Accessibility and Usability Considerations for Remote Electronic UOCAVA Voting

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Accessibility and Usability Considerations for
Remote Electronic UOCAVA Voting

• Sharon Laskowski, PhD
• National Institute of Standards and Technology
• http//vote.nist.gov

TGDC Meeting, July 8-9, 2010
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Issues and Recommendations are organized by
technology

• General accessibility and usability
• Web browsers
• Web ballot repositories
• Online ballot markers and electronic form
  fillers
• E-mail
• Kiosks
• Telephone-based interfaces
• Fax machines

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Example Recommendations General accessibility
and usability

• Accessibility and usability best practices and
  guidelines have not been systematically applied
  to design and testing of UOCAVA voting systems
• Recommendation Where appropriate follow VVSG 2.0
  accessibility and usability requirements and test
  methods

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Web-based voting

• The VVSG does not address Web-based voting
  systems or Personal Assistive Technologies (PAT)
• Use of Javascript and Java applets may lead to
  loss of focus for screen readers
• Recommendation Follow W3C Web Accessibility
  Initiative WCAG 2.0 and ARIA, Section 508
  guidelines, and best practices for accessibility
  for AJAX (asynchronous JavaScript and XML)
  implementations
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, Accessible
  Rich Internet Applications

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Authentication and CAPTCHAs

• Some authentication approaches are not compatible
  with accessibility
• Visual CAPTCHAs
• Recommendation Follow accessible CAPTCHA design
  guidelines
• Resizable
• Adequate contrast to distinguish the CAPTCHA from
  its background
• Dont use shadows
• Alternatives, e.g, text readout, phone in

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Interoperability

• For Web-based remote electronic voting, a variety
  of system components must run simultaneously
  operating systems, browsers, voting software,
  PAT, and voting system hardware (for kiosks)
• Web applications must display properly with all
  commonly-used Web browsers and screen readers
• Recommendation It is critical to design for and
  test all common configurations for
  interoperability, including testing with PAT by
  testers familiar with using PAT

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Documents

• When voters view and/or print documents (such as
  ballots), the documents need to be accessible
• PDF might not be accessible
• Recommendations If you must use PDF,
• Save documents as accessible PDF rather than
  images
• To support screen legibility for low vision
  voters, check that Adobe Reader reflow feature
  performs correctly
• If voters need to print for submission, support
  print legibility for low vision voters by
  providing enlarged font documents (not a
  substitute for accessible PDF and/or screen
  viewing)

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Telephone-based interfaces

• Telephone-based interfaces without a screen
  require the ability to hear the prompts and also
  impose a high memory load
• Recommendations
• Create requirements based on general best
  practices for interactive voice response systems
• Require non-auditory alternatives for people with
  hearing loss and non-manual alternatives for
  people severe manual dexterity disabilities