Talk by Andy Heath and Dan Jellinek

1. Distributed under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
One Voice for Accessible ICT
Andy Heath, Axelrod Access for All
Lead – Mobile Accessibility Workstream
Dan Jellinek, Headstar
Go ON Gold
Nigel Lewis (by proxy), AbilityNet
Chair: One Voice
20th September 2012, London

2. Purpose of the Coalition
• To bring together organisations to further the
awareness, implementation and delivery of
accessible ICT for the benefit of all
• Will act as a facilitator between its members,
working to an agenda that will be set by the
members
• Will help members share information relating
to their activities in this field, and the wider
market on accessible technology
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3. 3 Key Themes
• Promotion - of what already exists to help
disabled users with technology
• Campaigning - to increase the awareness and
adoption of ICT accessibility across all sectors
• Professionalism - to focus on introducing and
establishing accessibility as an integral part of
training provided to IT and associated
professionals
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4. Work Streams
• Web Accessibility
• Mobile and Apps
• Digital TV
• Barriers and Statistics
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5. History to Now
• Moving together:
mobile apps for inclusion and assistance
• No such thing as full accessibility, but need to
maximise
• Process, not detail
• Apps can liberate, or exclude
• A journey starts with a single step: then six more
("First Seven Steps to accessible mobile apps")
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6. Places
• www.onevoiceict.org/
• www.onevoiceict.org/news/moving-together-
mobile-apps-inclusion-and-assistance
• BS 8878: 2010 - Web accessibility code of practice
• tinyurl.com/28pmatr
• www.onevoiceict.org/first-seven-steps-
accessible-mobile-apps
• www.go-on-gold.co.uk/
• Joining One Voice .. From go-on-gold select partner
section – link to a file with joining form is in the text
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7. Principles
• Why OneVoice ICT ?
– Collaboration can do better for all than non-
communicative competition
– We have to work together where we can
– Technology can do stuff we can’t do without it
– I feel better if you do
• Personalisation
– Is the only way to achieve optimal accessibility
• One size DOES NOT fit all
– Access is for ALL – we ALL benefit from this. I’m getting old
too. Sometimes I want captions or audio alternative too.
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8. One Voice and Mobile
• Workstreams new
• Website being redesigned – not up yet
• Meanwhile for Mobile group use
• groups.google.com/group/onevoicemobile
• Or email andy on andyheath@axelrod.plus.com
• This is temporary
• Help develop our plans, contribute your organisation’s
projects so we can see what you are doing, work with
us to harmonise stuff and campaigns
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9. Mobile – Approaches and Issues
•  Apps that provide clever Assistive Technology
– E.g. smartphone building navigation
• www.springwise.com/health_wellbeing/app-helps-blind-
navigate-buildings/
•  General Native Apps
– Lots of good work built-in e.g. iPhone
– Every device is different – expensive to produce apps,
confusing for users
•  Need accessibility feature A choose device X,
need B, choose Y.
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10. Mobile Approaches and Issues
• Web Apps
– Viewport + javascript libraries
– Complex, needs geeks
– Expensive – different css and features
– New device needs new code (css at least)
– How do we talk with the native API ?
• We can’t
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11. Standards
• Are really useful
• We should have lots of them 
• We do have lots of them 
• They don’t all work together 
• Complexity again – where do we start ? 
• One Size again 
• Still need developers who know about
accessibility
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12. E.g.
• http://www.w3.org/2012/05/mobile-web-app-state/
– This document summarizes the various technologies developed in W3C that
increase the capabilities of Web applications, and how they apply more
specifically to the mobile context.
– Graphics
– Multimedia
– Device Adaptation
– Forms
– User interactions
– Data storage
– Personal Information Management
– Sensors and hardware integration
– Network
– Communication_and_Discovery
– Packaging
– Performance & Optimization
• Even with good guidance (and we have that) its still hard
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13. Can we do better ?
• Yes
– Standard Individualised Preferences
– Standard Data Model and API across devices
– Mechanism to communicate UI and sensor events to Web Apps
(bubble up)
– Content and UI matched to preferences and context (sensors)
• Imagine you are watching a video delivered by a web app
to an ipad in the garden and the sun comes out – what do
you need to happen ?
• Imagine using a map app on two different mobile devices
and you are motor-impaired – what gestures do what ?
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14. Standards*
• ISO Individualised Adaptability and Accessibility for Learning,
Education and Training.
– E.g. I need large fonts, For Auditory I need text
– Registry of user preference terms open to use by anyone
• Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure
– AT in the cloud plus personalisation
– Registry of user preference terms, context conditions and their use
• WAI IndieUI
– Independent User Interface : Data Model + API
– Apple, Google, Opera, IBM, Nokia, accessibility people
All Collaborating to match content and UI to prefs + device
14 *Also IMS AfA 3 but that’s another presentation

15. Standards
• ISO Individualised Adaptability and Accessibility
for Learning, Education and Training. E.g.
– OLD version on
wiki.fluidproject.org/display/ISO24751/AccessForAll+Working+Group,
currently being rewritten, accessibility preference term registry
– Rewrite underway, Requirements gathered in public, registry for open use
• Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure
– Gpii.net
– All work in public, Cloud 4 all wiki
• WAI IndieUI
– http://www.w3.org/WAI/IndieUI/
– All work in public, public list for comments
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16. Other Issues
• Convergence – tv, mobile device, LED at bus stop and
train, washing machine
• Problems with standards development
– Politics, vendor agendas
– Business models that charge for standards
– Gap between users and standards development
– Competition between standards organisations
– Hard to get them to work together
• Different schedules and processes
• Knowledge of each other’s work
– Expensive to participate
– Often less than accessible processes and tools
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17. open-stand.org/
• IEEE, W3C, IAB, IETF, Internet Society
– Co-operation
– Openness
– Fairness
– Transparency
– Available to all, fair terms (FRAND)
• Still can depend on specific collaborations and
individuals in groups
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18. Also
• ISO/IEC JTC1 Special Working Group on
Accessibility (User needs and standards
inventory)
• CEN Guide 6/ISO Guide 71 rewrite
– Needs of elder persons
• Mandate 376, Accessible products in Europe
• A huge number of other ISO groups with
accessibility work
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19. Also
• E.g. ISO SC35 (User Interfaces)
– Gesture-based interfaces
• Mouse, touch, 3D
– Menu navigation (related to 4-directional keys)
– Guidance for accessible video content (new)
– Accessibility of Applications for Convergent Devices
– Accessibility API’s for Linux, Java, iAccessible2 etc.
– Guidance on Alternative Text for Images
– Universal Remote Control
• Many other groups – e.g. TC159
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20. Conclusion
• We need to reduce complexity and make things
cheaper and better matched to our individual
needs
• There are ways to participate for organisations
and individuals
• Organisations – how about singing from the same
hymn sheet with One Voice
• Individuals – you can make sure the standards are
what you need and you can ask for them in
products
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21. Contact
• Andy
– andyheath@axelrod.plus.com
– http://axelafa.com
• Dan
– dan@headstar.com
– http://www.headstar.com
• Nigel
– nigel.lewis@abilitynet.org.uk
– http://www.abilitynet.org.uk/
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