Preferences for Global Access Use Cases and Scenarios

*Author Attributions: Dana Ayotte, Jess Mitchell, Joanna Vass, Michelle Brennan

Exploration Tool

The Exploration Tool provides a toolbox of presets available in-context of a resource.  These presets reflect clusters of enhancements and alternatives possible to this resource. The presets are presented as large-target buttons with an icon and text label.  The user can select individual buttons to enable (and alternately disable) the presets as they desire. When a preset is activated, the modifications are applied live to the content and appropriate feedback is provided to the user.

The presets available are determined by the content and device. The specific presets available in the Exploration Tool will change depending on the context in which the tool is included. 

The following sections outline two examples of Exploration Tool implementations. These demonstrate what it looks like to adapt the Exploration Tool to different users and contexts.

Each example begins with a scenario and brief description of the user who will be interacting with the Exploration Tool. 

The first example shows what the tool would look like in the context of a digital game. The second example shows what the tool looks like when used with a digital learning resource. 

Electron Resource Exemplar

User and Context

Ken’s daughter Amanda often experiences photosensitive seizures.  Many types of digital content can trigger seizures in Amanda. These types of content include videos and simulations that contain rapid flashing.  Because of this Ken likes to preview the digital content Amanda is supposed to use to do her homework, so that he can be sure that they don’t contain material that is hazardous for Amanda.

Session

Ken sits down to preview the first Science resource on Amanda’s homework list for the night.  Amanda’s class is beginning a unit about lightning and electricity. As he scans down the page, he notices there is a video about lightning. He presses play, and realizes the video will create a risk for Amanda, because there are parts of it that contain rapid flashing. Ken knows he will have to check every resource, and that there are likely to be many other resources in the unit that contain material that might cause Amanda to experience a seizure.

Amanda has to view many resources that very probably contain flashing content. The flashing content will cause Amanda to have seizures

Amanda cannot preview these resources by herself.

Ken must ensure that all  of Amanda’s resources are safe for her to view.  This is tedious, because he is sure he must go through all of Amanda's resources. 

The following example illustrates the process of using the Exploration Tool to engage in the Explore Activity Space within the context of exploring available preferences related to a digital learning resource, and to subsequently transition in to the Adjust  and Store Activity Spaces as preferences are identified and saved.

Entering the Exploration Tool

This image shows a text resource about lightening with a a picture of lightening and some text. A persistent bar labeled 'doesn't make sense' prompts users to engage with the tool. This appears at the bottom. Selecting the bar opens up the Exploration Tool panel containing a selection of presets.

(image: ExplorationTool_panel-collapsed.jpg)

Ken notices the "Try Something New" feature. He isn't sure what this does, but he's wondering if there might be something here that would help him find better content for Amanda. A bar is displayed with buttons which read: "enlarge", "more contrast", "less contrast", "simplify", "speak", and "extra words"

(image:ExplorationTool_panel-open.jpg)

Simplify

Ken decides to try the "Simplify" preset. He's wondering if this might remove the video content. This image shows the "simplify button" highlighted on the "Try Something New" Panel

(image: ExplorationTool_panel-simplify.jpg)

The Simplify preset adjusts the resource in the following ways: -an article -only view (by removing elements such as site navigation, side panels, etc.) -linearized reading order in a -single column layout with short line lengths larger text size wider line spacing user interface for removing specific media a table of content widget

Ken also notices that x's appear over the video content when he hovers over them. This feature allows Ken to remove the videos.




Extra Words

Now that Ken has removed the videos, he's concerned that Amanda will be missing important content. He decides to try the "Extra Words" option. This might replace some of the content he has removed. 



This image shows the "extra words" button highlighted on the "Try Something New" bar. The 'extra words' reveals additional textual descriptions of media through: alternative text descriptions of images transcripts for videos







This image shows what it looks like to display alt text for the picture of the lightening. All Images and videos will be augmented with textual equivalents including alt text, long descriptions, expanded textual sections (using the tag), captions and transcripts. Where possible, we will use crowd-sourced content such as the captions available from Amara.




Saving Preferences






Now that Ken has created preferences, he can save his preferences using the "Save Preferences" Button. This image shows the user clicking the "save preferences" button.






As Ken is saving, he is prompted to look at the suggested preferences that the system would like to recommend to him. This image shows the user clicking on the "Suggested Preferences" button in the Save dialogue box. Ken has the option to save "hide flashing media" , "hide visual content", "hide auditory content" or he can add his own.




