The ÆGIS concept, with updates from the Pan-European Workshop

and User Forum

Peter Korn, Accessibility Principal & ÆGIS Technical Manager

Presentation Overview

• What is ÆGIS• Brief history of ICT Accessibility• Steps to build an accessible...

...physical world ...ICT environment• The Open Accessibility Framework (OAF)• Updates from the Pan-European workshop

What is ÆGIS?

• EC-funded FP7 project to “...build accessibility into future mainstream ICT...”

• Focus on...– future: look at where accessibility is going– mainstream: do research as close to products

as practical– ICT: desktop, web, mobile; communication

What is “ÆGIS”?

• Open Accessibility Everywhere: Groundwork, Infrastructure, Standards

• Inspiration from Greek myth– ÆGIS is the shield of Zeus– Now means a shield, protection, or sponsorship– For us: building accessibility into ICT is a way

to protect people at risk of exclusion

What is “ÆGIS”... in Letters & Words?

• open: collaborate with existing communities• Accessibility: focus of the project• Everywhere: desktop, web, mobile• Groundwork: start from users, user needs• Infrastructure: build it in to ICT• Standards: define, then build to standards

Key Goals of the ÆGIS Project

• Develop a complete framework to building accessibility into ICT– Prove it with users in desktop, web, and mobile

• Help developers & authors as well as users• Address accessibility cost issues

– Leverage popular open source apps, platforms– Use commodity hardware where possible

More Key Goals of the ÆGIS Project

• Seek to advance the state of the art– Framework for magnification– Concept Coding Framework for authoring– Face tracking, eye tracking, gesture switches– Aid to developers, authors– “Platform on a platform” challenges

A Brief History of ICT Accessibility

• Late 1960s – early 1980s 1st generation access– Character based screens– Blind access via Optacon, screen readers from text

buffers– Low vision access via custom video card– Input device replacements (special keyboards, etc.)

More Brief History of ICT Accessibility

• Late 1980s – early 2000s 2nd generation access– Graphical desktop– Blind access via off-screen model: reverse engineered hack– Low vision access via software magnification: also a hack– Evolution of voice recognition systems– Switch access software– Specialized apps for cognitive impairments

• Starts in 1997– Java Accessibility API &

Pluggable Look & Feel of Swing– W3C Web Accessibility Initiative– MSAA– Roots in two earlier attempts:

• RAP & AccessAware

Emergence of 3rd Generation Access

Focus of 3rd Generation Access

• Provide everything needed by AT via APIs– Address “platform-on-a-platform” issues– Accessibility standards start to appear– WCAG, UAAG, ATAG, ISO 13066– Similar shift for accessibility as with printing

• Direct app-to-printer interfaces became mediated by the operating system

– OS-defined printer driver APIs

• How wide must a door be for a wheelchair to fit through it?

• How much force must you need to open a window?

• How do we make an elevator accessible - tones, Braille...

Steps to Physical Accessibility – creationStep 1: Define “Accessible”

• Sets of standard doors - all wide enough for a wheelchair

• Sets of standard windows - with little force needed to open

• Standard elevators - with tones, Braille, tactile symbols

Steps to Physical Accessibility – creationStep 2: Stock building materials

• Manuals & standards for installing windows, doors, elevators

• Specs. for wheelchair ramps; testing ramp elevation

• Special tools for installing windows, doors, elevators, etc.

Steps to Physical Accessibility – creationStep 3: Tools for accessible building

Steps to Physical Accessibility – useStep 4: Locate the building where it will work

• Is the building near public transit?• Is there a wheelchair ramp leading up to

the building?• Can people find the crosswalk buttons

Steps to Physical Accessibility – useStep 5: Make the accessible buildings

• Follow the plans, use the stock building materials, locate the building where it should go

• And then build it

Steps to Physical Accessibility – useStep 6: Disseminate access devices people need

• Distribute wheelchairs(that work with the ramps)

• Provide canes for the blind, train seeing eye dogs

• Diagnose hearing problems, prescribe hearing aids

• Define keyboard navigation scheme• Define theme mechanisms for high

contrast, large print• Define an accessibility API for

communication with AT

Steps to ICT Accessibility – creationStep 1: Define “Accessible”

• Build sets of desktop UI elements– Menus, windows, etc.

• Build sets of web UI elements– Charts, drag & drop, etc.

• Build sets of mobile UI elements– Text fields, radio buttons, etc.

Steps to ICT Accessibility – creationStep 2: Stock UI elements, toolkits

• Manuals & standards for how to make accessible applications

• Developer tools that provide stock accessible UI elements

• Developer tools that flag programmatically determinable inaccessible app designs

Steps to ICT Accessibility – creationStep 3: Tools for developing accessible ICT

Steps to ICT Accessibility – useStep 4: Make platform accessible, able to run AT

• Does the platform expose accessibility APIs from the applications?

• Can the user select a high contrast, large print theme?

• Does the platform have text-to-speech, Braille, for AT to use?

Steps to ICT Accessibility – useStep 5: Make the accessible ICT applications

• Follow the plans, use the stock UI elements & toolkits, deploy on an accessible platform

• And then build the apps

Steps to ICT Accessibility – useStep 6: Disseminate access devices people need

• Ensure blind have access to screen readers for the platform

• Ensure low vision have access to screen magnification

• Ensure access to augmentative/alternative communication systems, etc.

• Core idea of the ÆGIS project• ÆGIS OAF deliverables:

1.Document describing the framework of 3rd generation accessibility, validated by ÆGIS prototypes and feedback

2.Prototypes implement OAF, proven in ÆGIS• Many prototypes contributed back in open source

Open Accessibility Framework

Open Accessibility Framework cont.

• Addresses all facets of building accessibility into ICT

• Completely analogous to physical accessibility– Looks at “creation” and “use” sides

• It is essentially the “Steps to ICT Accessibility” of previous slides

• Desktop– Build on 3rd gen. accessibility already in GNOME – Focus on authoring assistance in

OpenOffice.org– DAISY, Braille, Concept Coding Framework– Blind, low-vision, physical impairment, cognitive

impairment, developers / testers

ÆGIS Technology Focus Areas

• Web– Work in all facets of OAF (except AT)– UI element sets used in developer tools to

create apps that run in user agents on desktop platforms (with AT)

• Mobile– Work in all facets of OAF (including AT)

ÆGIS Technology Focus Areas, cont.

Creation Use

• <updates to go here, added the night before, at the conclusion of the workshop>

Updates from Pan-European Workshop