WCAG 2.2 GUIDLINES - INTEGRATION
Inclusive Design for Physical Impairments
Keven, a wheelchair user, is willing to use mobile applications which are compatible with external assistive speakers to access mobile from every part of his living place.
To Support his impairment, the routine planner application has been designed to incorporate voice assistant features that can be accessible to interact and navigate the app without physical touch. The application can be connected to assistive speakers and mics, to access the app and manage his tasks from any part of his house, as he requires.
Inclusive Design Approach:
Voice command integration
Approach: AI assistant with voice command functionality that supports natural language processing, to help him to navigate the app hands-free.
Guidelines:
Perceivable: Text Alternatives (WCAG 1.1), WCAG 4.1.3 (Assistive technologies) - the intent is to create a specific sensory experience. Provide voice commands for any non-text content.
Enough Time - WCAG 2.2: The user will have enough time to complete tasks as there is no time limitation for any steps and it can offer enough time to respond to voice prompts.
Robust: Compatibility (Guideline 4.1): To deliver content through voice commands the screens are designed to support voice recognition tools as assistive technologies.
Assistive devices support
Approach: The app is designed to be compatible with assistive speakers, mic, and screen readers.
Guidelines: WCAG 4.1.2: Apple Watch, Assistive speaker with a mic can be connected for this persona.
Touch targets
Approach: Interface elements of this app, such as buttons and icons, are designed with a minimum width and height of 44px - 48px according to the guidelines.
Guidelines: WCAG 2.5.5 (Target Size) - The target for pointer inputs is at least 44 by 44 CSS pixels
Inclusive Design for Visual Impairments
Farsightedness, also known as hyperopia, is an optical defect that makes it difficult to see nearby objects with clarity. Janahansi finds it challenging to interact with standard mobile applications, particularly those with an excessive amount of visual content and poor contrast. She is facing difficulty in reading small text, differentiating similar colours, and perceiving content on mobile interfaces.
To Support his impairment, the Dark mode is also offered to support low vision This app has adjustable text sizes, and screen reader compatibility. To ensure that she uses this app independently and efficiently voice guidance and feedback have been added throughout the interfaces and manages her tasks through auditory cues.
Inclusive Design Approach:
Voice command integration
Approach: Incorporates AI assistant feature to offer voice command communication (Voice input & Feedback). This user can access the app and manage tasks through voice commands by sitting from anywhere he wants.
Guidelines:
Perceivable: Text Alternatives (WCAG 1.1), WCAG 4.1.3 (Assistive technologies) - the intent is to create a specific sensory experience.
Enough Time - WCAG 2.2: The user will have enough time to complete tasks. It can offer enough time to respond to voice prompts.
Robust: Compatibility WCAG 4.1
Colour customization
Approach: This user has deficiencies in reading smaller texts on mobile screens. The app offers features to customise the tasks with colour schemes, helping her to select or customise colours of the task types and the priority levels of them that are comfortable and visible for her.
Guidelines:
WCAG 1.4.1 - Using colours as a visual cue to convey information.
Screen reader compatibility
Approach: The app is compatible with screen readers as it has news pages and weather updates to enable the user to access content with the support of a screen reader(audio).
Guidelines:
WCAG 4.1.2 Creating UI components which are operable through assistive technologies (screen readers).
High Contrast Mode
Approach: To cater for the needs of low-vision user, the app includes a high contrast or Dark mode, which enhances the contrast between text and background, and offers readable content when user willingly access the interfaces independently.
Guidelines:
Success Criterion 1.4.3 (Contrast (Minimum))
Success Criterion 1.4.6 (Contrast (Enhanced)),
which recommends a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text and 7:1 for enhanced readability.
Text Resizing and Magnification
Approach: The app allows users to maximise the text and magnify interface elements up to 200%, to adjust the elements to a size that is readable or comfortable.
Guidelines:
WCAG - 1.4.4 (Resize Text) - Texts can be resized without content and functionality loss or functionality to increase accessibility for low-vision.
WCAG 1.4.12 (Text Spacing): Line height and spacing between paragraphs of text contents are being considered to adjust text spacing to improve readability.
Inclusive Design for Auditory Impairments
Aarohi Rohit is a graphic designer with “Sensorineural Hearing Loss”, who is facing communication and task management challenges in her daily life. She depends on smart hearing aids, and visual cues like real-time transcription tools to consume voice notifications, or auditory alerts in digital interfaces.
To support Aarohi's needs, the design of this routine planner application increases usability by offering visual reminders like colours, vibration alerts for medication schedules, and text and voice-based inputs and text-based feedback, ensuring that she manages her daily routine effectively without relying on sound.
Inclusive Design Approach:
Visual Notifications and Alerts
Approach: The user can't perceive auditory alerts. Notifications and alerts of reminders and updates within the app are provided through visual means, vibrations, three flashes, and Haptic Feedback.
