USERLab ADE

Accessibility Demonstration Experiences

Accessibility Demonstration Experiences (ADEs) are interactive exercises designed to be delivered via the web to introduce people to various aspects of computer accessibility. These exercises are designed to help software and user interface designers understand the needs and expectations of users with disabilities.

Accessibility Issues

ADEs on accessibility issues provide you with insights related to barriers to the ability of individuals to access various forms of information technology.

Before and After Considering Accessibility

This ADE uses the area of website accessibility to provide a quick introduction to computer accessibility.


Automatic Accessibility Evaluations

This ADE uses a readily available online web accessibility evaluation tool to provide an introduction to evaluating computer accessibility.


Cognitive Issues

This ADE introduces cognitive disabilities by focusing on issues surrounding specific "learning disabilities". It draws some understanding of how software design decisions can impact people with these and similar disabilities.


Cultural and Linguistic Issues

This ADE focuses on accessibility issues that result from cultural and linguistic differences. Colors, symbols, and poor translation are used as examples to illustrate the issues that arise.


Secondary Encodings

Secondary encodings (such as colour and tone of voice) provide information to those who can detect them. This ADE demonstrates what happens when that information is unavailable.


Accessibility Options

ADEs on accessibility options provide you with insights related to strategies and technologies for meeting the needs of users with specific partial or full disabilities, combinations of disabilities, or barriers resulting from the userÂ’s environment to access various forms of information technology.

Operating System-Based Accessibility Settings and Services

This ADE provides an introduction to specific accessibility features available on Windows: Magnifier, On-Screen Keyboard, and Narrator.


Replacing Vision - Using a Screen Reader

This ADE provides an introduction to using a screen reader while navigating a user interface. Gain experience with some of the difficulties of navigating and using websites with a screen reader.


Assisting Vision - Using Colour Shifting and Shading

This ADE explores the needs of people with a color vision deficiency (i.e., colourblind) and provide tools that are used to shift colour ranges.


Assisting Vision - Low Vision

This ADE explores issues that people with low vision experience when surfing the web or using their computers. This ADE looks at two magnification tools that are designed to help those with low vision.


Assisting Vision - Creating Text Alternatives

This ADE explores the issues of images in Web pages. This ADE looks at the text alternatives currently available for images and introduces a tool for creating more informative text alternatives.


Replacing Hearing - Using Captioning

This ADE provides an experience with captioning. Consider how well technology such as captioning can assist deaf and hard of hearing users as well as users for whom English is a second or other language.


Assisting Hearing - Using Range Shifting and Channel Control

This ADE explores using frequency shifting and auditory channel control in accessible computing to support hard of hearing users.


Replacing Touching - Using Voice Recognition

This ADE introduces the use of a voice recognition system to navigate a user interface.


Replacing Touching - Using Camera Tracking of Eye and Head Movements

This ADE introduces the use of camera tracking to complete input and navigation tasks.


Assisting Touching - Using Single Switch Input

This ADE simulates using single switch input devices while completing tasks.


Replacing Verbal Language - Using Augmentative and Assistive Communication (AAC)

This ADE introduces the use of pictorial communications using automated communication boards ( in an AAC). 

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