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Sketch: Learning to learn first discovery

Sketch: Learning to learn first discovery

Oct 20, 2014

General approach: A “learning to learn”, exploration tool that introduces the idea of setting preferences through the process of setting up the tool to meet minimum accessibility needs, with the user working as independently as possible, as an alternative to a specific question-and-answer evaluative format. Default activation of switch-scanning and screen reader/audio allows a process-of-elimination, “good enough” declaration of needs (with option to refine further).

0. Tool is opened

  • screen reader/audio is ON

  • single-switch automated scanning is ON

1. Language selection screen

  • default visual presentation is large and high-contrast

  • visual: language selection grid is visible and indicates currently active language

  • audio: “For English, select Enter now” … pause … “Pour Francais…” … pause … “Para Espanol …”  etc

    • (need an easy way to undo selection using single switch)

  • language focus visually scans as well, following the audio

  • scanning continues until a selection is made

    • if no selection is made, volume could increase? contrast/size could change?

  • if mouse or keyboard are used to select or navigate, single-switch-scanning stops (need a way to turn it back on)

  • once a language selection is made, focus lands on the “Next” button, which takes user to second screen

2. Screen reader/audio preferences

keyboard navigation (switch scanning is OFF):

  • focus lands on main screen reader on/off switch

  • audio: “audio is ON, select Enter to turn audio off” (or vice versa)

  • user navigates (tabs) to volume adjuster and uses arrow keys to adjust

  • user navigates (tabs) to words per minute adjuster and uses arrow keys to adjust

  • user navigates (tabs) to Next button and is taken to screen 3

if switch-scanning is ON:

  • automatically scan through options: on/off switch, volume, words per minute, Next button

  • audio: “Select Enter to adjust volume”

    • volume levels cycle through in increments and audio volume reflects level

  • audio: “Select Enter to adjust words per minute”

    • words per minute values cycle through in increments …

  • audio: “Select Enter to skip screen reader adjustment”

  • OR – present values in a scannable grid here as well

3. Appearance (Visual preferences)

  • may be presented as individual adjusters (contrast and general “size”), or as “preset” grid which provide a visual preview combining size and contrast

  • increasing size in this case would zoom in on the full screen - this can be refined later by adjusting text size, cursor size, zoom on/off and magnification level etc.

4. Preferences panel and introductory video

  • preferences panel is populated with the preferences the user has set so far

  • intro video describes the concept of preferences, and preference set, refinement of preferences etc.

  • video player has captions and transcripts turned on by default

 

Notes

  • audio on/off button (with volume adjustment) appears in top right corner and persists on all screens

  • single-switch-scanning on/off button could also persist

  • provide a quick “skip to next” at top of screens?

  • consider how to make this tool more playful/game-like as well

  • consider an in-context tool also

 

Questions