Eric, THanks for sharing this article. I find the approach to be really encouraging and really gets the point across about the importance of accessibility.
On Apr 27, 2012, at 7:18 AM, erik burggraaf wrote: > Hi Scott, > > This article is particularly android focussed but it's a great jumping off > point for being in the right frame of mind when designing applications. > Maybe it will be some use. > http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2012/04/accessibility-are-you-serving-all-your.html > > Accessibility: Are You Serving All Your Users? > Posted by Tim Bray on 10 April 2012 at 10:35 AM > > [This post is by Joe Fernandez, a technical writer for > developer.android.com who cares about accessibility and usability. — > Tim Bray.] > > We recently published some new resources to help developers make their > Android applications more accessible: > > Accessibility Developer Guide > > Implementing Accessibility Training > > “But,” you may be thinking, “What is accessibility, exactly? Why > should I make it a priority? How do I do it? And most importantly, how > do I spell it?” All good questions. Let’s hit some of the key points. > > Accessibility is about making sure that Android users who have limited > vision or other physical impairments can use your application just as > well as all those folks in line at the supermarket checking email on > their phones. It’s also about the Mom over in the produce section > whose kids are driving her to distraction, and really needs to see > that critical notification your application is trying to deliver. It’s > also about you, in the future; Is your eyesight getting better over > time? How about that hand-eye coordination? > > When it comes down to it, making an application accessible is about > having a deep commitment to usability, getting the details right and > delighting your users. It also means stepping into new territory and > getting a different perspective on your application. Try it out: Open > up an application you developed (or your all-time favorite app), then > close your eyes and try to complete a task. No peeking! A little > challenging, right? > How Android Enables Accessibility > > One of main ways that Android enables accessibility is by allowing > users to hear spoken feedback that announces the content of user > interface components as they interact with applications. This spoken > feedback is provided by an accessibility service called TalkBack, > which is available for free on Google Play and has become a standard > component of recent Android releases. > > Now enable TalkBack, and try that eyes-closed experiment again. Being > able to hear your application’s interface probably makes this > experiment a little easier, but it’s still challenging. This type of > interaction is how many folks with limited vision use their Android > devices every day. The spoken feedback works because all the user > interface components provided by the Android framework are built so > they can provide descriptions of themselves to accessibility services > like TalkBack. > > Another key element of accessibility on Android devices is the ability > to use alternative navigation. Many users prefer directional > controllers such as D-pads, trackballs or keyboard arrows because it > allows them to make discrete, predictable movements through a user > interface. You can try out directional control with your apps using > the virtual keyboard in the Android emulator or by installing and > enabling the Eyes-Free Keyboard on your device. Android enables this > type of navigation by default, but you, as a developer, may need to > take a few steps to make sure users can effectively navigate your app > this way. > How to Make Your Application Accessible > > It would be great to be able to give you a standard recipe for > accessibility, but the truth of the matter is that the right answer > depends on the design and functionality of your application. Here are > some key steps for ensuring that your application is accessible: > > Task flows: Design well-defined, clear task flows with minimal > navigation steps, especially for major user tasks, and make sure those > tasks are navigable via focus controls (see item 4). > > Action target size: Make sure buttons and selectable areas are of > sufficient size for users to easily touch them, especially for > critical actions. How big? We recommend that touch targets be 48dp > (roughly 9mm) or larger. > > Label user interface controls: Label user interface components > that do not have visible text, especially ImageButton, ImageView, and > EditText components. Use the android:contentDescription XML layout > attribute or setContentDescription() to provide this information for > accessibility services. > > Enable focus-based navigation: Make sure users can navigate your > screen layouts using hardware-based or software directional controls > (D-pads, trackballs and keyboards). In a few cases, you may need to > make UI components focusable or change the focus order to be more > logical. > > Use framework-provided controls: Use Android's built-in user > interface controls whenever possible, as these components provide > accessibility support by default. > > Custom view controls: If you build custom interface controls for > your application, implement accessibility interfaces for your custom > views and provide text labels for the controls. > > Test: Checking off the items on this list doesn’t guarantee your > app is accessible. Test accessibility by attempting to navigate your > application using directional controls, and also try eyes free > navigation with the TalkBack service enabled. > > Here’s an example of implementing some basic accessibility features > for an ImageButton inside an XML layout: > > <ImageButton > android:id="@+id/add_note_button" > android:src="@drawable/add_note_image" > android:contentDescription="@string/add_note_description"/> > > Notice that we’ve added a content description that accessibility > services can use to provide an audible explanation of the button. > Users can navigate to this button and activate it with directional > controls, because ImageButton objects are focusable by default (so you > don’t have to include the android:focusable="true" attribute). > > The good news is that, in most cases, implementing accessibility isn’t > about radically restructuring your application, but rather working > through the subtle details of accessibility. Making sure your > application is accessible is an opportunity to look at your app from a > different perspective, improve the overall quality of your app and > ensure that all your users have a great experience. > Erik Burggraaf > Ebony Consulting toll-free: 1-888-255-5194 > or on the web at http://www.erik-burggraaf.com > > On 2012-04-26, at 4:26 PM, Scott Howell wrote: > >> Eric I could not agree more. I found a site that I would love to be in a >> position to tell the devs what they need to do or direct them to a resource >> that would help them make their site more accessible. I think the site is >> built in html5 and java script. However, not being familiar with html5 I >> only see stuff that tells me about the java script and a butt-load of style >> sheet references. I should have kept up with all the html stuff, but >> unfortunately I have not and so my knowledge is pretty limited now. :) >> If you know where I can find a good set of references that could be shared >> please let me know. >> >> Thanks, >> Oh and the site if your curious is, >> http://http://demo.synology.com:5000/webman/index.cgi >> >> >> On Apr 26, 2012, at 6:51 AM, erik burggraaf <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Hi Christine, >>> >>> It's actually much cheeper to design things accessibly from the ground up. >>> Bolting on something later can get quite expensive. We are seeing a trend >>> towards universal design over the last few years, especially with all the >>> work apple has done, but I'm afraid there will always be some inconsiderate >>> people out there. >>> >>> Best, >>> >>> Erik Burggraaf >>> Ebony Consulting toll-free: 1-888-255-5194 >>> or on the web at http://www.erik-burggraaf.com >>> >>> On 2012-04-25, at 8:03 PM, Christine Grassman wrote: >>> >>>> Hi there, everyone. I'm hoping someone can assist with something. In a >>>> nutshell, there is a site, http://www.yourmorals.org which enables you to >>>> take surveys on fascinating and intriguing aspects of morality. After you >>>> take the surveys, there are often color-coded and otherwise graphical >>>> representations of your scores as compared to others who took the surveys. >>>> Most results are therefore inaccessible. >>>> I wrote to the webmaster and received no reply, and I wrote to the man >>>> many of whose studies are discussed at this site, Professor John Haidt. He >>>> did respond, stating that it had never occurred to him that people with >>>> "limited sight" would be able to take their surveys, that it is an >>>> interesting consideration, but that he does not think anything can be >>>> changed until they get more money for updated web design. Is this the sort >>>> of thing which is really that expensive and time-consuming? I don't know >>>> enough about it, so would appreciate off-list feedback -- I can send >>>> anyone who wants more information the correspondence in question. It's one >>>> of those things that really could be, and should be, open to us, with the >>>> technology which is at our disposal. >>>> Christine >>>> >>>> -- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>> [email protected]. >>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >>>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>> [email protected]. >>> For more options, visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. >> >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "MacVisionaries" group. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> [email protected]. >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "MacVisionaries" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. 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