Guidelines:
WCAG 2.2.1 (Timing Adjustable), ensures that the user can turn off, adjust, and enter, real-time exceptions on the notification settings.
WCAG 2.1 guidelines, particularly 2.3.1 (Three Flashes or Below Threshold), address the need for Aarohi for non-visual notifications and alerts that are accessible for hearing impairments.
Visual Indicators for Sound-Based Actions
Approach: Considering the needs of the persona, visual indicators like icons, and progress animations have been used to indicate that the action, such as setting or deleting a task, or completing a task has been completed.
Guidelines:
WCAG 2.5.3 (Label in Name) - Icons and buttons have been added with labels of names especially on clickable elements for the users who cannot rely on sound.
Text-Based Communication
Approach: AI assistant and customer support need text-to-speech communication to connect this user with the app.
Guidelines:
WCAG 1.4.1 (Use of Color),
WCAG 1.4.2 (Audio Control) - Text alternative support for audio-based content.
Inclusive Design for Cognitive Impairments
Luke is experiencing autism, particularly in sensory accommodation and routine predictability which affects his short-term memory, attention, and executive functioning.
Considering Luke's needs, the routine planner app has been designed with step-by-step guidance and a straightforward layout of screens, with smooth transitions, and controllable visual effects. The app also has customizable reminders, alerts(notifications) and visual schedules to make and arrange tasks according to priority. Additionally, the tasks are split into smaller, manageable steps like categorising the task types with the usage of colours when adding a task, to improve the data processing time.
Inclusive Design Approach:
Task Breakdown and Step-by-Step Guidance
Approach: The app offers Luke manageable step-by-step guidance supported by simple instructions, colours and other visual cues by breaking down every activity.
Guidelines:
WCAG 3.3.4 (Error Prevention) - when the user is willing to delete any task or enter any data, the system asks for confirmation every time. Users can check, confirm and reverse (recycle bin available) the decisions if they made a mistake.
WCAG 3.3.5 (Help) - AI will always monitor the user’s routine or pattern continuously and offer automated suggestions when entering data.
ELI (AI Assistant will be available to respond to users at any time, help and support section available for users to get any assistance through text-to-text communication)
Visual and Textual Aids
Approach: The icons, colours, and simple animations have been used in the app alongside textual instruction to help Luke better understand the functions included. As he has sensory accommodation issues, these visual aids make it simple for him to remember tasks, deadlines, and other needful features.
Guidelines: This design aligns with WCAG 1.4.3 (Minimum - Contrast), and WCAG 1.4.11 (Non-Text Contrast) - The minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 and 3:1 minimum for large-scale text are considered in this design for cognitively impaired user to perceive and comprehend content.
Simplified Interface and Navigation consistency
Approach: A minimalistic interface has been designed with straightforward navigation paths. Layout, icons, buttons, menus and terminology are organised with consistency to help users focus on one task at a time.
Guidelines:
WCAG 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels) and WCAG 3.2.3 (Consistent Navigation), descriptive headings have been maintained with 14px and 16 px and consistent navigation structures on every screen.
WCAG 3.2.4 (Consistent Identification), buttons and icons have been used with consistency.
Customizable Reminders and Notifications
Approach: Let Luke be free to manage the accessibility and notification features under profile settings.
Guidelines:
WCAG 2.2.1 (Timing Adjustable), ensures that the user can turn off, adjust, and enter, real-time exceptions on the notification settings and a time limit of longer than 20 hours has been offered.
Error prevention and manageable Options
Approach: The task gallery or task list segment of the application has a recycle bin feature to undo the deletion or redo the task that the user already deleted.
Further, it allows the user to use a previously completed task, and also the tasks that have been added by the user can be editable at any point in time. The AI assistance also helps users to reduce mistakes by analysing the routine and providing automated schedules of tasks.
Guidelines:
WCAG 3.3.1 (Error Identification) - AI assistant integration will avoid invalid entries along with analysing the routine of the user continuously to identify their regular patterns.
WCAG 3.3.3 (Error Suggestion) - The app has been integrated with Google Maps, the Trainline app, the weather app and the iOS News application, which can help users to schedule and execute tasks without any barriers.
Avoiding Distractions
Approach: The app interfaces have only relevant helpful animations to reduce distractions by avoiding pop-ups, long durational animations, and excessive visual clutter.
After the user testing, most of the animations (task completion and deletion) have been removed as the users stated that the animations were irritating.Guideline:
WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 2.2.4 - reducing distractions to help cognitively impaired users focus and complete tasks more effectively.
Memory Aids support
Approach: The app contains checklists and reminders of tasks to help Luke remember tasks, reduce time consumption and avoid cognitive overload.
Guideline: WCAG 3.3.3 - Providing assistance with task completion and memory aids for users with cognitive impairments