disabilities, "impairments" is a better term > for explaining specific access needs. There are five general impairments > that should be taken into account when designing accessible products and > services: mobility and dexterity; deafness and hearing loss; blindness and > low vision; perceptual and cognitive limitations; and speech and language. > > A good explanation of creating disability access to E&IT can be found at the > Web site of the U.S.-based Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA). > TIA's ACCESS-Resource Guide for Accessible Design of Consumer Electronics > explains accessible design as: > > The term accessible design refers to maximizing the number of potential > customers who can readily use a product. While no product can be readily > used by everyone, accessible design can impact market size and market share > through consideration of the functional needs of all consumers, including > those who experience functional limitations as a result of aging or > disabling conditions...(TIA, 1996). > > Accessible design also benefits individuals without functional limitations. > Features that make products useful for people with disabilities and persons > experiencing functional limitations normally make them convenient for > everyone else. Closed captioning for television programs and voice > recognition software are examples of design features originally intended for > people with disabilities but frequently used by everyone. Remote controls > that can be operated without looking at them will be appealing to anyone who > likes to watch movies in the dark, not just to the visually impaired. > > Consider these examples of accessible E&IT product designs. A cell phone's > visual display or other visual output is large enough, with enough contrast, > so that people with low vision or in dim light could read the information. > An automatic teller machine (ATM) uses voice prompts, increased size of > print, simple fonts, high contrast, labels with icons or graphics, and > progress displays to make it easier to use for someone with a cognitive > limitation. Individuals > with speech limitations may have difficulty using products that require > voice communication, such as a telephone or other telecommunications > systems. Designers of systems that require voice input should consider > providing alternate methods of control. > > Cell phone voice-dialing has been added in the last few years to create > hands-free calling. While it is valuable for people with manipulation > limitations, the component is only available on the most expensive cell > phones, putting it out of reach of most people with disabilities. Another > problem is when the feature does not find acceptance in the mainstream > market. People with disabilities do not have effective methods to inform > E&IT companies about the value of technology product options. This leads to > the loss of valuable features in the next version of a product. > > An advocate explained, "accessibility is another aspect of bringing the > computer to the user-to anyone, at any time." > > From the Disability Perspective > > At the core of this study is the belief that the participation of those > directly affected-that is, customers with disabilities-is essential to > making products that are useful. When designing products, people often work > from stereotypical and inaccurate beliefs about people with disabilities; > they try to "help the handicapped" by alleviating the problems they imagine > people with disabilities encounter. Unfortunately, such products often miss > the mark because their designs are based on unexamined assumptions. Inquiry > into the true nature of accessibility needs must include the input of people > with disabilities. Otherwise, the solution does not solve the problem, and > the problem solvers contribute unwittingly to the loss of autonomy and civil > rights for people with disabilities. > > In addition, this WID study focuses on environmental solutions to > accessibility issues. In the past, the more frequent approach to > accessibility was to devise technological fixes specifically tailored to > individual disabilities. By locating the problem in the limitations of > people with disabilities, rather than in the environment, the solutions > place heavy demands on the individual and are costly as well. > > During the 1950s and 1960s, the individual approach was preeminent, and as a > result, many disabled people were excluded from schools, jobs, and society > in general because their disabilities were not easily corrected by > technology or the solutions were prohibitively expensive. Even today, most > people, including the experts, do not look beyond these individual > solutions. A more useful perspective defines the built environment as the > problem. This idea arose from disability advocates and has since been > refined by disability scholars (Center for an Accessible Society, 2004). > Ultimately, environmental solutions are more cost-effective and help far > more people in the disability community and in general society. > > This paper highlights the environmental strategies used in the E&IT industry > because they do the most good for the greatest number of people and have > been the least documented. > > What Is a Best Practice? > > In one of the few best practices reports on disability, Timothy L. Jones > noted in 1993, > > The fundamental idea