Welcome to the

University of Saskatchewan - Department of Computer Science

CMPT 480/840 Accessible Computing

Web site for 2019

This course will investigate the analysis and design of accessibility issues and features related to computing applications. While the focus is on computing accessibility, this course also provides a comprehensive background to accessibility that can also be applied within other domains.

This course material has been significantly revised to make use of information in the new ISO/IEC Guide 71:2014 on Accessibility, especially the 11 accessibility goals (principles) that it discusses.

Class News: Minor changes [Updated Oct 6]

Computer Accessibility is EXTREME HCI! 

Human-Computer Interaction is about designing usable systems. Accessibility is about designing usable systems for the widest possible diversity of people and contexts of use.

• ISO 9241-171 Guidance on Software Accessibility defines accessibility as, 
• "usability of a product, service, environment or facility by people with the widest range of capabilities " 
• and it notes that: 
• "The concept of accessibility addresses the full range of user capabilities and is not limited to users who are formally recognized as having a disability." 

• The newer definition of accessibility (first published in ISO 9241-112) that has been widely accepted is, 
• "extent to which products, systems, services, environments and facilities can be used by people from a population with the widest range of user needs, characteristics and capabilities to achieve identified goals in identified contexts of use"
• and it notes
• "Context of use includes direct use or use supported by assistive technologies."
  

From these definitions we can see that, good accessibility serves all of us.


Accessibility is the new frontier of developing usable systems and CMPT 480/840 Accessible Computing is in the forefront of this movement.

ASSETS, the ACM conference that focuses on accessibility, published a paper, Techniques to Assist in Developing Accessibility Engineers, about our course in 2008, before any other accessible computing courses had appeared in North America.


Accessibility involves the ultimate in multi-media {visual, auditory, tactile} and media-shifting to communicate using media that the user is capable of using. Therefore, accessibility involves finding new and alternate ways of interacting with different users within a single application. This leads us to consider new ways of using existing technologies and new technologies for existing problems.

Please contact Prof. Jim A Carter for further information.

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Learning Objectives

A student successfully completing this course shall be able:

1. To identify opportunities for improving the accessibility of existing and proposed systems
2. To apply and combine various approaches to developing accessible systems
3. To understand the needs of persons with disabilities and to be able to recognize and make use of their abilities
4. To understand and apply the concepts of user preferences, individualization, and assistive technologies
5. To develop critical thinking skills related to the development of systems to serve their users

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Instructor:

Prof. Jim A Carter,280.3 Thorvaldson Bldg, 966-4893.

Office hours: Mon/Weds/Fri 12:30 - 1:20 and 2:30 - 3:30 or by appointment.

Text / Recommended Reading:

The main text is a manuscript of the book: A Principled Approach to Accessibility by Dr. Jim A Carter. 

Class notes are also provided that summarize key points in most of the chapters. Students may wish to download the class notes prior to the class to use as a basis for their personal note taking, however minor changes to the notes may be made by the instructor right up to class time. Lecture material will go beyond these notes and students are warned that reading the notes is not a substitute for attending and participating in class.

Free access to all chapters of the text will be provided to students registered in the class via the Moodle system.


The text and notes are copyright by Dr. Jim A Carter and freely provided for the use of registered students in the class and shall not be shared or published outside the class.

Lecture/Discussions:

The class will meet every M/W/F afternoon from 1:30 to 2:20 in Thorvaldson Spinks 371.

• Students are expected to attend all class sessions and are requested to inform the instructor via e-mail if they will be unable to attend any particular session.
• The role of the lecture sessions is to present important material to the students and to engage all class participants in a discussion of this material.
• Questions and discussions are highly encouraged. Students are responsible for all material covered in the class lecture sessions.

Assignments/Project:

NOTE: There are no exams. The expectations of your class work take this into account. This means that the critiques and project play a very significant role in your grade.

Assignments: A number of interactive assignments will be used to acquaint students with a range of accessibility issues and a range to techniques for dealing with these issues. It is expected that the weekly assignments will take approximately 1 1/2 hr each.
Critiques: Students will be expected to become familiar with the assigned readings prior to the class in which they will be discussed. Students will be assigned to prepare critiques of particular readings. It is expected that weekly critiques will take approximately 3-5 hrs each.
Project: A major project will require students to investigate a related topic in greater detail than is covered in the class. Students will be required to make a short accessible presentation about their project. The project is divided into phases to provide students with feedback on their progress.



Marking:

20% Assignments

30% Critiques of Assigned Readings

50% Term Project

  5% Project Proposal [due: Sept. 30, noon]
15% Project Analysis and Design Report [due Oct. 28, noon]
15% Project Evaluation Report [due Nov. 25, noon]
  5% Project Presentation [Dec 2 during class time]
10% Revised Project [due Dec. 5, 5 pm]


Please NOTE: There is no final exam in this course. The critiques which are a major part of the class provide better evidence of the student's overall understanding than an examination could. 

