Accessibility Implementation
Last revised: March 24, 2024Overview
The goal of this homework is to make something more accessible. Specifically, you should create a more accessible version of a thing (website, visualization, user interface, AR/VR, etc) that you’ve already made.
Learning Goals / Competencies
This homework will contribute to your competency grade on
- Accessible Document Creation
- Familiarity with a Range of Accessibility Technologies
- Image Description
It may contribute to other competencies depending on how you approach it.
Details
To complete this assignment, please do the following
1. Select a specific interface or web app that you will make more accessible
You should identify a technology you have implemented for general use (i.e. not an accessibility technology). Ideally this should be an interactive technology (some kind of user interface, app, etc). If you have no such thing, you can ask to approve using a website or other static content that you have generated as an alternative.
Possible examples (this list is still unders construction)
- A class assignment that has an interface
- A web app
- A mobile app
- Your personal website
- An interface wrapped around some machine learning program
- An educational game for young children
- Tools for learning programming
- A visualization
- A password or CAPTCHA interface
- VR/AR: A game or game control interface.
Also be clear about what task you want to accomplish. If you don’t have any interactive application that you can do this with you can use a static website or content, however in this case you need to get our approval by submitting the content you will focus on to us ahead of time.
2. Select an accessibility technology and test your app with it
Be clear about which accessibility aid (such a screen reader, magnifier or single switch input) or which perceptual concern (such as color blindness) your modifications will be addressing.
Be clear about what task your are testing.
Test out your app with that accessibility aid and identify any problems with completing that task.
3. Fix the problem
Once you have identified problems, it is time to fix them. The expectations here will depend partly on the details of the task you select (which must be instructor approved) but it needs to include at least two different areas of POUR (i.e. address issues with both percievability and operability) or otherwise demonstrate that you have not done something overly simple.
Hand in
Turn the following in on Canvas
-
A before and after video showing what it was like to use your thing with your selected accessibility technology before and after you addressed the accessibility issues. The format of this video is flexible, but should take no more than 3-5 minutes. You can also choose to do a live demo of your before & after in office hours.
-
An accessible 1 page document stating
- What thing or app and task you picked (include pictures)
- What accessibility technology you picked
- What you had to do to make it more accessible
- What are three things you learned from doing this?
- An appendix with a list of the competencies you wish to be assessed on other than the required ones, and any additional information needed to be assessed (as specified in the competencies)
Note: do not submit a PDF. We expect your submission to be a Word or Google Doc.