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Checklist: What to Look for in Accessible Software Systems |
The checklist is designed to support assessment tasks carried out by people in the roles of Planning and Procurement and Testing, Assessment and Quality Assurance. Educational software and workstations should allow for access to people of different ability levels to the same resources,
Following these requirements will ensure that the application can be used by most people with impaired mobility, vision, hearing, cognition and language understanding, using their assistive technologies.
Ask yourself if your software meets the following criteria:
Accessibility Criteria
1.1 Ensure that users have access to the operating system accessibility tools,
without affecting application functionality
1.2 Ensure compatibility with assistive technologies, or support built-in
accessibility features in Operating System
1.3 Adhere to all user-selected system settings for input and output
1.4 Adhere to the standard keyboard access methods
1.5 Do not require use of a pointing device
1.6 Ensure that all information can be perceived by users with restricted or no
vision
1.7 Ensure that all information can be perceived by users with restricted or no
hearing
1.8 Do not cause the screen to flash at a frequency of above 2 Hertz
1.9 Use the simplest language possible for instructions, prompts and outputs
and, where possible, supplement it with pictorial information or spoken
language
1.10 Ensure a logical tab order for controls, input fields and other objects
1.11 Provide descriptions and instructions for all accessibility features
1.12 Provide accessible documentation, training and support materials
Additional accessibility requirements
Following these below will make it easier to use and will include more people with cognitive impairments or multiple disabilities.
2.1 Allow sufficient response time to accommodate the slowest users
2.2 Ensure that the user interface and task flow is similar across different
functions
2.3 Adhere to the operating system user interface guidelines
2.4 Provide accessible packaging, installation and configuration tools
2.5 Provide for users with multiple impairments
Reference:
Irish National Disability Authority IT Accessibility Guidelines
(http://accessit.nda.ie/checklist_4.html)
For more information, contact the Great Lakes Accessible IT Initiative at (800) 949-4232, or at http://www.adagreatlakes.org/