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Course Outline for T1 2019

[All dates and topics subject to change]

Basic Concepts

1. Introduction [Sept 4]

1. Course overview
2. Accessibility involves each of us 
• Identifying Our Own Needs
• Who needs accessibility?

2. Introduction [Sept 6]

1. Defining Accessibility and Usability
• access
• accessibility
• usability
2. Approaches to Accessibility
• medical models of disability
• social models of disability
• universal accessibility
3. ISO/IEC Guide 71
• accessibility principles/goals
• user characteristics
• design strategies
Critique 1: Ch 3 Widest Range of Users due 11:00 pm Monday Sept 9
Assignment 1: Before and After Considering Accessibility due noon Tues Sept 10


User focused Principles

3. Widest Range of Users [Sept 9-13]

1. User Characteristics and Abilities
• diverse users
• diverse vs. entitled users
2. Diverse Contexts of Use
• traditional IT contexts
• mobile contexts
• Internet of Things contexts
3. Related User Accessibility Needs and Solutions
Critique 2: Ch 4 User Expectations due 11:00 pm Saturday  Sept 14
Assignment 2: Automatic Accessibility Evaluations due 12 noon Tues Sept 17


4. User Expectations [Sept 16-20]

1. Sources of Expectations
• user's personal experiences
• commonly accepted conventions
• standards and regulations
2. Creating New Expectations
• consistency and metaphors
• intuitiveness vs training
3. Related User Accessibility Needs and Solutions
   
Critique 3: Ch 5 Individualization due 11:00 pm Saturday  Sept 21
Assignment 3: Cultural and Linguistic Issues due 12 noon Tues Sept 24


5. Individualization [Sept 23-27]

1. Individualization Basics
• customization and adaptation
• profiles, settings, features
2. Sharing Individualization Settings
• the Common Accessibility Profile (CAP)
• Cloud for All
3. Related User Accessibility Needs and Solutions
   
Critique 4: Ch 6 Approachability due 11:00 pm Saturday  Sept 28
Project Proposal: due noon Monday Sept 30
Assignment 4: OS-Based Accessibility Settings and Services due 12 noon Tues Oct 1


Interaction Focused Principles

6. Approachability [Sept 30 - Oct 4]

1. Barriers (partial and complete)
• physical barriers
• psychological barriers
• other barriers (e.g. socio-economic)
2. Navigation possibilities
• removing barriers
• alternate means of approaching
• reassurance and support
3. Related User Accessibility Needs and Solutions
Critique 5: Ch 7 Perceivability due 11:00 pm Saturday  Oct 5
Assignment 5: Using a Screen Reader due 12 noon Tues Oct 8


7. Perceivability [Oct 7-11]

1. Human Perception
• perception vs understanding
• sensory modalities
• the diversity of devices
2. Modalities and Media
• multi-modal and multi-media
• modality shifting and loading
• selecting modalities and media
3. Related User Accessibility Needs and Solutions
4. W3C WCAG Guidelines related to perceivability, understandability, and controlability
Critique 6: Ch 8 Understandability due 11:00 pm Saturday  Oct 12
Assignment 6: Color Shifting and Shading due 12 noon Tues Oct 15

8. Understandability [Oct 15-18]

1. Understanding "Understanding"
• cognitive aspects
• affective aspects
• personality-based aspects
2. Designing Content
• WCAG 2.0
• principles of the presentation of information
• dealing with complexity
3. Related User Accessibility Needs and Solutions
Critique 7: Ch 9 Controllability due 11:00 pm Saturday  Oct 19
Assignment 7: Cognitive Issues due 12 noon Tues Oct 22


9. Controllability [Oct 21-25]

1. Human control issues
• means and modalities of control
• strength and stamina
• speed and precision
2. Designing Interactions
• dialog/interaction principles
• control actions and feedback
• designing controls
3. Related User Accessibility Needs and Solutions
Critique 8: Ch 10 Usability due 11:00 pm Saturday  Oct 26
Project Analysis and Design: due noon Monday Oct 28
Assignment 8: Captioning due 12 noon Tues Oct 29


Task Focused Principles

10. Usability [Oct 28 - Nov 1]

1. Effectiveness
• correctness
• completeness
• appropriateness
2. Efficiency
• time used
• human effort
• finances and materials
3. Satisfaction
• attitudes
• emotional effects
• physiological effects
4. Related User Accessibility Needs and Solutions
Critique 9: Ch 11 Error Tolerance due 11:00 pm Saturday  Nov 2
Assignment 9: Creating Alternative Text due 12 noon Tues Nov 5


