Demonstrating the use of audio enhancement in designing an engaging web site for people with visual impairment.
To redesign an existing web site so that it is accessible for users with varying degrees of visual disability. This will be achieved by making the web site comply with World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) accessibility standards. It will require altering the site structure, applying naming protocols and redesigning page layout. Modification of the site will enable pages to be spoken by a screen reader. Audio enhancement using aural protocols in a Cascading Style Sheet (CSS2) to control pitch, volume and stereo positioning will be demonstrated. Sections of the site will be professionally narrated and pre-recorded. The audio files will be "streamed" over the Internet using Shockwave and Flash files. This part of the project will demonstrate a more advanced level of user engagement, narration by a real human voice and site navigation via keystrokes on audio cues.To achieve the above goal it will be necessary to meet the following goals.
Write a brief history of Internet use by people with visual impairment. Discuss how changes have impacted on the visually impaired, the development of adaptive technology and the introduction of accessibility standards. This would form the introduction of the research project giving it a historical context.
Survey of available technologies for the visually impaired and show examples of good accessible web design. Give a general overview of how Cascading Style Sheets can give audio enhancement to a screen reader. Research the possibilities and limitations in using Cascading Style Sheets.
Demonstrate the possibilities of using Flash and Shockwave files on the Internet to aid visual impaired users in relation to audio narration and navigation. Show examples of Flash and Shockwave currently available on the Internet to demonstrate the potential of these technologies. Discuss problems visually impaired users might have accessing some of the sites. Briefly discuss accessible design protocols in relation to developing Flash and Shockwave content, suggests improvements.
Research aesthetics in relation to web design. Discuss how web sites could be visually appealing and still usable to a person with visual impairment. Investigate how the aesthetics of a web page could be changed dynamically to suit the user. For example making the fonts larger or smaller without accessing the menu bar. Decide whether it is feasible to dynamically control page presentation for research project.
Stage 1.
Discuss the web site or sites chosen for the project. Give a break down of
structure, content, audience, linking methods, images and use of scripting.
Make any last minute changes to content. Make a rough recording of the sites
text content. Evaluate the aural presentation of the site and modify content
accordingly. Arrange for professional voice narration of the sites content.
Testing: Use the web validation service at both the W3C and CAST to highlight problems with the sites design and structure. Discuss the accessibility standards in some detail use problems highlighted to discuss the implication of inaccessible design. Make changes accordingly and demonstrate how to use a validation service to get accessibility standards approval.
Stage 2.
The site would now be accessible to visually impaired users. Talk in detail
about the potential of using Aural Style Sheets in the Cascading Style Sheets
2 standard. Develop a methodology of creating a Cascading Style Sheet drawing
on examples of best practice. Build a style sheet and apply it to a small
section of the web site. Test and evaluate success or otherwise make necessary
modifications. Retest and re-evaluate explain reasons for any changes. Apply
style sheet to the whole site, test and evaluate. Get approval for site.
The site is now audio enhanced using a Cascading Style Sheet in conjunction with adaptive technology. At this stage it would be advantageous to test site in the real world. Put the site online and get feedback from visually impaired users. Contact blind user group for feedback. Evaluate feedback and make any necessary changes. Get approval for site.
Stage 3.
The next step would be to add Flash files to provide pre-recorded audio narration.
Build a stand alone flash web site using the content of the original site.
Provide navigation through the site via key commands and audio cues. Test
and evaluate. Turn the individual audio narration files into Flash files.
Imbed Flash files into each page and use a simple interface to allow audio
narration to be turned on or off. Test and evaluate. Get approval for site.
From the research make conclusions how successful the project was in meeting a goal of creating an audio enhanced and engaging web site. Try to answer the following question. Is it possible to a redesign a site in the manner the project advocates on a mass scale? If not why?
Save the original version of site and each successive stage into a separate folder. Build an interface that would allow the user to access and compare each stage of the sites evolution. From research, testing and modification create a basic online tutorial into how to make a web site accessible. When project is presented in exhibition deny users the use of a mouse and explain that is how a large section of the population is forced to navigate.
Daryl Allan Croke : darylallan@netspace.net.au
Electronic Design and Interactive Media
Victoria University 2002.