Developing Accessible Interfaces New Tax Credits Case Study. Susan Brown User Experience Program Manager Microsoft UK

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Developing Accessible

Interfaces

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New Tax

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Credits Case Study

Susan Brown

User Experience Program Manager

Microsoft UK

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Agenda

Software Development Centre,

Microsoft UK

Common accessibility issues

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SDC, Microsoft UK

Design, develop and deploy solutions

Apply proven processes and tools for software

development.

Microsoft Solutions Framework

Building integrated, empowered project teams

Staffing projects with experts:

60-75% of resources come from Partners and the

Customer

Access to the technical community: Product Support

Services, Technical Consulting and Product Development groups

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Project Team Model

Program Management Development Test & Stabilisation Logistics & Supportability User XP Product Manager Project Director Project Office

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User Experience Lead

Is the primary endIs the primary end--user advocate on the teamuser advocate on the team

Plans & drives the user experience design processPlans & drives the user experience design process

Manages customer stakeholders Manages customer stakeholders

Defines the userDefines the user--focused scope of the solutionfocused scope of the solution

Owns the User Interface Specification and User Owns the User Interface Specification and User

Assistance Specification

Leads the User Experience team, ensuring deliverables Leads the User Experience team, ensuring deliverables

are high quality & on plan

Works with rest of project team to ensure solution meets Works with rest of project team to ensure solution meets

usability & accessibility criteria

Represents the User Experience team at project leads Represents the User Experience team at project leads

level

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User Experience Roles

Usability

Research & Testing

Graphic Design Interaction Design UI Prototyper Content & User Assistance Accessibility Internationalisation Program Management Development Test & Stabilisation Logistics & Supportability User XP Product Manager

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Accessible design approach

Basic principles when designing an accessible

application:

Ensure the system is usable

Provide flexibility.

Allow a choice of input methods.

Allow a choice of output methods.

Consistency in design.

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Common accessibility issues

Silent pagesSilent pages -- elements don't load, or are not elements don't load, or are not

recognised by assistive technology such as a reader.

Illegible text Illegible text -- e.g. text created as image gets distorted e.g. text created as image gets distorted

when enlarged by a partially sighted user or doesn’t

“grow when asked”

FormsForms –– unusable, e.g. poorly labelled or in illogical unusable, e.g. poorly labelled or in illogical

order, or association between form field and label broken

ImagesImages –– with no ALT tags get read out as graphic file with no ALT tags get read out as graphic file

names

FramesFrames -- not recognised by some readers and not recognised by some readers and

inaccessible

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New Tax Credits case study

New Tax Credits start April 2003

Applications from August 2002

EDS & Microsoft joint development

Web site/online applications

Rules engine

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New Tax Credits case study

Designed to make the application usable

and accessible by tax credit claimants

Accessibility requirements

Aim to meet level 1 accessibility requirements

from W3c.

Inland Revenue accessibility requirements

Platform requirements

Different OS/browser combinations

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Design Process Summary

Design Iteration IR usability testing Implement UI Usability & accessibility testing Final revisions High-level business

requirements & draft paper form Live Site Design Iteration & UI Spec Initial site structure & prototype User research

User Experience Advisory Panel

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Accessibility Challenges

Aim to meet W3c level 1 accessibility

requirements

Ensure assistive technology could be used

Technical requirements

Support browser versions Internet Explorer 4.0 and Support browser versions Internet Explorer 4.0 and

Netscape 4.08 and above on Windows 95 and above.

Support browser versions Internet Explorer 5.0 and Support browser versions Internet Explorer 5.0 and

Netscape 4.08 and above on Mac OS 7.5 and above.

Visual design and layout

Optimised for 800 x 600 screen resolutionOptimised for 800 x 600 screen resolution

Must download quickly over a 28.8 mbps modemMust download quickly over a 28.8 mbps modem

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Accessibility Considerations

Secure sites and use with assistive

technology.

Keyboard only navigation

No moving images or sounds

Application form

Skip elements built in to allow user direct

access to the content on the page.

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Accessibility Testing

Accessibility testing by

AbilityNet

Specialist charity offering testing, advice and supportSpecialist charity offering testing, advice and support

Conducted accessibility testing Conducted accessibility testing

Provided consultancy to development team Provided consultancy to development team

Practical advice of how to code to meet accessibility Practical advice of how to code to meet accessibility

requirements

Helped to ensure the solution was accessible to users Helped to ensure the solution was accessible to users

with disabilities using screen reading software

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This presentation is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT

This presentation is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. © 2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.