is to create an approach for meeting the [Americans > with Disabilities Act (ADA)] requirements that does not compromise sound > human resource policy but enhances it, that does not thwart > productivity but unleashes it, that does not burden managers but empowers > them. This is what characterizes best practices under the ADA (Jones, 1993). > > Jones' comments on the ADA and employment reinforce WID's belief that > disability perspectives will make technology more usable and accessible to > both people with and without disabilities, and therefore more profitable for > businesses. > > For this research, we defined a best practice as a business > > . process, > . procedure, > . system, or > . perspective > > that results in increased accessibility and usability of E&IT for people > with disabilities. > > Another criterion we used to validate a best practice was whether parallel > practices in other fields have resulted in accessibility. We also > investigated whether companies' practices and procedures included culturally > competent disability perspectives, that is, the views of those directly > affected-people with disabilities. > > Accessibility Champions > > To successfully bring accessibility to a company's products and services, a > central person or unit in the company must articulate and advocate for > disability access and inclusion across all its divisions and activities. The > term Accessibility Champion is rarely used as an official title, but it is a > useful descriptor for the person who has this pivotal role. One person WID > interviewed for this study described himself as the Chief Accessibility > Evangelist. > > The Accessibility Champion's role is not to perform the work of other > departments but to act as a resource, cheerleader, and goad, articulating > the need to provide accessible solutions for all the company's offerings. He > or she must provide one consistent voice and a clear vision for disability > inclusion. Consistency and perseverance will effect change. > > The Accessibility Champion (AC) serves as a common point of contact for > accessibility issues, such as letters from customers regarding their > satisfaction with the accessibility of products. The position should have > high visibility and carry the authority to resolve accessibility questions > and concerns. > > Too often the ACs are isolated within their companies. The majority allude > to how little progress and how much more needs to be done to make their > companies' product accessible beyond that required by the law requiring the > U.S. Federal government to purchase accessible E&IT products (Section 508). > The ACs often reported how quickly their companies added accessible features > to their products. Few of the ACs were able to point to how accessibility or > recognizing the disability market has contributed to their companies' bottom > line. The concepts and strategies are still too new to have been > demonstrated. Nonetheless, Accessibility Champions, on the whole, are > optimistic about the fundamental changes they are beginning to implement. > These are documented in this paper. > > One AC explained: "The group [accessibility unit] works with all areas to > address concerns ranging from support networks to the availability of > adaptive equipment to the development of emergency evacuation procedures. It > is also a clearinghouse of information for people with all types of > disabilities, including visual, hearing, and physical impairments." Another > AC described his role as "empowering champions and infecting people." > > The ultimate goal is to incorporate accessibility so deeply into all aspects > of the company that there is no need for an AC, but until accessibility > becomes second nature, such an advocate will be needed. > > Best practices of value here are to: > > find someone with passion to be the Accessibility Champion. > . use the Accessibility Champion to coordinate work between the internal > divisions and disability informants. > . use the Accessibility Champion as a mediator and translator between the > advocacy groups and the company. > . learn about disability. > . use community-organizing strategies to create change. > > Value Disability and People with Disabilities > > Most people-disabled and nondisabled-are somewhat disconcerted when they are > asked to value disability, because disability is perceived to be tragic and > negative. But people with disabilities often report that their lives have > been enriched by their experience. They dislike the poverty, exclusion, and > hassle, but recognize that disability is an inevitable aspect of being human > and growing older. They know, as playwright Neil Marcus says: "Disability is > not a > 'brave struggle' or 'courage in the face of adversity.' Disability is an > art. It's an ingenious way to live." > > The challenge of being successful, while having a devalued identity, has led > many people with disabilities to be skillful problem solvers and > consumers-making them valuable assets for companies that wish to be > successful. > > Strategies to value disability and people with disabilities were found to: > > . include people with disabilities at all stages of product life and at each > step of the design process. > . use internal employee groups and external advisory committees to > understand the needs and concerns of the disability community. > . be sophisticated about