Evaluation of Web Accessibility for the Visual Disabled - Essay Example

Evaluation of Web Accessibility issues for the Visual Disabled Institute Table of Contents Executive Summery 3 2- Introduction 4 3- Human Computer Interaction 5 4- System for HCI evaluation 6 5- Usability analysis 6 6- Disabilities for system users 7 7- Situation of People having some Visual disabilities utilizing Web 8 8- Tool for evaluation 9 9- Nielsens heuristics Model 10 10- Analysis of web system for visual disabilities 10 ACE-Project 10 10-1- Jakob Nielsens model based heuristic evaluation 11 11- Usability problems 21 12- Recommendations 21 13- Conclusion 22 14- References 23 1- Executive Summery The field of human computer interaction deals with the study of the interaction among users and computer. Dix, Finlay, Abowd, & Beale (1998) outlined that in HCI paradigm we are aimed to analyze that a system should be developed in a way that it could offer better support and easy to use. In addition, this subject investigates the user psychology, behaviors, and focuses on the system development according to user expectations with respect to system working. However, the evaluation of system is the main element of human computer interaction that encompasses the features that developers need to address while developing a system for the user. In addition, the human computer interaction based evaluation technique is the most useful way for the assessment of usability for the system inspection regarding system design and working. However, the heuristic evaluation and human computer interaction are performed as a systematic inspection of a new developed system that is intended to offer the user a better support and easy to use interface during working. Furthermore, human computer Interaction evaluation encompasses a small set of usability analysis parameters that is used to weigh up the system working capabilities and user interface related aspects (Dix et al., 1998; Marchionini & Sibert, 1991). This research and analysis based report is about the human computer interaction based analysis for the accessibility issues for the web system in case of visual disabilities. The main intention of human computer interaction based evaluation in this research is to find out the system related accessibility issues in the system design for people having visual disabilities. 2- Introduction Maeda (2004) stated that in last few years, huge sets of World Wide Web accessibility and usability guiding principle have been produced. Frequently these rules meet. For instance, when we view a picture in HTML, we are able to as well identify substitute text for that picture. This makes the website further supportive for all viewers for the reason that a number of them cannot be able to see graphical descriptions in their web browser. In addition, the design of websites develops a profusion of usability confronts. Also, the web sites are extremely multifaceted, holding hyperlinked credentials, complex direction-finding scheme, and community information areas. In addition, various design disputes consequently happen in annoying to design websites that will get together the requirements of a massive amount of viewers by means of conflicting reasons and aptitudes, specified unreliable web-browsers, monitor resolutions, pattern locations, and link page. However, a number of web strategies have been formulated in the earlier decade as an effort to codify main beliefs that constantly hold up functional web practices, however a lot of strategies are supported on most excellent application or on laboratory learns through rigid background and reproduction locations. Though similar strategies have been implemented in the early phases of the web development, there is a challenge that as the significance of web supported information augments, there will be a growing necessity for prospect web plan strategy to be mainly resulting from exact experimental research that reviews users in their usual situations (Maeda, 2004) & (IBM, n.d). The main intention of this research is to provide and present detailed and comprehensive overview of the some of the main aspects of a computer interaction issues for the people having visual disabilities. In this report I will analyze the lacking factors and offer the recommendation to improve the usability of the system. In this report the system that will be discussed is a web based system. In addition, this system is web based project management system and known as ACE-Project. 3- Human Computer Interaction Dix, Finlay, Abowd, & Beale (1998) describe the human computer interaction as “an analysis and study of communication among users with computers. However, the basic purpose of human computer interaction is to design and develop the systems that are more users friendly as well as responsive to user’s requirements with the intention that users could obtain their results swiftly, with smaller mistakes and better satisfaction” (Dix et al., 1998). Dix, Finlay, Abowd, & Beale (1998) have outlined that the terms user and computer cover enormous detail, for instance, users may be an individual user, a group of users, a corporation or spatially or temporally grouped or divided people. In the same way, the computers could be some technology varying from large scale distributed systems or desktop PCs or some embedded system. The analysis and investigation of the Human computer interaction features spotlights its concentration to the "user" being the fundamental part and interaction and systems to be intended and developed that assures the user objectives in a well-organized and gainful way. Jakob Nielsen is considered as the main contributor to the study of the human computer interaction (Dix et al., 1998; Myers et al., 1996; Myers, 1998). According to Jakob Nielsen (1994) the heuristic evaluation is a usability engineering technique intended for determining the usability difficulties in a system’s design and user interface. The process of the heuristic evaluation is intended as fraction of an iterative design process of a system. Heuristic evaluation consists of a set of factors that are analyzed and examined by the system design evaluators to judge the system compliance with the standard principles of usability (also called as usability heuristics) (Nielsen J. , 1994-a). This analysis based report is aimed at presenting effective and interactive user interface design and working platform. 