Word Count : 2000 words
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate an understanding of the principle challenges involved in conducting research within the field of accessibility, the major research areas, and the overall historical development of the field.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the legal, social, and economic imperative of Accessible technology, and the role of Assistive technologies in achieving universal design.
- Demonstrate an understanding the techniques necessary to work with people who have disabilities to understand challenges they face and their needs.
- Describe an assistive technology solution/prototype(s) situated within an area of need for people with temporary, situational or lifelong disabilities.
Assessment Task
The aim of this assessment is to perform an accessibility audit of a popular website, video game, or mobile application. Your audit can either be focused from the perspective of looking for issues that could pose challenges specific populations (e.g., people with low vision, people who are Deaf or have hearing loss, people with mobility impairments) OR a general accessibility audit that can explore areas that could pose challenges to many populations.
Once you have uncovered challenges or issues within the website, video game or mobile application, you will then propose potential design or technical changes to rectify the issues and propose how they could be implemented.
Rules for this task:
- You must perform an accessibility audit of a popular website, video game, or mobile application.
- You should use a variety of methods to conduct your audit including: automatic tools, manually testing using accessibility features on operating systems, think-aloud sessions, cognitive walkthroughs etc.
- Your proposed changes must be at a minimum communicated as a paper prototype, or implementation plan but could also be implemented as a fully interactive prototype using PowerPoint/Keynote, or Invision/Marvel.
Things to consider:
- What assumptions have you made about the population(s) you are auditing for?
- What guidelines or standards are you auditing against?
- What unique considerations must you employ in regards to the website, video game or mobile application you have chosen?
- How will you ensure your proposed changes are also accessible?
Reference : BU Harvard