WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Re: DIAS Software Heads Up (AEGIS), from CSUN conference

for

From: Morin, Gary (NIH/OD) [E]
Date: Mar 5, 2012 1:18PM

I certainly hope that it's far more inclusive than just blind and vision impaired users. The numbers of persons with other types of impairments, such as dexterity issues, is pretty staggering. The continued dismissal of those of us who face barriers due to impairments that are not vision-related is also pretty staggering. There's far more to access to technology than screen readers and screen magnification, regardless of that being the main sole focus of efforts.

Gary M. Morin



-----Original Message-----
From: Ryan Hemphill [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ]
Sent: Monday, March 05, 2012 1:00 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List; Ryan Hemphill
Subject: [WebAIM] DIAS Software Heads Up (AEGIS), from CSUN conference

Hey everyone,

I went to a presentation at CSUN regarding the work that AEGIS is currently doing and it was completely shocking.

They just created a product called DIAS and it does 2 things that you absolutely need for a11y at your company. Here's why...


1. They created complete documented profiles of most of the major blind
and vision impaired user types. There may be more, but I didn't get a
chance to test the software myself.
2. For each profile they provided simulations of how that person would
be using YOUR web software and what it would be like to them.


This is quite possibly the most important software I will be able to get my hands on, period. Think about this. If you are having any troubles at all getting your dev teams and management to understand the depth of accessibility issues, these 2 things will hammer the points home like a sledgehammer for a finishing nail.

The glaucoma simulation, for example, can give several levels of the symptoms (light to severe). I have never seen the affects of glaucoma on eyesight - the focal area of the eye in the severe version of the simulation (eye focus is the mouse) was so bad that the person literally could not see a radius of at least 300+ pixels. You would literally need to pick out the button that you were trying to roll over with your mouse out of the edge of your vision. Absolutely mind-blowing.


I haven't been able to find the download for this thing, but AEGIS said they are going to release it, so I hope to track it down soon. I will let you know as soon as I have it in hand where you can download it.


In the meanwhile, I hope that I have done a good job of describing this thing. Feel free to forward it to anyone interested. When you get your hands on this thing, I am certain you will see the same potential I have.
If you find it before I do, let me know immediately.



Thanks,



Ryan Hemphill.


--



Shipping is a Feature...Perhaps the Most Important Feature.