4- System for HCI evaluation To complete this report I have researched on a lot of systems and tried to select system that is presenting better and useful functionalities. However, the main aim I have established behind the system selection is the similarity of the working nature with academic areas. In this way we can achieve the system performance in a better way. I have selected a project management application that is used extensively for the organization and management of the projects. I have selected ACE-Project for the web based HCI based analysis. This system is available at: The trail version of the ACE-Project is avail be on this link: https://www.aceproject.com/demo/server01/Login.asp?lang= 5- Usability analysis For the usability test of the websites we need methods and actions that necessitate attentive deliberation when designing and developing websites. In addition, the most significant aspects of these things are included in the usability, encompassing ’up-front’ subjects like situating understandable and concise objectives for a website, finding accurate and comprehensive position of client necessities, making certain that the website is capable to fulfill user’s expectation, putting usability objectives, and offering practical content. However, to achieve most excellent result, web designers should consider diverse user-interface issues, and effort to create a website that offers the optimum probable human performance. The present investigations recommends that the most excellent aspects to enhance the website usages for the disabled people. This is required to have a lot of people those can suggest design explanations, and then to go after them through an iterative plan technique. In addition, this necessitates carrying out the suitable usability tests and according to those results makes changes to the website (Nielsen, 2000) and (Brinkman et al., 2008). 6- Disabilities for system users The section elaborates the disabilities those can be found in a web based users. However, the main intention of this section is to identify the users those are having some kind of visual disabilities. In this way we will be able to gain better insight into the aspects of visual disabilities for web users and can effectively design, outline and recommend improvements for the web based system design. In this scenario Brewer (2005) stated that WAI (or Web Accessibility Initiative) developed procedures intended for accessibility of internet browsers, websites and authoring tools, make easier for people having some visual disabilities to utilize the web based system (Brewer, 2005). Mariger (2009) outlined that web based systems are more and more significant for people and playing gradually more significant role in society. In this case access to the web based systems is very important for people having visual disabilities. However, a lot of the web based system accessibility solutions explained in web accessibility initiative materials as well offers benefits to web users who do not have some kind of visual disabilities (Mariger, 2009; Dix et al., 1998). This section is mainly intended to offer a general introduction to different type of visual disabilities of people for using the web. It will offer a background to facilitate understand how people having some kind of visual disabilities get benefit from web based system. Norman (2007) stated that Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0, describe some of main guidelines with very comprehensive and in-depth analysis of some of main visual disabilities (Norman, 2007). Also, Kolatch (2000) has stated different snerio for the web based accessablity in case of some disablities: (Kolatch, 2010) Situations of people having visual disabilities utilizing accessibility features of websites as well as web based systems A number of kinds of assistive technologies as well as adaptive strategies employed by a number of people having some visual disabilities when accessing the web based applications. This document contains many internal hypertext links between the sections on scenarios, disability requirements, assistive technologies, and scenario references. The scenario references and general references sections also include links to external documents. 7- Situation of People having some Visual disabilities utilizing Web Nielsen-2 (1996) outline that there are a lot of situations where people are having some special types of visual disabilities. In addition, these people are utilizing assistive technologies as well as adaptive strategies to use the web. However, a number of situations demonstrate how the web based system could make a number of tasks easier for people having some visual disabilities. In the scenarios for the disable people we are having different categories of visual disabilities. Some of main disabilities are presented below (Nielsen-2, 1996) & (Brewer, 2005); We based shopper (user) having color blindness Reporter having repetitive stress injury (hardware based) Web based student who is color blend Accountant having blindness Classroom learner having weak eyesight Teenager having blindness searching for web entertainment 8- Tool for evaluation The research shows that the heuristics evaluation model is most useful and effective for the system analysis and investigation for people with visual disabilities. The main factors of this heuristics evaluation model are the wideness and diversity of system analysis factors. In addition, this heuristics evaluation model offers comprehensive and effective way of system usability analysis. The heuristic evaluation analysis was presented by Nielsen (1994). According to Nielsen (1994), it is complicated for a single person to perform this analysis since one person will never be able to find out all the usability problems or issues in a system user interface. Furthermore, the results from a lot of diverse projects have proved that different users discover different usability related issues in the system. Therefore, it is viable to build up the efficiency of the technique considerably through linking numerous evaluators (Nielsen J. , 1994-b). However, it is reality that several usability problems are so uncomplicated to determine that they are detected or discovered by nearly everyone; however, there are also many problems that are determined by few evaluators (Nielsen J. , 1994-a). 