We are all disabled or soon could be - pseweb2015 - dboudreau final

We are all disabled, or soon could be: Redefining inclusive user experience on the web

PSEweb 2015 – July 27th, 2015

“Our average student is female, she’s 23 years old, has 0.6 kids,

has 1.13 mobile devices…”

“We don’t care, about that person. What we really need to do to design

is look at the extremes…”

Denis Boudreau [email protected]

@dboudreau

Web Accessibility Strategist Simply Accessible http://sateach.es

WE are all different.

Meet John Needs and Goals • Clear, simple instructions • Not get lost in details

Behaviors • Makes to-do lists • Frequently feels overwhelmed • Experiencing early signs of Alzheimer’s

Demographics • 54 years old • Single, no kids • Retired public servant • Full time student

From John’s point of view…

1. I find most websites really overwhelming with so much going on. 2. I often get frustrated when trying to fill out complex forms. 3. It’s hard for me to remember things from one page to the next. 4. When pages change without warning, I feel disoriented. 5. I’m getting increasingly worried that I won’t be able to use the

Internet for what I need to do for my studies or my job.

Meet Sean Needs and Goals • Be up to date on the latest technology • 1000 pull requests on GitHub by end of 2015

Behaviors • Very tech savvy, wants the latest gadgets • Quickly gets bored with technology • Has low-vision (requires 400% magnification)

Demographics • 27 years old • Engaged, no kids (yet) • Front-End Developer • Part-time student

From Sean’s point of view…

1. With a limited view, it can be difficult for me to maintain context. 2. Sometimes, I find it hard to distinguish between items. 3. I often have real trouble with multiple columns on a web page. 4. When buttons are placed really far away from where I am on a

page, I might miss them entirely. 5. All of this causes me significant eye strain and fatigue each day.

Meet Maxine Needs and Goals • Feels the need to slow down a little • Wants to get in better physical shape

Behaviors • Extrovert with very strong peoples skills • Has a very busy social life • Has severe arthritis

Demographics • 48 years old • Married, 3 kids • Hair Stylist • Part-time student

From Maxine’s point of view…

1. I have trouble clicking or tapping on small target areas. 2. Buttons can sometimes be too close together for me. 3. Often, I don’t have a lot of strength in my hands when typing. 4. Sometimes, I use a combination of keyboard/mouse/voice. 5. On bad days, I may type really slowly because it hurts.

Reality is, One size does NOT ALWAYS fit all

Principles of universal design for learning Minimize barriers, maximize access Provide multiple means of: • Representation – show the

information in different ways. • Action and expression – allow users

to approach content and allow them to use it in different ways.

• Engagement – offer options that engage users and keep their interest.

McGill University Demographics

Out of 39,000 students at McGill

Approximately 1 600, or 4%, are registered to the OSD

About 1 out of 5 students who qualify come forward

Up to 8,000 students at McGill could be disabled

This means about 20.5% of the students’ population

On par with the rest of the disabled population

Blindness Cognitive

Situational disabilities

Chemo brain

Color blindness

Cystic fibrosis

Gamer’s thumb

Dyslexia Language barriers

Photosensitive epilepsy

Astigmatism

Hard of hearing

Lazy-Eyes

Directionally challenged

Poor hearing

Age-related macular degeneration

Multiple sclerosis

Learning difficulties

Visual impairments

Tremors

Muscle slowness

Deuteranopia Monochromacy

Dichromacy

Anomalous trichromacy

Protanopia

Protanomaly

Deuteranomaly

Tritanopia

Tritanomaly

Deafness

Achromatopsia

Loss of fine muscle control Parkinson’s disease

Muscular dystrophy

Cerebral palsy

Stroke

Photoepileptic seizures

Developmental disabilities

Dyscalculia

Attention deficit disorder

Dementia

Acquired brain injuries

Neurodegenerative diseases

Difficulty concentrating

Dysgraphia

Getting older

Post-concussion syndrome Sleep deprivation

Vertigo

Illiteracy

Amputation

Cataracts Glaucoma

Hearing

Autism

Motor Diabetic retinopathy Low vision

Noise-induced hearing loss

Aphasia Reading disorders

Visual

Vestibular disorders

The World Health Organization estimates there are more than 1 billion people, or 15% of the world’s

population, that is disabled (1 out of every 7 of us).

People with disabilities are, by far, the largest minority on the Web.

What if students with disabilities were the largest minority on campus?

In Canada…

3.8 million Canadians are disabled The percentage of Canadians with disabilities ranges from 4.4% of people between 15 to 24 years, to 42.5% for those 75+ years.

Total Canada Population 35.2 Million (2012)

People with disabilities 3.8 Million

13.7%

Source: http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/publications/accessibility/charles_beer/intro_why_accessibility.aspx

“Web accessibility is not about disabilities, it’s about people.”

Most people’s first experience with assistive technology

According to Employment and Social Development Canada

5 million Canadians are seniors This number is expected to reach 10.4 million, or 23.5% of the population, by 2036.

Total Canada Population 35.2 Million (2012)

Seniors, 65+ 5 Million

14.4%

Source: http://www4.hrsdc.gc.ca/[email protected]?iid=33

Aging into disabilities…

Which one will YOU be majoring in?

Meet our

27.4% minority

+

According to simple math…

Color blindness

According to the Canadian Literacy and Learning Network

Literacy statistics in Canada

55% of working age adults do not have adequate health literacy skills.

42% of adults between the ages of 16 - 65 have low literacy skills.

16% of Quebecers aged 16 - 65 are on the lowest rung of the reading scale.

Sources: http://www.fondationalphabetisation.org/en/adults/illiteracy_literacy/ http://www.literacy.ca/literacy/literacy-sub/

What does the mobile revolution means for users and the devices they use?

2014: the mobile revolution Mobile internet takes over desktop

According to ComScore, Americans used mobile apps more than PCs to access the Internet in January 2014. Mobile devices accounted for 55% of Internet usage. This was the first time this had ever happened. Source:

http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/28/technology/mobile/mobile-apps-internet/

The mobile revolution Mobile growth increase

Source: http://findmycompany.com/advantages-of-responsive-web-design

What can WE do differently?

Mobile devices are quickly becoming the cheapest way to get online

Web accessibility and mobile technologies The times, they are a-changin'

Many students with disabilities are finding these devices to be the cheapest way to buy modern assistive technology

The number of students relying on mobile devices as their main access point to the Internet increases every year

What does this mean: • For inaccessible content? • For PDF documents? • For Flash-based videos? • For Flash applications? • For the users’ bandwidth? • Etc.

Distance Education Accessibility Guidelines Task Force

A Californian example Guidelines related to specific media types found in digital media:

• Text

• Image

• Audio

• Video

• Complex

Resource: http://www.htctu.net/dlguidelines/dlg_index.html

"What we need to start doing is designing for the extremes.

The middle will take care of itself."

- @DanFormosa

Designing for the extremes

Accessibility impacts us all.

+ + 13% 14.4% ??

Merci beaucoup!

Denis Boudreau Simply Accessible [email protected] @dboudreau