Accessibility
zerodev
Posts: 10
I am currently the senior control systems programmer at an educational institution, and I have been tasked with finding out what options AMX has that will make accessibility easier. Specifically, I'm looking for solutions for the visually impaired. As it stands, we are integrating NXD-700Vi touch panels in the classrooms; we are looking for keypads or touch panels that might supplement the current installation and make the systems more accessible. I would appreciate any input!
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Can you be more specific with what particular issues you asking about? 'Accessibility' is a pretty borad brush.
We're exploring options for the visually impaired, such as a separate keypad that retains the functionality of the entire system, or some sort of voice-command/response system.
Well, the visually impared part can be addressed on one hand by simiple interface design modifications. We did look at creating very large iconic/large text interfces. One can work with braile displays but those typically work with current computer hardware. It is entirely possible to write code for this but I'm not aware of any off-the-shelf modules that will link them up with AMX. Here's a link to one. https://secure2.convio.net/psb/site/Ecommerce/1068790326?VIEW_PRODUCT=true&product_id=6881&store_id=1101&gclid=CPT4qpyjkaMCFZRS2godPB9goA
One could also look into some of the keypads and use braille engraving on them.
Our campus had personnel on staff who helped us with design considerations. Their sole function was campus-wide ADA coplience. You may have some kind of compliance office that can give you some help and direction. It was an interesting tap dance at times. In a lot of cases, ADA compliance was in direct oppostion to good A/V desing. Things like viewing angle and proper placement of classroom seating/floor rake are in direct violation of ADA compliance specs. So, quite often our way of dealing with this was to make part of the room ADA and part A/V centric. We typically gave the ADA segment 'the best seats in the house' and then overbuilt the A/V to accomodate the seats farther away and too low/high or whatnot.
Our particular difficulty was that thata department was not used to getting any push back on design considerations and were pretty agressive about it. Once we kinda won them over on a political front, things settled down and we actually began working together quite well.
I'm not just talking about firing up TP4 and renaming/resizing/deleting some buttons - put away the UI design tools, get out some paper / mind mapping software and map out the goals that users of the system will have. When you're doing this don't just lock yourself away in a darkened room, sit down with a sample the system users and make sure you record your sessions, you'd be amazed at how much extra info you can extract on second or third passes.
Now that you've got the info you need on what the system should do, figure out how's it going to do it. Map out your interaction design - again, don't start thinking of what your buttons are going to look like just yet you want to just design the simplest and most logical sequence of actions that should be taken to acheive the goals you've identified.
After you've gathered this this nice suite of info start sketching out some interfaces and sit down with a group of users again and get some feedback. Rinse and repeat until you can present a concept that the participants would rate higher than being poked in the eye with a stick (you'd be amazed how many interfaces don't pass this test
In regards to layout for those users with severe visual impairments the surface of the panels themself provide no tactile feedback however you can utilize the panel edges to oriented users and possibly provide a further simplified alternative interface for these users. If this still does not provide a satisfactory level of accessability for the control functionality required then start looking at alternative interfaces - remember you can use anything that can talk to your master over the network so the choices definately aren't limited.