What is Assistive Technology?
What does assistive technology have to do with website design and website accessibility?
Which tools are the most important auxiliary tools?
How should a web designer make sure that everyone with any physical, mental, and mobility ability can use the website they have developed?
Not all people have the same physical abilities. Some are short-sighted and some are blind. Some have movement problems and cannot use their fingers easily.
Disability or disability should not be a reason for discrimination and limiting access to physical (real) and online (virtual) facilities and services.
The concept of website accessibility (Accessibility) and digital assistive technologies (AT) were created to ensure the access of all people with different physical abilities to the digital world.
In this article, assistive technologies, their importance, and the most important tools that help the disabled and the elderly access websites and online content are fully introduced.
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Digital Assistive Technology (Assistive Technology)
In the digital age, web accessibility is extremely important. Almost all governmental and non-governmental services are provided through websites and electronic service portals.
The digital era is also the era of social commerce. In today’s world, buying and selling almost all types of goods and services has become online through websites and applications.
Imagine for a moment that in such a world you are blind and have no idea about the Internet, websites, or online shopping.
It is true that you are not like many internet users, but you have as much right to use online services as they do. You also need to use government services and government systems.
Should website designers and digital product designers forget about you and other power seekers? Should you and the disabled always rely on the help of others to use the Internet?
No Just as in the real world blind and partially sighted people have tools and assistive technologies, such as white canes and Braille, made to make life easier for them, in the digital world there are digital assistive technologies to help them.
The World Health Organization has defined digital and non-digital assistive products and technologies as follows:
Assistive technology is an umbrella term for assistive products and their related systems and services. Assistive products help maintain or improve an individual’s functioning related to cognition, communication, hearing, mobility, self-care, and vision, thus enabling their health, well-being, inclusion, and participation.
Therefore, digital assistive technology tools are one of the key ways to provide everyone with access to the Internet. These technologies ensure that people with disabilities can easily access websites and online content (information) and enjoy online services, just like other people.
In other words, these tools empower people with disabilities to overcome barriers and interact more effectively with digital platforms.
The most important assistive technologies to access the Internet and website
Fortunately, various companies have designed, developed, and marketed these technologies. Of course, this very important point should be pointed out that assistive devices, in addition to disabled people, to the elderly and patients (who may not be able to use all of their functions for a while) use their abilities) also help.
Even you and I, who have healthy eyes, may want to watch a movie written by an actor. When we read the electronic version of a book with book reader applications, we should increase the size of the words as much as possible to make it easier. Let’s read
Sometimes assistive technologies on the website also help users who have internet problems. Users for whom website images are not displayed can use text to replace images or short descriptions for images and other visual content. Notice the photos and content of the website.
Therefore, tools that generate alternative texts for website images are considered assistive technologies.
Therefore, the presence of assistive technologies is useful for all users and helps them access the Internet, applications, and various websites.
1. Screen Readers
Screen readers are the most vital assistive technology for people with a variety of vision and eye problems.
These assistive devices convert on-screen text to speech or Braille text and allow users to hear or read the content.
In addition, this tool allows them to move the mouse. Blind and partially sighted people can write and send e-mails, read the contents of website pages, and fill in the necessary forms with this tool.
With screen readers, everyone with visual impairments can access the Internet and smartphones, and use various software to complete school or university assignments, or work projects.
JAWS is one of the most famous screen readers developed for the Windows operating system and has two versions (for personal use at home and for professional and business use). This screen reader is not free. The annual subscription price for its cheapest version is 95 dollars.
NVDA is a popular, free, and open-source screen reader developed by two blind people. This screen reader is also specific to the Windows operating system and can translate from 55 living languages of the world.
VoiceOver is a free companion tool for all smart devices running OS and iOS. This screen reader can read texts and translate them into Braille. It is also compatible with the Persian language and Persian speakers can use this tool.
TalkBack is a helpful tool for Android phones and devices.
