It can be difficult to understand how someone touched by a disability could utilize a laptop or smart phone just as an example of the numerous barriers encountered. Help your Dev Teams get a first hand feel for how do people with disabilities utilize laptops, computers, smart phones, smart watches and other gadgets. A11Y Labs Empathy Session is one way to get a feel for the project teams to appreciate how those touched by a disability utilize alternative ways to interact with technology. In the process your teams will also get a deeper understanding of the tools such as JAWS or Dragon are used to help along this journey.
Accessibility: Essential for Some, Useful for All
OUR INITIATIVE
In the midst of seismic shifts on the tech scene with an abundance of highly portable devices that have a multitude of feature rich options to connect, communicate and collaborate, human romance with technology seems to have taken flight in leaps and bounds. Technology is a core part of our lives no matter how you cut it and its fascinating! Yet, when we consider the deeper levels of human experience, regrettably, we still witness gaps when viewed through the lenses of those touched by some form of disability.
A11Y Labs is an experiment of sorts to alleviate such barriers in some ways. Weather it is demonstrating empathy by getting a feel for that human experience through a complimentary virtual session by those touched by a disability, bringing down the cost of switch devices to an affordable level or use of simple utilities such as focus highlighters to make life easier, A11Y Labs shares this passion to be a part of that human journey.
- EMPATHY SESSIONS
- ADAPTIVE SWITCH DEVICES
Assistive Technology switches aide those who are touched by mobility issues perform user actions on various digital devices such as computers and laptops through switches. Complex user actions such as typing on a keyboard or using a mouse can be translated into pressing a button on a simple switch. Switches are designed in numerous variations to suite the needs of those with unique abilities and have unique requirements. They could be hand/finger operable, sound based, mouth sip & puff, wheelchair, bedside switches and numerous other types of designs.
Switches provide greater independence, improve self-esteem, enhance communication with caregivers, better access to laptops/computers among numerous other benefits. However, independent of the vendors out in the market, the cost of these devices is sky high. Recognizing the need for affordable switches to maximize the reach for those in need, 0 Barriers Foundation has tasked it's A11Labs to take on this important initiative to come up with switches that not only meet the unique needs of those touched by mobility issues but also to introduce products that are affordable. Trail runs of some of these designs are in the works and once they meet the expected norms, the cost of these switches can be brought down to a less 25 % of those currently in the market. - A11YMOLY
One of the most important initiatives for the Foundation is to develop a comprehensive Digital Accessibility Compliance Platform designed to alleviate accessibility barriers for people with disabilities. This is accomplished through implementation of a rules engine that accommodates Digital Accessibility Compliance Evaluation, Testing & Re-mediation processes to ensure that jurisdiction based regulatory compliance requirements are met. This in turn enhances the overall digital experience for people with disabilities, complies with Regulatory & Statutory Accessibility Standards such as AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) and projects an inclusive web presence. Realizing the misery in all these tounge twisting jargons, we simply called it A11YMoly! Synonymous to Holy Moly or an expression of pleasant surprise...
- Visible Focus Finder
Determine if interactive elements have visible focus indicator.
- Image Explorer
Identify images with their key attributes. Code Snipper - Extract accessibility related attributes of intended UI elements.
- Code Snipper
Extract accessibility related attributes of intended UI elements.
- 0 Barriers Toolbar
Integration of numerous utilities to help accessibility community of developers, testers and users take on current challenges.
- 0 Barriers Academy
Series of Video Tutorials to facilitate inclusive and accessible coding practices.
- 0 Barriers Newsletter
Provide periodical updates on the latest and greatest developments of The Foundation in the context of Accessibility.
A11YMOLY Journey Map
Ideation
Identify main challenges faced by people with disabilities and possible solutions to alleviate them.
Requirements
Identify practically implementatable solutions and document detailed Functional & Technical Requirements.
Team Work
Establish key players on the Functional & Technical side. Identify roles and responsibilities.
Development
Establish Architectural Components, User Interfact, APIs, DB, Set Infrastructure and Code the application.
Testing
Integration, Functional, Performance, Accessibility and User Acceptance Testing to ensure that the application is upto the snuff.
Deployment
Deployment the application. Gather user feedback.
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