9- Nielsens heuristics Model In this section I am going to elaborate the heuristics analysis model that is going to implement for the analysis of the web system for people with visual disabilities. I have selected the Nielsens human computer interaction heuristics analysis model. This model is presented by Jakob Nielsen (1994-a). There are ten general principles or standards in this human computer interaction heuristics analysis model for enhanced interface design (Nielsen, 1994-a; Nielsen, 1994-b). Visibility of system status Match between system and the real world User control and freedom Consistency and standards Error prevention Recognition rather than recall Flexibility and efficiency of use Aesthetic and minimalist design Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors Help and documentation 10- Analysis of web system for visual disabilities ACE-Project Now in this section I will discuss the Ace-Project latest version and its evaluation with Jakob Nielsens model based heuristic model for the people with visual disabilities. This is a project management tool that provides use the facility to manage our projects easily, without any physical location restriction. It is some sort of virtual office concept that provides us the facility to take our office any where. However, the AceProject was developed to facilitate project managers for the management of project anytime in any place. AceProject was initially released in 2001; AceProject is a standard in web-based project management software solutions. AceProject is helpful for any organizations to bring their people together to become more proficient and manage their projects in a better way. In addition, the AceProject also provides the facility as the web-based project management software within which numerous users can administer multiple projects, from multiple locations. Thus, all corporate performing their tasks are stored and shared in one central place that is accessible to all at the same time (aceproject-1, 2009) & (Aceproject-2, 2009). The visual disabilities will be discussed here are Color blindness Eyesight weakness Blindness 10-1- Jakob Nielsens model based heuristic evaluation This section is about the elaboration of the Ace-project using the Jakob Nielsens model based heuristic evaluation. The main user interface of the Ace-Project is given below; Visibility of system status: In this scenario the system needs to offer the user the information about what is happening in the system. We can also define it as the appropriate feedback of the system that is presented to the user of the system within reasonable time limit so that user could not have the feeling of distraction. In this scenario this system is offering a greater facility regarding the visibility of operations. In addition, we have greater facility that is detailed information about each aspect of the system and its working factors. For example we are having a detailed and clearer distinction of each system operations. Like that below screenshot describes the clear distinction in each type of job and each job section is offering the different project management jobs. However, the system is not supporting the people having visual disabilities, here no such color or menu based support is presented for the people having visual disabilities and offering difficulties for color-blind people to work. This system is offering complete support for the normal people but in case of visual disabled people here operations are not well elaborated. Match between system and the real world The second rule is about the system nature that is aimed to develop under the user expectations. Thus, the system needs to work and communicate according to the user language. The main aim of this heuristic is to define that if the user interact with the system then the interaction words, phrases, language and concepts should be well-known to the system user. A complex system language and system-oriented terms can make the user of system to feel distracting. Also, while designing and developing a system we need to follow real-world conventions and also need to make the system interaction natural and in logical order. In the scenario of this system we are having the real world conventions regarding the management of the project and its operational structure. Like in case of any project this project shows that any project is assigned resource, its priority and main users. The overall process of the project handling is really easy and simple. As the image below demonstrates the project details those are explained in the each phase of project with clear and straightforward options those are more real and near the natural language. However, in case of people having some visual disabilities there is not a great facility and coordination among all operations. Here main problem is about the system operating and real world match for disabled people. In case of visual disabled people, system is not presenting an expected performance in scenario of online project management. There is huge mismatch for visual disabled people working on the system and real world situation. Take an example, in the above given image we have small font and complex symbols those are not readable for people having some visual disability. Thus, there is no advantage of system performance for the users with visual disabilities. User control and freedom In this system user has freedom for the system task management and project management. In addition, one of the main factors in this system is its facility for accessing the data from any place in the world. The next main freedom regarding the system handling is the availability of a lot of effective and easy to use system options. This system offers support for the users and easy data entering. This system is offering less freedom of control to people having some visual disabilities. A person with weak eye sight can not distinguish among different small options those are given on the system operational pages, like shown in the image below. This also happens in scenario of color blind people. Consistency and standards This system is offering a greater similarity in overall working theme. We can see in above images that the system has used a professional looking working theme that offers the system users a greater facility to have a similarity in the look. This system is offering variable working structure that is not consistent from page to page. In some pages we are having small options however some of holding huge number of optional tabs. In such situation the system user with disability can not have comfortable working with the system. This happens because of varying visual interface from page to page. Error prevention This system is supportive for the data entry. Since, the system is supporting to enter the data using its own defined conventions. Thus, there is less danger of the wrong data entry. However color presented and sizes of optional buttons are not