choosing consultants and informants. > . guard against designing by mistaken assumptions about disability. > . include disability with other diversity efforts. > > Recognize the Disability Market > > Three major factors are gathering momentum to create an unprecedented market > force for making goods and services accessible for people with disabilities: > the existing population of people with disabilities, an aging consumer and > workforce base, and disability rights laws. The number of adult Americans > with disabilities-currently more than 18 percent of us-is expected to grow. > By 2020, 80 million people will be over 65 and an estimated 51% will have > disabilities. > > The demographics of the Baby Boom generation will help drive access for > decades to come. We know much of what will be needed. There is every reason > to begin planning and providing accessibility and usability features today > (AARP, 2002). Those who are just now reaching age 60 are wealthier and more > active than previous generations. Throughout their lives they have had high > expectations for their quality of life. Their youthful idealism lead to the > Vietnam era demonstrations just as their career paths lead to the > consumerism of the 1980s. How Baby Boomers will characterize their > identities as they gain disabilities has yet to emerge. This aging and the > resulting disabilities will create an opportunity for disability activists > to influence that perception and for the consumer market to include > disability access to its goods and services. Too few businesses have > recognized this emerging market, and awakening their companies to the > profits to be had in producing accessible goods and services is one of the > chief tasks of Accessibility Champions. Unfortunately, few ACs report that > they are gathering statistics about their customers with disabilities. Such > data is sorely needed. As one AC noted, "people with disabilities are not > just somebody to help; they contribute to the bottom line." > > The Best Practices for this section are: > > . identify current, accurate statistics to help define the disability market > for the company. > . use current laws to motivate the company to create accessible goods or > services. > . demonstrate the profitability of access. > . tie access to mainstream product needs. > > Transform the Company > > The primary goal of everyone who wants to see his or her company succeed > with the disability market is to make accessibility and disability awareness > integral to all aspects of the company. As one Accessibility Champion urged, > "Try to weave accessibility into the DNA of the company." Whether it is in > marketing, > research and development, or product documentation, the needs of the > disability community should be included. > > Update the company's mission, goals, and culture to include accessibility > and disability. The vision and values of the company may implicitly include > the needs of people with disabilities, but that's not enough; make them > explicit. Show senior management how accessibility supports the company > mission. Educate them when the company's mission statement mentions > accessibility, but company practices do not reflect this commitment. > > One school of thought believes it takes seven years of advocacy for social > change to occur. To value disability and accessibility is a significant and > profound change for a company. Some changes can come quickly, but to > transform the whole company to support accessibility and disability > diversity will take time and sustained effort. > > Companies have found that the following are the keys to changing the company > environment: > > . develop a strategic plan for building awareness and implementing > accessibility. > . modify strategies to fit the company's culture, values, and structure. > . involve senior management in accessibility efforts. > . address accessibility efforts to all divisions of the company. > . pay particular attention to recruiting the marketing department. > . programmers and engineers are key. > . develop accessibility expertise across the company through education and > training. > . hire people with disabilities both in the accessibility unit and > elsewhere. > . use publicity and the court of public opinion to influence the company. > . develop strategies to sustain accessibility. > > Incorporate Accessibility and Universal Design > > The designed world should work for everyone, including people with > disabilities. Design specifications for all new and revised E&IT products > should include requirements that the product "be usable by all people to the > greatest extent possible" (Mace, 1997). This phrase is the core of the > Universal Design (UD) concept. According to North Carolina State > University's Center for Universal Design, "The intent of universal design is > to simplify life for everyone by making products, communications, and the > built environment more usable by as many people as possible at little or no > extra cost. Universal design benefits people of all ages and abilities" > (Mace, 1997). The Trace Center, at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, > has embraced UD for its work to make E&IT more accessible to people with > disabilities. Both centers have extensive resources on the UD concept and > practical suggestions for its implementation. > > UD is a powerful tool to convince people