Difference between revisions of "Assistive Technology"
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*<span style="font-size:small"><span style="font-family: tahoma,geneva,sans-serif">Audio Description</span></span> | *<span style="font-size:small"><span style="font-family: tahoma,geneva,sans-serif">Audio Description</span></span> | ||
*<span style="font-size:small"><span style="font-family: tahoma,geneva,sans-serif">Input devices such as keyboards, adaptive keyboards, on-screen keyboards, trackball, mouth stick</span></span> | *<span style="font-size:small"><span style="font-family: tahoma,geneva,sans-serif">Input devices such as keyboards, adaptive keyboards, on-screen keyboards, trackball, mouth stick</span></span> | ||
| − | *<span style="font-size:small"><span style="font-family: tahoma,geneva,sans-serif">Screen Readers</span></span> | + | *<span style="font-size:small"><span style="font-family: tahoma,geneva,sans-serif">Screen Readers-</span></span>software programs that allow blind or visually impaired users to read the text that is displayed on the computer screen with a speech synthesizer |
*<span style="font-size:small"><span style="font-family: tahoma,geneva,sans-serif">Screen Magnifier-</span></span>software that interfaces with a computer's graphical output to present enlarged screen content | *<span style="font-size:small"><span style="font-family: tahoma,geneva,sans-serif">Screen Magnifier-</span></span>software that interfaces with a computer's graphical output to present enlarged screen content | ||
*<span style="font-size:small"><span style="font-family: tahoma,geneva,sans-serif">Voice Recognition software</span></span> | *<span style="font-size:small"><span style="font-family: tahoma,geneva,sans-serif">Voice Recognition software</span></span> | ||
Revision as of 15:30, 25 October 2013
About
Assistive Technology is any item, piece of equipment, product or system, whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.
The four main categories of disabilities are visual, hearing, mobility, and cognitive. A variety of assistive technology tools are available to assist individuals with disabilities. AccessIT will be using assistive technology products to assure the quality and compliance of your webpages.
How the end users access your websites, documents, media may include these technologies:
- Audio Description
- Input devices such as keyboards, adaptive keyboards, on-screen keyboards, trackball, mouth stick
- Screen Readers-software programs that allow blind or visually impaired users to read the text that is displayed on the computer screen with a speech synthesizer
- Screen Magnifier-software that interfaces with a computer's graphical output to present enlarged screen content
- Voice Recognition software
- Word Prediction
- Word Completion-a feature often provided by many web browsers, word processors, etc., involves the prediction of a word or phrase that the user wants to type in without the user actually typing it in completely
(See also Web Accessibility, Universal Design, Digital Content Accessibility)
Principles
Indicators of Quality
Websites and web content designed with accessibility in mind are more functional and usable for all users. Here are some of the indicators of quality for Accessible IT:
- Screen readers rely on the markup structure of a document to enable navigation
- All audio content (video, recordings, etc.) is captioned
- All functionality of the content is operable through a keyboard interface
- Keyboard shortcuts to important links and form controls are provided
Techniques
Use headings to provide content structure
Use appropriate structure for lists and tables
Use CSS to style your document
Design for Screen Reader Compatibility
Use a Screen Reader to evaluate your website
Most common screen readers:
Resources
WebAIM Creating Semantic Structure
IBM Understanding Accessibility
Motor Disabilities Assistive Technologies
Better Web Browsing: Tips for Customizing Your Computer
Recommendations
Recommendations and suggestions from the AccessIT Community