good for visually disable person. In addition, there is no audio error prevention support for visual disabled people. Recognition rather than recall System is composing all the data and options in different tabs format. In this scenario the all system functionalities are distributed among complex structure of pages. Thus, this creates various problems for people having visual disabilities. Flexibility and efficiency of use This system is simply designed for normal people. For example the image given below is presenting mixed color scheme that makes the difficult working for people. This system offers login option but in case of some visual disability people can forget the password, username and a new options account ID. These three options are harder to remember and use for a visual disabled person. In case of login there is no audio support for the visual disabled people. Therefore, system is not offering such a huge advantage to visual disabled people. Aesthetic and minimalist design This system is web based system that is offering the facility to manage the business or other projects on the web. However, we can see some irrelevant options regarding the system usage and working. The below screen shows the information about a project that presents all information in different tab here we can have some irrelevant data and information. In case of some visual disability a person could not be able to effectively recognize and manipulate such a huge amount of data. The design of the information presentation is good for normal people however from the point of view of disabled people this overall structure is a complicated for visual disabled people. Since, there is no auditory support for such visual disabled people. Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors In case of any error we can report the system error on the web. These errors can be reported and handed in better and effective way. In addition, there are numerous operations for the system errors management and maintenance of the system errors. The below given image demonstrates the system options for the system help. However here we not able to have auditory help for the visual disabled people to recover from error or some facility to recognize or diagnose any system problem. Help and documentation As discussed above, this system is not helpful to the visual disabled people. In scenario of visually disabled people there is no auditory help on board.. 11- Usability problems This system is a web based system. Thus, in case of system password hacking any user can access our business data by sitting at any place. Here we also are having some of other difficulties regarding the constant availability of internet. In case of disconnection the working information could be lost and this could create a big damage to business data. 12- Recommendations This section covers the recommendation for facilitating the users on the web that are having some visual disabilities. Thus, I will try to address approximately all aspects and problems those have been outlined in the above section for the analysis of ACE-Project: (Dix et al., 1998) & (Nielsen-2, 1996) & (Norman, 2007) : In case people having some visual disability like color blindness we need to offer the user control of style sheets through which a user can alter the web page color scheme according to his requirements. In case of visual disability about the weakness of eye sight system needs to facilitate the user to alter the page font and button size in an easy way. In case blindness system should offer suitable markup of tables, abbreviations, alternative text as well as acronyms. Furthermore, the system needs to present synchronization of speech, visual as well as braille display. For the visual disabled people there must be some auditory help and there is need to offer captioned audio portions of multimedia files. People having some disability like dyslexia, in such situation there is need to make use of supplemental graphics; multiple search alternatives and freezing animated graphics. Some people have aging-related conditions, which is also another type of disability. In such case system needs to offer stopping scrolling text, magnification and main thing is avoiding of pop-up windows. In case of visual disabled cases system needs to offer a complete control to customize the overall web page according to his convenience. In addition, the system should offer more easily accessible multimedia that could offer device-independent access to disabled person listening device. There is also need for the labeled frames and suitable table markup. 13- Conclusion This report has presented a detailed analysis of a software tool by applying the Jakob Nielsens heuristics evaluation module for the people having visual disabilities. In this report I have analyzed the ACE-Project for the usability analysis in case of system usage by disable people. In this analysis I have found that ACE-Project offers excellent functionalities and working capabilities for normal people however in case of visual disabled people this web based system does not offer help. In this scenario I have recommended some of features and facilities for the disabled people. These additional features are helpful redesigning the system to support a large number of disabled people who desire to use this system. 14- References Aceproject-1, 2009. 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Cognitive Disabilities and the Web: Where Accessibility and Usability Meet? [Online] Available at: http://www.ncdae.org/tools/cognitive/ [Accessed 18 February 2010]. Myers, B.A., 1998. A Brief History of Human Computer Interaction Technology. ACM interactions, 5(2), pp.44-54. Myers, B. et al., 1996. Strategic Directions in Human-Computer Interaction. Computing Surveys (CSUR), 28(4), pp.794-809. Nielsen, J., 1994-a. Heuristic evaluation. In Nielsen, J., and Mack, R.L. (Eds.), Usability Inspection Methods. New York, NY.: John Wiley & Sons. Nielsen, J., 1994-b. Enhancing the explanatory power of usability heuristics. Proc. ACM CHI94 Conf. (Boston, MA, April 24-28), 152-158. Enhancing the explanatory power of usability heuristics. Proc. ACM CHI94 Conf. (Boston, MA, April 24-28), , pp.152-58. Nielsen-2, J., 1996. Accessible Design for Users With Disabilities. [Online] Available at: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9610.html [Accessed 17 February 2010]. Norman, N., 2007. Making the Web Easy to Use for Users With Disabilities. [Online] Available at: http://www.nngroup.com/reports/accessibility/ [Accessed 18 February 2010]. Read More