Braille displays and keyboards.
Braille displays and keyboards (RBD / Refreshable Braille Displays) are auxiliary hardware that can be considered complementary to screen readers.
These touch devices convert screen content into braille (touch) output and braille text into input for computers and mobiles. As a result, users with visual impairments can interact with computers, laptops, and other devices by touch, read digital content, and type and send the text they want.
These devices have highlighted pins that change on the fly and dynamically to display text. This hardware is usually connected to various devices with Bluetooth.
Web designers and developers must optimize websites for braille display compatibility to ensure that braille readers can access the website and its contents.
For this, the developers must observe the following:
Use HTML tags (such as <header>, <nav>, <article>, and <footer>) to create a clear structure for web pages. Those tags and clear page structure help assistive technologies such as RBD to interpret content correctly and provide users with meaningful navigation cues.
The language of the text should be specified using the HTML tag in the website codes (<html lang=” en”>). In this case, the language of the screen for certain assistive technologies and the correct pronunciation and display of characters in Braille becomes possible.
Write a description for all the non-text content of the page (videos, photos, and all visual elements) using the alt attribute in HTML.
2. Magnification Tools
Magnification tools increase the size of content on the screen, helping visually impaired or elderly users see what’s on the screen.
These tools allow users to adjust the size of text, images, and other visual elements to suit their needs.
ZoomText is a zoom tool that magnifies and reads all elements on the screen. Also, it can tell the user everything he does in different software or every word he types.
This tool has several versions and the annual subscription price for the cheapest version is $85.
Windows Magnifier and macOS Zoom are two free utilities for magnifying screen elements on different devices. Both provide different features to users and are compatible with screen readers.
Apple has another helpful tool called Magnifier. The difference between this tool and macOS Zoom is that it works like a magnifying glass for users. When users have activated this tool on their iPhone or iPad and point the phone’s camera at the text, sign, or device; It is explained to them what is written, and what is that sign or device.
Detection Mode in Magnifier can detect external objects (doors, windows, people, furniture, etc.) and inform the user. With the help of this tool, visually impaired and blind people can find the door or objects they want and understand their distance from them.
3. Website color contrast analyzers
The two assistive technologies that were introduced will be available to disabled people by downloading and installing them on their system or phone.
But this technology should be used by website designers and developers, i.e. front-end developers, to make sure that people with visual impairments or color blindness can easily interact with the website.
Contrast analyzer tools ensure web designers that there is sufficient and standard contrast between text and background colors.
The color contrast standard on the website is part of the set of standards and guidelines.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
This set of guidelines helps UI/UX designers and site designers optimize all website content, from texts and photos and micro-interactions to videos, for better accessibility.
Contrast ratio or the contrast of text and background colors is one of the most important things in improving the readability of texts. If the proportions are not according to the guidelines, the text will be difficult to read for all users and impossible for users with vision problems.
Tools like WebAIM’s Contrast Checker and Color Contrast Analyzer help web designers evaluate and improve color contrast to ensure accessibility guidelines are met.
4. Image alt text generator
Alt text or image alts describe images for users who cannot see them.
Alt text generators do this automatically and generate descriptive text for images based on their content.
These texts help people who use screen readers or have visual impairments to understand the image and its meaning and context.
Alt image text is also important in SEO. In addition to making content accessible to visually impaired users, it allows all users to understand what each photo is about if the photos on the website are not displayed.
Therefore, web designers, content production experts, and site SEO experts use auxiliary tools to generate text instead of photos.
Plugins such as Yoast SEO and Alt Text Tools are among the automated tools for finding images without alt text on a website and creating alt text.
5. Assistive technologies for subtitle production
This is assistive technology to help people with hearing impairments. Subtitle and text production tools are vital for these people to access audio and video content.
These tools are automatic and create subtitles for multimedia content so that hearing-impaired or deaf users can interact with this type of content.
