The AODA has requirements for web accessibility, as well as requirements for the procurement of self-service kiosks. However, the third review of the AODA recommends that future AODA standards should align with existing standards in other parts of the country.
For instance, Accessibility Standards Canada (ASC) has adopted European standards for accessibility in information and communication technology (ICT). Future AODA standards may include some or all of these guidelines and requirements to make ICT products and services more accessible. In this article, we explore guidelines in the federal standards that empower people to find, recognize, and use information and communication technology with limited movement, strength, or reach.
Information and Communication Technology and People with Limited Movement, Strength, or Reach
Many ICT products and services have inputs that require movements, such as:
- Opening a laptop
- Typing on a keyboard
- Using gestures on a touch screen
- Inserting, removing, or swiping a card
However, many people have disabilities that affect their movement, including:
- Fine motor skills
- Gross motor skills
- Strength
- Reach
Therefore, the standards require that ICT products and services with inputs involving certain movements must have at least one (1) mode of access that does not involve these movements.
For example, people cannot be required to:
- Pinch
- Grasp tightly
- Twist their wrists
- Perform more than one (1) action at the same time
- Make path-dependent gestures
- Use fine motor skills
As alternatives to these actions, people can operate devices with:
- One (1) hand
- Sequential key entry, instead of multiple keys at the same time
- Gestures using one (1) finger at a time
- Speech recognition, instead of typing or gestures
If a product’s key repeat function does not turn off, people should be able to adjust the timing of these repeats. Conversely, if a product has a delay for repeated keystrokes, people should be able to reduce this delay.
Furthermore, ICT products and services should not require hand strength to operate.
Moreover, people should be able to easily reach all parts of ICT that are freestanding or installed. All parts needed to operate an ICT product or service should be reachable at both wheelchair height and average height.