how accessibility issues affect information architecture

Hi there!

I am an

information architectand I would like to talk to you

about

how accessibility issues how accessibility issues affect our work

© Olga Revilla. 2009

But first of all, let me introduce the place where

I work

It’s a complex organization where

we do‘Internet things’

First of all, the I.T. crowd

I call them ‘the technical wizards’

Servers administrators

Database administrators

There are developers

They code and test, and test, and test

XHTML, AJAX, CSS… PHP, C++, Java…

And people who creates and edits interesting contents

They feed the websites

Texts Movies Pictures

And my two best fellows to create the look & feel

We make a great team

Creative Graphic designer

And of course, clients who always are asking things to the project manager

I need… Yes, sir.

I want… Yes, sir.

I expect… Yes, sir.

I will… Yes, sir.

Often clients ask us to make a

[multimedia | 2.0 | social network | RIA | AJAX everywhere]

website which also have to be

[accessible]

Of course, as cheap as possible, but that is not our battlefield, is it?

So an accessibility consultant was hired.

He is continuously teaching us how to do it great

2 things we have learned

Getting an accessible

website involves all the steps of

1

That includes, obviously, information architecture

all the steps of the project:

from clients to I.T.

2 things we have learned

The earlier the accessibility is

taken into account, the cheaper the project will be.

2

The fewer errors, the fewer corrections. The fewer corrections, the shorter time to get it.

project will be.

So Information Architecture, as it is placed at the beginning of the project, has a very important role in keeping the budget low

regarding accessibility issues.

Let’s see some things I have learned

Usability ≠ Accessibility

A determined group of users The maximum amount of users

A determined context Whatever context

A determined goal Different goalsA determined goal Different goals

The maximum amount of users

Our target (obviously), but also…

Age Place Knowledge Disability

Elderly

Adults

Teenagers

Children

Another country

Another language

Another culture

…

Geeks

Advanced

Intermediate

Beginners

Blind

Color blind

Deaf

EpilepticChildren

…

… Beginners

…

Epileptic

…

Accessibility is not only about disability

Whatever context

You can’t imagine all of them

Device Screen Place Connection

Laptop

Mobile

Smartphone

Television

Giant

Big

Small

None

Home

Bus queue

Airport

…

DSL

Dialup

3G

…Television

…

None

…

… …

Imagine ‘personas’ technique…

Different goals

- Get your information

- Use your information

- Transform your information

Including company’s goals, people can visit your site to…

- Transform your information

- Share your information

- Get inspiration

- …

Imagine ‘scenarios’ technique…

So we have a great diversity of people, contexts and goals

How to manage it?

One simple rule

Make sure that

information is in a

plain, text version;

then add design,

Ok, but client still wants it spectacular

then add design,

features and

functionalities.

Let’s see how to implement this rule by some examples

Buuuhhh!

Fancy, but…

Yuhuuu

Icons from http://www.iconspedia.com/pack/very-emotional-2353/

1. Provide the information and the data

Charts

2a. Not everybody hears the voice

Videos

2b. Not everybody hears the voice

Live videos

3. Stress your prototype

3a. Adapt to the screen

1024

320

800

3b. Increase the font

x2x1

x2

x2

x2

My prototypes bring some

consequences…

I like your job, but you are I like your job, but you are telling me that I have to…

Wait more time for prototypes Yes, sir.

Buy the subtitles Yes, sir.

Contract a language interpreter Yes, sir.

How much more will they cost? Er…

That is not our war.If accessibility is a requirement (and morally always is), I have to take into account these matters.

Let the client or project manager

decide how to admin the decide how to admin the budget.

The earlier the accessibility is taken into account, the

cheaper the project will be.

Remember Lesson #2

Legal audits will be passed easily More people will access to your info

Less costs in regressions and fines More profit

Accessibility issues affects all steps of the project.

Many of them can and must be anticipated by IA.

Just to recap

Many of them can and must be anticipated by IA.

Thanks for your kind attention.

Any questions?

Olga Revilla

olga@itakora.com

© Olga Revilla. 2009