Techniques and Strategies For The Cognitive and Learning Disabilities Accessibility Task Force (COGA)

Disclaimer: Draft - do not quote or link to.

This document is to help us gather techniques and strategies as we come across them, so that they do not get forgotten or are hard to find later when we are finished the gap analysis.

Larger scale, engineering solutions can also be added to the gap analysis section 3 - ideas for inclusion.

Document structure: The top level headings are who the techniques and strategies are for, such as general techniques that help most people with Cognitive and Learning Disabilities, techniques that help for attention, techniques that help people with difficulty processing language etc. The sections are based on function and not disability names.

The document is the divided into topics (such as Emphasis Structure) at heading level 3, and then into individual techniques at heading level 4. Each topic also has a "see also" section where you can put WCAG mappings. Where appropriate the techniques can labeled for localization.

Each technique is divided into:

Tags are for who it helps ("use for" tags) and for who can detriment ("avoid for" tags) from use of this strategy. The default is that a strategy is good for all groups.

Tags can be for the cognitive function impairments or other user descriptors such as localization.

For example

"Use for: Short Term Memory" would imply that this strategy is helpful for people with a short term memory impairment.

Tags can be concatenated. For example: "Short Term Memory-Visual Memory". Additional terms are limiting, and the tag becomes more specific as we concatenate terms.

Tags for cognitive function are found in the Cognitive Function Table (link to be provided soon).

Localization tags so far include:

Feel free to put in a technique even if you do not have all this information. However try to provide any research that you know of - even if it is just your own personal experience. If you add a localization category, please also add it to this introduction.

 

General techniques (Useful for most people with Cognitive and Learning Disabilities )

Emphasis structure

Use headings and labels describe topic or purpose.

Explanation and who it helps:

 

Use for tags:

Avoid for tags:

Pass examples:
Failure examples:
Sources/research:

Use consistent styles

Explanation and who it helps:

Pass examples:
Failure examples:
Sources/research:

Use presentation, color and symbols to convey  structure, and relationships

Explanation and who it helps:

Pass examples:
Failure examples:
Sources/research:

Use lists

Explanation and who it helps:

Pass examples:
Failure examples:
Sources/research:

Use presentation to show structure

Explanation and who it helps:

Pass examples:
Failure examples:
Sources/research:

Use symbols to show meaning

Explanation and who it helps:

Some times the right interface may be different for different users such as:
Dyslexia or Dyscalculia , Alzheimer's or Aphasia

Conclusion – use text with the symbol

Pass examples:
Failure examples:
Sources/research:

 

Also see:

 

Use A Clear Writing Style

Use short, simple sentences in a direct style.

Explanation and who it helps:

Pass examples:
Failure examples:
Sources/research:

Give instructions clearly.  Avoid long sentences.

Explanation and who it helps:

Pass examples:
Failure examples:
Sources/research:

Use active rather than passive voice.

Explanation and who it helps:

Pass examples:
Failure examples:
Sources/research:

Avoid double negatives.

Explanation and who it helps:
Pass examples:
Failure examples:
Sources/research:

 

Be concise

Explanation and who it helps:

Pass examples:
Failure examples:
Sources/research:

Include short tooltips on all icons, jargon

Explanation and who it helps:

Pass examples:
Failure examples:
Sources/research:

 

Notes/ sources:

See http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/about-dyslexia/further-information/dyslexia-style-guide.html

From WCAG:

Font and Layout

Use a plain, evenly spaced sans serif font such as Arial

Explanation and who it helps:

Pass examples:
Failure examples:
Sources/research:

Font size should be 12-14 point. Some dyslexic readers may request a larger font.

Explanation and who it helps:

Pass examples:
Failure examples:
Sources/research:

Use left-justified with ragged right edge.  (localization: non-semitic languages)

Explanation and who it helps:

Pass examples:
Failure examples:
Sources/research:

Use right-justified with ragged right edge.  (localization: semitic languages)

Explanation and who it helps:

Pass examples:
Failure examples:
Sources/research:

Avoid narrow columns (as used in newspapers).

Explanation and who it helps:

Pass examples:
Failure examples:
Sources/research:

Lines should not be too long: 60 to70 characters.

Explanation and who it helps:

Pass examples:
Failure examples:
Sources/research:

Avoid cramping material and using long, dense paragraphs: space it out.

Explanation and who it helps:: Line spacing of 1.5 is preferable.

Pass examples:
Failure examples:
Sources/research:

Use bullet points and numbering rather than continuous prose.

See http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/about-dyslexia/further-information/dyslexia-style-guide.html

Enough Time

No Timing out

Explanation and who it helps:

Pass examples:
Failure examples:
Sources/research:

No Loss of data

Explanation and who it helps:

Pass examples:
Failure examples:
Sources/research:

Notes/ sources

From WCAG

Build trust

Provide context sensitive help

Explanation and who it helps:

Pass examples:
Failure examples:
Sources/research:

Prevent errors

Explanation and who it helps:

Pass examples:
Failure examples:
Sources/research:

Notes/ sources

From WCAG

Attention techniques (Useful for people with Attention related Disabilities )

People with ADD and ADHD but also .....

don't distract

Low or No Background Audio:

Explanation and who it helps:

Pass examples:
Failure examples:
Sources/research:

 

No Interruptions

Explanation and who it helps:

Pass examples:
Failure examples:
Sources/research:

Notes/ sources

From WCAG

Techniques for people with language disabilities

People with ADD and ADHD but also .....

Use Symbols on key content

Explanation and who it helps:

Pass examples:
Failure examples:
Sources/research:

Use words that can map to ACC standard words Or add a mapping

Explanation and who it helps:

see http://aac.unl.edu/vocabulary.html

Pass examples:
Failure examples:
Sources/research:

 

Use RDFA to refrence symbols

Explanation and who it helps:

Pass examples:
Failure examples:
Sources/research:

Notes/ sources

 

Techniques for people with impaired short term memory

Short term memory include, auditory, visual...