11. Error Tolerance [Nov 4-8]

1. Error Avoidance
• risks, slips, and errors
• active vs. passive guidance
• user testing
2. Error Recovery
• undo, redo, and related aids
3. Related User Accessibility Needs and Solutions
Critique 10: Ch 12 Equitable use and Compatibility due 11:00 pm Saturday  Nov 9
Assignment 10:Using Head and Eye Tracking due 12 noon Tues Nov 19

NOTE: University break Nov 11 - 16, 2019


System Focused Principles

12. Equitable use and Compatibility [Nov 18-22]

1. Equitable use
• identical manner of use
• equivalent manner of use
2. Compatibility
• Assistive Technologies
• Designing ATs
3. Related User Accessibility Needs and Solutions
Critique 11: Ch 13-14 Evaluating Accessibility and Applying Accessibility in Systems Development due 11:00 pm Saturday  Nov 23
Project Evaluation: Due noon Monday Nov 25
Assignment 11: Secondary Encodings due 12 noon Tues Nov 26


13. Applying Accessibility in Systems Development [Nov 25-29]

1. Evaluating Accessibility
2. Integrating Accessibility into Systems Development

Student Project Presentations

14. Presentations in class [Dec 2]

• Additional User Accessibility Needs - Eric
• Accented Voice Recognition - Jeremy
• Avoiding Vestibular Disorders - Spencer
Revised Project: due 5:00 pm Thurs Dec. 5

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Policies in this Class

Late Assignments, critques, and projects

• Late assignments, critiques, and parts of the project will automatically receive 0 marks, unless the student receives an extension from the instructor.
• Students receiving extensions may (at the discretion of the instructor) have their mark reduced by up to 10% for each day that the assignment, critique, or part of the project is late.
• Students with a sufficiently serious reason for being late with an assignment that is acceptable to the instructor may be allowed an extension. It is important to contact the instructor as soon as possible to request any extension.
• The instructor will not accept notes from Student Health Services as support for the student's reason for being late with an assignment.

Missed Assignments, Critiques, and parts of the project

• Missed assignments and critiques will receive a mark of 0.

Missed Examinations

• There are no examinations in this course.

General Policies

Legalistic note required by the university:

“Students must be registered in the course to gain credit.”

Incomplete Course Work and Final Grades

"When a student has not completed the required course work ... by the time of submission of the final grades, they may be granted an extension to permit completion of an assignment. . The student must apply to the instructor for such an extension and furnish satisfactory reasons for the deficiency."


In the interim, the instructor will submit a computed percentile grade for the course which factors in the incomplete course work as a zero, along with a grade comment of INF (Incomplete Failure) if a failing grade.


If an extension is granted and the required assignment is submitted within the allotted time, the instructor will submit a revised computed final percentage grade. The grade change will replace the previous grade and any grade comment of INF (Incomplete Failure) will be removed.

For provisions governing examinations and grading, students are referred to the University Council Regulations on Examinations section of the Calendar.

(2011 University of Saskatchewan Calendar/Academic Courses Policy)

Further details of the Academic Course Policy can be found on line at: http://policies.usask.ca/policies/academic-affairs/academic-courses.php

Academic Honesty

The University of Saskatchewan is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty.  Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect.  Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Student Conduct & Appeals section of the University Secretary Website and avoid any behavior that could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offense.  Academic dishonesty is a serious offense and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.

All students should read and be familiar with the Regulations on Academic Student Misconduct (http://www.usask.ca/secretariat/student-conduct-appeals/StudentAcademicMisconduct.pdf ) as well as the Standard of Student Conduct in

Non-Academic Matters and Procedures for Resolution of Complaints and Appeals (http://www.usask.ca/secretariat/student-conduct-appeals/StudentNon-AcademicMisconduct.pdf)

Academic honesty is also defined and described in the Department of Computer Science Statement on Academic Honesty (http://www.cs.usask.ca/undergrad/honesty.php).

For more information on what academic integrity means for students see the Student Conduct & Appeals section of the University Secretary Website at: http://www.usask.ca/secretariat/student-conduct-appeals/forms/IntegrityDefined.pdf

Examinations with Disability Services for Students (DSS)

Students who have disabilities (learning, medical, physical, or mental health) are strongly encouraged to register with Disability Services for Students (DSS) if they have not already done so. Students who suspect they may have disabilities should contact DSS for advice and referrals. In order to access DSS programs and supports, students must follow DSS policy and procedures. For more information, check http://www.students .usask.ca/disability/ , or contact DSS at 966-7273 or dss@usask.ca .

Students registered with DSS may request alternative arrangements for mid-term and final examinations. Students must arrange such accommodations through DSS by the stated deadlines. Instructors shall provide the examinations for students who are being accommodated by the deadlines established by DSS.


Recording of Lectures

The instructor will not be recording lectures and will not provide approval to record lectures except if such recording is authorized by DSS.


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Date of last revision: September 4, 2019


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