Evaluating the Accessibility of laser printers

Although the issue of accessibility has received increased attention in recent years IBM has been committed to helping people with disabilities since the early 1900's when IBM hired its first disabled employee. In 1999, IBM codified its corporate standards for product accessibility by adopting Corporate Instruction 162 (CI 162). CI 162 directs all IBM organizations and subsidiaries to design features and controls into hardware and software products, internet systems and web sites, product documentation and internal tools and applications that make these offerings accessible to people with disabilities. CI 162 applies to all products produced, marketed, or sold by IBM. In order to assist developers in meeting accessibility requirements IBM has developed checklists for evaluating accessibility in the following areas:

1. Web accessibility
2. Software accessibility
3. Java™ accessibility
4. Hardware peripherals
5. Hardware accessibility
6. Lotus Notes accessibility
7. Documentation accessibility

This paper will present the IBM accessibility checklists as well as the procedures and tools used to perform accessibility evaluations on typical laser printers. These are office type printers that can be placed on a desktop or can be configured with several input or output options. A typical laser printer is shown below in Figure 1.

The process for evaluating laser printers is shown below in Figure 2.

The first step is to determine which checklists will be necessary for evaluating the printer. Areas required to be evaluated include the physical hardware design, software (printer drivers), internal web pages and user documentation. The printer has no Java or Lotus Notes components so these checklists will not be necessary.

Back to top

As mentioned previously, the accessibility requirements are summarized in a series of checklists. The checklists can be found at the IBM Human Ability and Accessibility Center website: www-306.ibm.com/able/guidelines/. Each checklist has a list of requirements that the evaluator answers Yes, No, Planned or N/A. The printer will be tested using some of the tools mentioned in the following section and examples of the information from each checklist will be discussed.

Back to top

Tools for evaluating specific aspects of accessibility are available. For example, there are general methodologies for evaluating hardware and specific software applications to evaluate the accessibility of software, web pages and PDF documents. The typical tools used for evaluating laser printers in terms of the accessibility requirements are shown at the end of this document in Table 1.

Back to top

The requirements from the accessibility checklists used to evaluate laser printers are presented below.

Hardware Peripherals Accessibility Checklist

1.	Controls and latches
1.1	Controls and latches should be reachable and operable with one hand and minimal dexterity.
1.2	Provide alternative forms of user identification for biometric identification.
1.3	Provide alternative input methods for touchscreens or touch-operated controls.
1.4	Products shall be usable by people with disabilities without requiring an end-user to attach assistive technology to the product.
2.	Keys and Keypads
2.1	Provide the status of all locking or toggle keys visually and either through touch or sound.
2.2	Provide keys that are tactilely discernible without activating them.
2.3	If key repeat is supported, the delay before repeat shall be adjustable to at least 2 seconds.
3.	Color and Contrast
3.1	Use color as an enhancement, not as the only way to convey information or distinguish keys, controls and labels.
3.2	If the user can adjust color and contrast settings, provide a range of color selections capable of producing a variety of contrast levels.
4.	Audio
4.1	For devices with voice output, provide the ability to adjust the volume (reset to default after each use).
4.2	If audio output is provided, provide an industry standard audio connector to allow for private listening. Provide the ability to interrupt, pause, and restart the audio.
5.	Timing
5.1	Provide an alert before timed responses expire and allow the user to indicate more time is needed.
5.2	Avoid causing the screen to flicker with a frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz.

Hardware accessibility requirements are evaluated on the printer for standing persons and a person sitting in a chair that is the height of a standard wheelchair (See Figure 3). Only controls and latches that are required by the typical user are evaluated for reach and operability.

Reach distances and angles are measured to evaluate accessibility. There are many configurations of laser printers which results in a wide range of possible configurations available for the end users. For example it may be recommended that a printer be placed on a table that is lower than the standard table height to make it more accessible.

Handles, knobs and levers are all evaluated for good basic design that permits one-handed operation. For example there should be adequate gripping surface for a majority of the population's hand size. Additionally, the physical design should convey the idea of the required action (push, pull, turn, etc.). The forces required to operate these controls can be measured with various types of force gauges.

Software Accessibility Checklist

1.	Keyboard Access
1.1	Provide keyboard equivalents for all actions.
1.2	Do not interfere with keyboard accessibility features built into the operating system.
2.	Object information
2.1	Provide a visual focus indicator that moves among interactive objects as the input focus changes.
2.2	Provide semantic information about user interface objects. When an image represents a program element, the information conveyed by the image must also be available in text.
2.3	Associate labels with controls, objects, icons and images. If an image is used to identify programmatic elements, the meaning of the image must be consistent throughout the application.
2.4	When electronic forms are used, the form shall allow people using assistive technology to access the information, field elements and functionality required for completion and submission of the form, including all directions and cues.
3.	Sound and multimedia
3.1	Provide an option to display a visual cue for all audio alerts.
3.2	Provide accessible alternatives to significant audio and video.
3.3	Provide an option to adjust the volume.
4.	Display
4.1	Provide text through standard system function calls or through an API (application programming interface) which supports interaction with assistive technology.
4.2	Use color as an enhancement, not as the only way to convey information or indicate an action.
4.3	Support system settings for high contrast for all user interface controls and client area content.
4.4	When color customization is supported, provide a variety of color selections capable of producing a range of contrast levels.
4.5	Inherit system settings for font, size, and color for all user interface controls.
4.6	Provide an option to display animation in a non-animated presentation mode.
5.	Timing
5.1	Provide an option to adjust the response times on timed instructions or allow the instructions to persist.
5.2	Avoid the use of blinking text, objects or other elements.
6.	Verify Accessibility
6.1	Test for accessibility using available tools.