within a company to consider > expanding the ease of use and accessibility of their products and services. > It also provides concrete examples and guidelines that help ease the > uncertainty of tackling a new subject. > > A good example of UD implementation is Java. Java is a cross-platform > programming language that can be used to create everything from a small > animation on a Web site to full-blown word processing applications. The > American Foundation for the Blind gave Sun Microsystems its Access Award in > 2001 "for making accessibility an integral part of the Java platform. The > Java Accessibility API software interface allows assistive technologies to > communicate with programs written in the Java programming language. This > company guides its efforts by its Universal Design philosophy-addressing the > accessibility needs of all people in the workplace." > > To include everyone in E&IT product design companies have used the following > Best Practices: > > . create an implementation plan. > . create clear documentation of accessibility features for programmers and > engineers. > . develop an internal argument for including accessibility. > . integrate accessibility into the existing company practices. > > Market Accessibility > > Creating access isn't enough. Companies must tell people about it. They must > market the accessibility of their products and services to customers. Only > as a result of effective marketing will accessible products and services > contribute to a company's profitability. > > At the same time, Accessibility Champions must market accessibility > internally to assure that it is valued and sustained throughout the company. > > This study identified the following as best practices: > > . inform customers and potential customers with disabilities about > accessibility efforts; > . give customers a way to provide direct feedback on accessibility needs and > issues; > . understand the disability market; > . stick with core competencies when making accessibility-marketing choices; > . be careful with images; > . use accessibility features as a selling point; > . publicize accessibility efforts internally; > . develop and use a simple message; > . develop plans and strategies that can maximize opportunities; > . institute rewards for good work; > . document the progress of accessibility efforts. > > The Future > > What is the future of E&IT? If the past 20 years are any indication, it will > be a future of profound change. We will rethink the role of technology and > communication. It could be an exciting time of even more access and > opportunity for people with disabilities. But the door to education, > employment, and civic involvement could also slam shut if accessibility is > not built into the core of the new technologies. > > Just as we will rethink technology, we will see disability differently. As > young people with disabilities become employed and aging Baby Boomers delay > retirement and gain disabilities, they will challenge our conceptions of how > a worker should look and act. > > Baby Boomers have demanded to be engaged and influential in shaping their > world. As they age they will surely experience disability. Workers in the > U.S. are finding that they need to delay retirement and continue working. > There is every reason to think that Boomers will continue to reshape the > world to suit themselves as they gray. > > The world has been changed already by people with disabilities. A mundane > but important access feature is the curb cut. Curb cuts, or curb ramps, make > everyone's life easier. All sorts of wheeled vehicles, from wheelchairs and > baby strollers to rolling luggage and delivery hand trucks, go easily from > the sidewalk to the street and back up again. All new construction includes > curb cuts because they are required by Federal and local laws. Lobbying and > advocacy by disability groups forced the creation of these statutes because > people with disabilities argued that their civil rights were being abridged > by a lack of access. The unintended consequences of the creation of curb > cuts everywhere are legion, including faster, more efficient deliveries and > the use of rolling luggage. Curb cuts have also created a natural crossroads > where able-bodied and disabled people meet. The term "electronic curb cuts" > was originally coined to describe the need for accessible Web pages. The > phrase is now used as an analogy for the need to have all E&IT products be > accessible to people with disabilities. In the built environment curb cuts > have become useful to so many segments of the population. There is some > evidence, for example, captioning of television broadcasts, that "electronic > curb cuts" will also be invaluable to everyone. > > As people with disabilities gain their civil rights and place in the work > force, there is a shift in general society in how people with disabilities > are seen. Rather than being a liability, people with disabilities are assets > to society and the workplace. This will help people of the greater populace > see themselves and their own limitations more positively. This will be a > profound shift for a society inundated with images of thin, beautiful, young > people. > > E&IT continues to be innovative and fast-paced with rapid turnover of > products. People with disabilities have been the early adopters of some > products. The blind