AEGIS SP3 story - building an accessible web application Presentation at CSUN 2012.

1. Using the AEGIS OAF:
Accessible Rich Internet Apps
Peter Korn, Oracle
Nikolaos Kaklanis, CERTH
International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference

2. What we will be doing today...
Following a fictional software developer who will
build an accessible Rich Internet Application
Demonstrate how AEGIS helps do this
Using the “Open Accessibility Framework”
Using the tools developed in the AEGIS project
Presentation in the style of a “cooking show”
International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference

3. What is AEGIS?
4 Year EC-funded ICT accessibility project
20 in consortium: from industry, disability,
research
By the words of the acronym:
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
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4. Where AEGIS comes from
EC call: FP7-ICT-2007-2
Objective: ICT-2007.7.2: Accessible & Inclusive ICT
ICT-2007.7.2(a) New approaches and solutions for
deeply embedding generalised accessibility
support within future mainstream ICT-based
products and services. Examples are user interfaces
and content representations adaptable to people with
specific needs. It includes open, plug & play
accessibility architectures and standards enabling a
seamless integration of personalised assistive
solutions for ICT access. The research is expected to
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5. AEGIS Concept – build it in
“deeply embed generalised accessibility support
within future mainstream ICT ” = build accessibility
into all facets of the “value delivery chain”
Learn from the built environment:
Need to address “creation” steps:
What does it mean to be “accessible”, etc.
Need to address “use” steps
Wheelchair ramps don't help unless people have
wheelchairs
Apply to ICT environment: Open Accessibility
Framework
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6. AEGIS OAF
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7. AEGIS OAF
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8. AEGIS Concept – generations...
Accessibility evolving: 3 distinct generations
1st generation accessibility:
Character-based systems
2nd generation accessibility:
GUI with off-screen models
3rd generation accessibility:
“Access by contract” - accessibility APIs
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9. Our protagonist developer
Clyde Channing lives in
Manchester, UK
He has been working as
a senior developer at
Quixcon Software
Solutions
His company develops
software for hire, and
has been hired to
create an accessible
web-based calendar
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10. Mr. Channing's work environment
Clyde uses many tools in his work
NetBeans
Eclipse
Windows (XP-7)
ASP .NET
Visual Studio
Linux / Ubuntu
Java
He does not have a disability
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11. Create an accessible calendar
UK government agencies having difficulty
scheduling meetings across their agencies:
need for shared calendar – led to decision:
make a web-based calendar app
UK Disability Discrimination Act & Equality Act –
led to decision: web-based calendar must be
accessible
After competitive bids, UK government decides to
hire Quixcon Software Solutions to create an
accessible web-based calendar application
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12. Mr. Channing's research
Methodology: Search the web for tools, resources, guidance in creating
accessible web applications
Solution: Accessibility Adviser tool, UI components implementing ARIA,
developer tools, and simulation tools
Relevant material developed in AEGIS:
Accessibility Adviser provides guidance [OAF step 3: “Developer Tool”]
WAI-ARIA specification [OAF step 1: “Define Accessible”]
jQuery, MooTools, Fluid Infusion [OAF step 2: “Stock Elements”]
NetBeans plug-in for using ARIA-enabled UI components [OAF step 3:
“Developer Tool”]
ACCESSIBLE project's DIAS disability simulation tool for web apps
Firefox web browser exposing ARIA information using IAccessible2 on
Windows, ATK/AT-SPI on Linux [OAF step 4: “Platform support”]
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13. Define end users, accessibility env.
Use the Accessibility Adviser
To understand the end users & their
major barriers and limitations
Specifies a set of recommendations
that to develop the application, as
well as the recommended
technologies that can be used
Select target peronas
Low vision: Gert Van Dijk
Blindness: Paulina Reyes
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14. Design app w/accessibility support
jQuery & MooTools components [OAF step 2:
“Stock Elements”] taken from NetBeans
palette [OAF step 3: “Developer Tool”]
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15. First tests
Developer continues
with NetBeans IDE,
builds the app
[OAF step 5:
“The app itself”]
Uses “View” option to
preview app in local
web browser
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16. First tests
Developer continues
with NetBeans IDE,
builds the app
[OAF step 5:
“The app itself”]
Uses “View” option to
preview app in local
web browser
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17. Accessibility simulation
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18. Accessibility simulation
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19. Programmatic Testing
Testing with ACCESSIBLE WaaT tool
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20. Programmatic Testing
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21. User evaluation
Testing with end users using:
JAWS & NVDA on Windows
VoiceOver on Mac, iOS
Orca on Linux / UNIX systems [OAF step 6: “AT”]
Firefox web browser via ARIA & IAccessible2;
via ARIA & ATK/AT-SPI
Safari web browser via ARIA & NSAccessibility
[OAF step 4: “Platform support”]
Results of the testing:
A few final issues found by end users, which are fixed
based on their feedback
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22. Release!
Release of the application
Finally the application is released – installed on the
UK gov't internal web site for use across agencies
Used by employees – with and without disabilities – to
schedule meetings with each other
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23. Summary
Tools & components used to build the app:
Accessibility Advisor [OAF step 3: “Developer
Tool”]
NetBeans IDE with a palette of stock components,
using drag-and-drop into code [OAF step 3:
“Developer Tool”]
jQuery & MooTools components implementing WAI-
ARIA, keyboard operation & theme support [OAF
step 2: “Stock Elements”]
WAI-ARIA, DHTML Style Guide [OAF step 1: “Define
Accessible”]
DesignInternational Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference
the app w/accessibility support [OAF23 of

24. Next steps in AEGIS
Third Pilot testing with developers
CS students in Prague & Madrid will test these tools
Two groups: using tools & control group
Key question: to what extent do these tools help
developers who aren't otherwise familiar with
accessibility in creating accessible web apps
We will publish results by August 2012
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25. Questions?
http://www.aegis-project.eu
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