Tips to Create "Accessible" Content (for the Visually Impaired)
During a run last week, I caught up with a fellow runner who works for a company that's developing content solutions for the visually impaired. That's right - visually impaired. The tech world today in a mad rush to develop visually pleasing content. While the movie industry is hell-bent on creating 3D and HD content, the print industry is trying to figure out ways and means of creating dazzling publications for tablets. Currently, less than 1% of all content is aimed at visually impaired people.
Most OS vendors have "accessibility" solutions for visually impaired people. Apple's VoiceOver and Microsoft's Narrator are good examples. But, is that enough? What's a visually impaired person expected do with an "accessible" PC? Just work? Can't they have fun like the rest of us?
1. Use Semantic Tagging
Writers should consider developing content in XML - more specifically, they should consider using an XML schema that allows semantic tagging of information. Semantic tagging schemes help machines "really" understand information. While hypertext markup languages (like HTML) tell your machine how to display information, semantic tagging tells the machine what the information is. So, a PC, tablet, or mobile phone can be configured to parse semantically tagged information and "do something" based on the tags. I.e., a standardized semantic markup language can help device manufacturers develop better accessibility solutions. Consider this example (very hypothetical):
A newspaper publishes a tornado warning which is picked and displayed by my RSS feed reader. Let's say that the newspaper article is semantically tagged as a warning. The accessibility system on my PC detectes the meta tag and does two things:
Most OS vendors have "accessibility" solutions for visually impaired people. Apple's VoiceOver and Microsoft's Narrator are good examples. But, is that enough? What's a visually impaired person expected do with an "accessible" PC? Just work? Can't they have fun like the rest of us?
As a content architect, I develop content delivery strategies. My target audience consistes of technology professionals who use high-end IT products. I've realized that I rarely consider the needs of differently-abled people. While I do advice content developers to adhere to basic HCI guidelines when developing content, I've never really considered designing deliverables for the differently abled.
Content developers, especially writers, can help out in a big way. If you are a content developer, here are a few (vague) ideas to help you develop "accessible" content. 1. Use Semantic Tagging
Writers should consider developing content in XML - more specifically, they should consider using an XML schema that allows semantic tagging of information. Semantic tagging schemes help machines "really" understand information. While hypertext markup languages (like HTML) tell your machine how to display information, semantic tagging tells the machine what the information is. So, a PC, tablet, or mobile phone can be configured to parse semantically tagged information and "do something" based on the tags. I.e., a standardized semantic markup language can help device manufacturers develop better accessibility solutions. Consider this example (very hypothetical):
A newspaper publishes a tornado warning which is picked and displayed by my RSS feed reader. Let's say that the newspaper article is semantically tagged as a warning. The accessibility system on my PC detectes the meta tag and does two things:
- It stops everything and reads out the a summary of the article to me - loudly.
- It calls up my cell phone and reads out the article to me and if I don't pick up the phone, leaves a voice message for me.
Now that might sound far fetched, but think about it, do your bright colors and fancy fonts make any sense to the visually impaired?
2. Deliver Audio Content
Text to speech is good, but nothing can beat the human voice. Ever thought of recording your articles and books and posting them as podcasts and audiobooks? There are several open-source initiatives like LibriVox that produce audio books. Almost all TED talks are in the public domain. How do we create more of such content and make it available to the visually impaired?
3. Make Your Content Vivid
Remember, this target audience cannot see. That doesn't mean that they cannot visualize. If you write technical stuff (this includes finance, law, etc.) try not to refer to images - use descriptive language to help them visualize. See this example.
The following graph shows the annual emission levels for the last ten years.
For the Visually Impaired
Emission levels have steadily risen over the past ten years................
Or, if you use a semantic tagging scheme, create additional information for visually impaired people and tag it differently. That way, you can create content for the visually impaired from the same source.
Most content developers never plan for accessibility. That's sad, considering that visually impaired people are just as intelligent as the rest of us. Environmental factors like pollution are going to make matters worse - we'll have more visually impaired people in future. Shouldn't we do something for them? So, the next time you write something, try to make it "accessible."
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