were quick to purchase the then expensive cell phones as > they came to market. Electric wheelchair users were not far behind. With the > fast pace of product design, it has been difficult for people with > disabilities to influence the refinement of interfaces and features. As the > E&IT industry matures, though, increased standardization of the interface is > likely. After all, most of the world has an assigned place for the brake, > accelerator, and steering wheel. As standardization of controls comes down > the pike in E&IT they must have Universal Design to include a large > percentage of consumers. When standardization in E&IT becomes ubiquitous it > is critical that the MP3 player, FAX machine, and the yet-to-be-invented > gizmo have standardized buttons, switches, and displays > which are accessible. E&IT needs to be easy-to-use for everyone, including > people with disabilities. > > Easy-to-use is the central idea of Universal Design (UD). The > premise of UD is that "the design of products and environments be usable by > all people, to > the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized > design." (Mace, 1997) UD is needed because many products are designed for > people who are like the designers. Because the designers are young, > able-bodied engineers, their designs work for a small subset of the general > population. > > For years, women have joked and complained about the height of kitchen > countertops. Because the architects and contractors were generally men and > generally taller than women, they designed and installed countertops that > worked for them with little regard for the end user. > > The designer and marketing ranks need to include a more diverse group that > will take into account the graying of America. There needs to be more > designers with disabilities in E&IT companies. The design cycle continues to > be so focused on rushing new and revised products to market that little or > no time is spent developing thoughtful, effective interfaces. Even Apple's > MP3 player, the iPod, with its innovative sleek industrial design and > easy-to-use interface lacks accessible design. Its small screen and lack of > a large print option makes iPods difficult for many people to use. > Unfortunately Apple's competitors are failing to leapfrog Apple's design to > produce an even better interface that might include features valuable for > people with low vision pointing out the need for people with disabilities to > be involved in all cycles of design. > > The aging of America and the increase in disabilities will drive E&IT > manufacturers to pay more attention to Universal Design. It will not work to > design and market products specifically for people with disabilities. The > marketing and distribution cost will be prohibitive. > > The marketing departments of E&IT companies will demand ease-of-use from > their engineers and designers. Marketing staff will develop strategies and > campaigns to sell easy-to-use, accessible products to the broadest possible > market-a market that includes the aging, and people with disabilities. > > After all, older people and people with disabilities buy and use products > for the exact same reasons as the young engineers. The need and desire to > communicate, create, and be entertained is universal. Companies who survive > and prosper will pay attention to universal needs of all. > > References: > > American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). (2002). In brief: Before the > boom: Trends in long-term supportive services for older Americans with > disabilities. > Retrieved May 3, 2004, from > http://research.aarp.org/health/inb60_trends.html. > > Center for an Accessible Society. (2004). The 'new paradigm' of disability. > Retrieved March 16, 2005 from > http://www.accessiblesociety.org/topics/demographics-identity/newparadigm.ht > m. > > Jones, T.L. (1993). The Americans with Disabilities Act: A review of best > practices, New York: American Management Association Membership Publication > Division. > > National Organization on Disability and Harris Interactive. (2000). National > Organization on Disability/Harris survey of Americans with Disabilities. > Sponsored > by Aetna, Inc., and the JM Foundation. New York: Harris Interactive. > > Mace, R. (1997). Definition. The Center for Universal Design web site. > Retrieved May 3, 2004 from > http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/univ_design/ud.htm. > > Telecommunications Industry Association. (1996). Resource guide for > accessible design of consumer electronics. Washington D.C.: Electronic > Industries Association > > and the Electronic Industries Foundation. Retrieved May 3, 2004, from > http://www.tiaonline.org/access/guide.html. > > Vanderheiden, G.C., & Vanderheiden, K. R. (2002). Product accessibility and > the technology industry. Proceedings of 2002 RESNA Research Symposium on > Universal > Design, Minneapolis MN. > > > http://www.dsq-sds.org/article/view/551/728 > > > _______________________________________________________ > fluid-work mailing list - [email protected] > To unsubscribe, change settings or access archives, > see http://fluidproject.org/mailman/listinfo/fluid-work > > _______________________________________________________ fluid-work mailing list - [email protected] To unsubscribe, change settings or access archives, see http://fluidproject.org/mailman/listinfo/fluid-work