These technologies also have another important application: producing the text of lectures, the words of teachers and professors in the classroom, and the text of conversations in business meetings (online or face-to-face) at the same moment.
This is why there are two types of speech-to-text and subtitle production tools: automatic subtitle tools for websites such as YouTube and independent tools such as Rev or 3Play Media for personal and corporate use.
Rev is a wonderful software and application that converts any audio to text. This tool allows users to take voice notes.
This technology is also helpful for blind users. For example, the Audio Descriptions tool allows blind and partially sighted people to watch movies on devices running OS or iOS. This technology explains all the scenes for them.
Website designers and developers should ensure that videos and audio content are accessible to hearing-impaired or deaf users using appropriate assistive technology.
6. Improvements to keyboard navigation and speech recognition software
Keyboard-based navigation or interaction is for users who have mobility impairments and cannot use a mouse. These users rely on keyboards or alternative input devices to interact with the system.
To ensure website accessibility for users who cannot use a mouse, it is necessary for web designers and developers in collaboration with user interface designers to observe a few things when designing and programming the site:
All user interfaces and all interactive elements on the website such as links, buttons, and form fields must be accessible using the keyboard. Users should be able to access these elements with the Tab key and activate them with the Enter or Space key.
When the user selects an interactive element or user interface with the keyboard, a noticeable and clear change (such as a color change) should occur (The focus indicator is defined) so that the user does not lose his position while navigating the page with the keyboard.
Use basic HTML tags (such as <button>, <input>, and <select>) and not custom widgets in site programming. Those tags are accessible and compatible with keyboard navigation and assistive technologies.
Visual elements in the Document Object Model (DOM) should be arranged logically and according to the order of their display on the website pages (from top to bottom). In this case, the visual format of each page is easily navigated with the keyboard.
Accessibility Skip links should be placed on the website so that users can skip the links and go directly to the content.
Of course, there are comprehensive tools like Helperbird that help web designers and developers optimize website navigation for keyboard-based users.
Speech recognition software is another assistive technology that allows these users to interact with and command various systems and devices using their voice. Google Assistant and Siri are the best examples of this technology.
Dragon NaturallySpeaking is a very popular speech recognition software that has personal and professional applications for all users, not just users who need voice commands to interact with systems and devices due to mobility or vision impairments.
7. Tools to improve readability
Readability aids improve the readability of web content for users with cognitive or learning disabilities. These tools simplify complex texts and make fonts more relevant and familiar to customize the reading process for this group of users.
In addition, these tools remove unnecessary content and advertisements to make the page quieter and easier to read.
Browser extensions such as Readability and BeeLine Reader make the texts and content of websites more accessible and easier and faster to understand.
BeeLine Reader is a multi-tool set for personal, academic, and corporate use, compatible with 60 languages. This tool is not free. But the Readability Chrome extension is free.
The best website accessibility assessment tools for website designers
It is not enough that website designers and developers are familiar with assistive technologies for people with disabilities and optimize the website for compatibility with those tools.
The accessibility of the website should be constantly evaluated so that there is no problem or interference in the website codes with auxiliary tools for users who have problems or problems.
Fortunately, there are many helpful tools for website designers and developers to assess website accessibility and identify potential accessibility issues.
These tools scan web pages and provide reports with recommendations for improvement. By regularly evaluating and fixing accessibility issues, it is guaranteed that all users have a satisfactory experience interacting with the website.
The best website accessibility assessment tools for website designers are:
WebAIM’s WAVE: This tool is free and delivers access errors in detail when you give it a page address.
Ax by Deque: is a comprehensive free-to-use evaluation tool that is part of a suite of tools for evaluating a website’s code, content, and design.
Google Lighthouse: This tool is the most famous free and open-source accessibility assessment tool. When UI/UX designers and front-end developers install this Chrome extension, they will receive reports on the accessibility and performance of each page of the website.