Cat Game Exemplar




User and Context

Dani experienced a traumatic brain injury when she was 6. She’s been going to a special education school where she has a team of teachers who work with her on a classroom computer. This computer has some settings that help Dani see, read, and understand digital content. Though she has some trouble seeing on the right side due to a peripheral vision field cut, Dani enjoys looking at pictures. Her teachers adjusted her lessons to reflect this, so Dani does mostly picture-based learning.

Dani’s other activities at school are also tailored to her needs: she is able to read 3-letter words and her vocabulary is at an approximately grade 3 level. Dani is pretty shy about talking because some people have trouble understanding what she’s saying, so her teachers would often encourage her to sing. Dani knows almost all the words to “Happy Birthday,” and she likes to sing and move her body to the sound – it helps with some of the spasticity in her arms and back, and it makes her visibly happy.

When Dani moves to the assisted living center, she will have a TV and a computer of her own in her own room. Those devices will be different from the TV Dani is used to watching ballgames on and the computer she had configured for her at school. Dani can’t take those devices or settings with her, so she’ll have to learn a new system. That is stressful, because Dani has some trouble focusing and it is difficult for her to remember things like order-of-operations (executive function) tasks.

The assisted living center balances structured therapies (OT, PT, SLP, and computer lab) with recreational activities (cooking class, music class, and outings) and encourages residents to be as independent as they are able to be, and to make some decisions for themselves. Because the center is not as structured as Dani’s school was, she will have more opportunities to decide how she spends her time – how she structures her days and weeks. Dani plans to go home on weekends to visit her Mom and Dad, and the dog Bud, too.




Session

Dani has settled into her new room at the assisted living center. A staff member has helped her bookmark some of her favorite online games on her new computer, and Dani is deciding which game she would like to play. She decides on a game balancing cats on a seesaw.

The following wireframes will walk through the steps of setting up language, speech, contrast, size, and speed preferences. Dani will need to create a preference profile before she can begin playing the game. This will enable Dani to play her game successfully. 

This demonstrates how Dani might engage in the Explore Activity Space context of a game, and subsequently the opportunity to engage in the Adjust and Store Activity Spaces in addition to the Explore Activity Space, after she has set her initial preferences.  


Language







This image shows 4 cats with 4 different language speech bubbles above their heads. "Choose your language" is spoken







"Salut" is spoken and highlighted on hover when Dani hovers on the cat with the "Salut" speech bubble. Dani doesn't click on this cat, because she doesn't understand what this cat is saying.







"Hello" is spoken and highlighted on hover. Dani selects this cat, because she understands what this cat is saying.




Speech






"Talking or Quiet?" is spoken. Two cats appear, one has a speech bubble that says "meow" above its head. The other has an X above its head







Dani hovers over Silent Cat. Nothing is spoken. Dani doesn't click Silent Cat.







Dani hovers over Talking Cat. "Meow" is spoken on hover. Dani cho




Contrast







Two cats are shown here, one is white with a speech bubble that says "It's bright out here", while the second is yellow and black with a speech bubble that says "It's dark out here." "Change the colours" is spoken.










Dani hovers over Yellow Cat. "It's dark out here" is spoken and highlighted on hover. Dani doesn't like the dark, so she doesn't choose Yellow Cat.






Dani hovers on Bright Cat. "It's bright out here" is spoken. Dani picks this cat, because she likes the bright color better.




Size







Two cats are shown. One is big and one is small. Dani hovers on Big Cat. "I'm big" is spoken. Dani selects Big Cat.

Speed






Two Cats are shown. One with a speech bubble that says "I like to move slowly" and another with a speech bubble that says "I like to move quickly." Change the speed" is spoken.







Dani hovers over Slow Cat. "I like to move slowly" is spoken. Dani chooses Slow Cat. She likes to move slowly too.




Setting Preferences and Entering the Game






Now that Dani has finished creating her preliminary preference profile, she can begin playing the game. Two cats are shown. One is on a seesaw, one is sitting on the ground. The cat on the seesaw has a speech bubble that says "hooray!", while the other has a speech bubble that says "let's play a game"




Preference Panel as it appears in Game







This image shows how the Exploration Tool bar displays in Dani's game. It is a bar at the top of the screen which has buttons for speak, size, contrast, and speed. Dani can change her preferences at any time during the game. This