Software (printer drivers) is evaluated with appropriate tools according to the accessibility requirements mentioned above. Users must be able to use all features of the software without the use of a mouse. Screen reader software must read all information correctly and allow for standard navigation throughout the interface. The object of focus on the screen must be available to users at all times.

Web Accessibility Checklist

1.	Images and animations. Use the alt="text' attribute to provide text equivalents for images.
2.	Image maps. Use client-side image maps and alternative text for image map hot spots.
3.	Graphs and charts. Summarize the content of each graph and chart.
4.	Multimedia. Provide captions or transcripts of important audio content. Provide transcripts or audio descriptions of important video content.
5.	Scripts. Ensure the functionality of scripts is keyboard accessible.
6.	Applets, plug-ins, and non-HTML content. When an applet, plug-in or other application is required to be present, provide a link to one that is directly accessible.
7.	Forms. Make forms accessible to assistive technology.
8.	Skip to main content. Provide methods for skipping over navigation links to get to main content of page.
9.	Frames. Provide a title for each FRAME element and frame page.
10.	Table headers. Use the TH element to mark up table heading cells. Use the headers attribute on cells of complex data tables.
11.	Cascading style sheets. Web pages should be readable without requiring style sheets.
12.	Color & contrast. Ensure that all information conveyed with color is also conveyed in the absence of color.
13.	Blinking. Moving or Flickering Content. Avoid causing content to blink, flicker, or move.
14.	Timed responses.When a timed response is required, alert the user, and give sufficient time to indicate more time is required.
15.	Text-only page. If accessibility cannot be accomplished in any other way, provide a text-only page with equivalent information or functionality. Update the content of the text-only page whenever the primary page changes.
16.	Verify accessibility. Test the accessibility using available tools.

Web pages are evaluated with appropriate tools according to the accessibility requirements mentioned above. Users must be able to use all features of the software without the use of a mouse. Screen reader software must read all information correctly and allow for standard navigation throughout the web pages. The object of focus on the screen must be available to users at all times.

Document Accessibility Checklist

1.	Provide documentation in an accessible format.
2.	Provide documentation on all accessibility features including keyboard access.
3.	Test for accessibility using available tools.

User documents are provided to customers in softcopy format on CD's included with the printer. The documents are evaluated with appropriate tools according to the accessibility requirements mentioned above. Screen reader software must read all information correctly and allow for standard navigation throughout the documents.

Back to top

Meeting the accessibility guidelines and designing an easy-to-use product does not necessarily make the product easy to use for people with disabilities. For example, a visually impaired user must scroll through the items on the screen in a specific order. Therefore, the order of the items is much more important than for a sighted person that can scan the screen quickly in any order. Ease of use and ease of access efforts during product design should be performed concurrently. Usability studies and evaluations should include people with disabilities to improve overall ease of use.

Back to top

After accessibility problems have been identified, the final step is to fix them. Typically, not all problems can be fixed immediately due to resource and time limitations. Many times the problems must be fixed based on a priority basis. The priority scheme must focus on helping the greatest number of users. A suggested scheme is:

1. In deciding which barriers to accessibility to fix, look at your target audience. Your target audience may consist of more users with certain types of disabilities than others and those areas should be a higher priority.
2. Fix all problems for a given barrier before fixing problems for another. For example, fix all of the problems that are a barrier for visually-impaired users, before fixing all of the mobility-impaired users. Otherwise, if you partially remove barriers for a visually-impaired user and partially remove barriers for a mobility-impaired user, then there will still be barriers for both users, and neither can use the system.
3. Fix all problems associated with a checkpoint before fixing other problems associated with other checkpoints. For example, remove all barriers to one-handed usage before removing reach limitation barriers.

Back to top

According to the World Health Organization, more than 750 million people worldwide have a disability and more than 54 million of those are in the United States (U.S. Department of the Census, 1997; World Health Organization, n.d.). The primary reason to produce accessible products is to make them usable by millions of people with disabilities. However, other reasons include:

1. Almost everyone needs accessibility - Most people during their lifetime will experience some kind of temporary or permanent disability or limitation.
2. Millions of people with disabilities are potential customers - Additionally, products designed for use by people with disabilities are more usable for people as they get older.
3. Compliance with worldwide regulations and standards - Many countries are adopting regulations and standards to meet the needs of people with disabilities.
4. Accessible products benefit everyone - Generally, products designed with accessibility in mind are easier to use for everyone, partly because they have a more consistent user interface and are easier to learn.

Although this information has specifically addressed laser printers similar methodologies can be employed to evaluate other types of hardware and software products. Products designed for accessibility enhance the ability for millions of people to participate in a world where they may not otherwise have the opportunity.

Back to top

We would like to acknowledge the work of IBM's Accessibility Center. Their creation of the IBM-customized checklists and evaluation techniques has provided education and guidance to all IBM usability professionals for conducting accessibility evaluations. Additionally, their continuous drive to make accessibility an integral part of IBM's culture has made our job as human factors practitioners much easier.

Back to top