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Thread Subject: Content - proposed wording to address cognitive impairment challenges

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From: Whitney Quesenbery
Date: Mon, Jun 25 2007 10:05 AM

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And here's the suggestion for a content requirement: 
 
Authors should follow best practices for creating content that is
accessible for people with disabilities. These guidelines
include: 
1.      Organize the content to serve the
reader?s needs, considering their tasks and goals. 
2.      Use everyday words that convey meaning
clearly and directly. 
3.      Uses the present tense and the active
voice. 
4.      Uses short, simple sentences. 
5.      Includes useful headings. 
6.      Uses lists and tables to simplify
complex material. 
Discussion: Clearly written content improves accessibility for people
with several disabilities, including people with cognitive and reading
disabilities, those whose primary language is American Sign Language and
those reading in Braille. 
 
We were thinking about where these provisions could fit: 
The one for interaction could go in: 
3 Software & General Behavior Provisions 
   [3.1] All products 
The best fit for the one on content is in the section on 6. Electronic
Content Provisions 
It could go in [6.1] If Web Content and Applications, but it's not
restricted to web content - and could include documentation,
instructions, error messages and other content in any E&IT. 
 
 
At 10:07 AM 6/25/2007, Walser, Kate wrote: 
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">
All, 
 
  
 
Whitney and I drafted wording to address
issues that impact all people with disabilities, especially those with
cognitive impairment. Here?s one related to interaction. Not sure where
it should go ? maybe Web / Software or General. Please take a look and
pose comments. Whitney will send an additional one shortly. 
 
  
 
  
 
X.X - Interaction 
 
  
 
Applications should follow best practices for
designing interaction paradigms that are accessible for people with
disabilities including: 
 
1. Provide a means to undo actions, such as
by resetting the form to the original information 
 
2. Provide a way to move backwards one step
in a process to fix mistakes or check answers 
 
3. Provide a way to cancel actions before
submitting 
 
  
 
Discussion: 
 
Well-designed interaction enables people to
reverse and reset actions in case they have made a mistake or are unable
to complete a transaction at the time. It also provides a way for people
to explore an interaction without the threat of modifying their data
unintentionally. This is particularly helpful for all users, especially
in cases where they have triggered an action unintentionally or realize
they've made a mistake after they've taken the action. 
 
  
 
  
 
Thanks, and best regards, 
 
Kate 
 
  
 
  
 
Kate Walser 
 
Director, Usability Center of Excellence 
 
SRA International, Inc. 
 
4300 Fair Lakes Court 
 
Fairfax, VA 22033 
 
(703) 502-1170 
 
 </blockquote>
<x-sigsep></x-sigsep>
 
Whitney Quesenbery 
Whitney Interactive Design 
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = 
phone: 908-638-5467 
mobile: 908-328-5959  
<a href="http://www.wqusability.com/" eudora="autourl">
www.WQusability.com 
</a><a href="http://www.usabilityprofessionals.org/" eudora="autourl">
www.usabilityprofessionals.org</a>  
"Warning: Objects in the calendar are closer than they
appear."</body>
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