Accessibility aspects for software development and an analysis of Narrator screen reader

1. Introduction

The development of software that incorporates accessibility aspects into solutions is a fundamental concern to ensure that all people can use and enjoy digital applications and systems, regardless of their abilities or needs.

This movement strengthens inclusion in the technological world. Accessible software not only has the advantage of expanding the product consumers but also enables the entitlement to everyone’s participation in the digital society.

The accessibility subject is comprehensive and diverse. Therefore, this article focuses on discussing accessibility for people with visual impairments, highlighting some best practices to develop inclusive software. It also emphasizes accessible aspects of the screen reader technology.

2. Why Develop Software for People with Visual Impairments?

Developing accessible software is crucial for ensuring social and professional inclusion, allowing people to participate in society and the job market, thus promoting more opportunities.

Accessibility is an internationally recognized human right supported by laws and standards, for instance, the Brazilian Law for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (LBI) is considered a significant advancement in disability rights. This law goals to “ensure and promote, under conditions of equality, the exercise of fundamental rights and freedoms by people with disabilities, a view to their social inclusion and citizenship” (Law №13,146/2015).

The use and contributions of assistive technologies are also subjects addressed by law, as mentioned in Article 74 “The disabled person is ensured access to assistive technology products, resources, strategies, practices, processes, methods and services that maximize their autonomy, personal mobility, and quality of life”.

In addition to meeting legal aspects, companies that develop accessible software can gain a competitive advantage by demonstrating social responsibility and creating innovative solutions that benefit everyone, regardless of their abilities. Thus, it drives innovation in software development and expands inclusion through technology.

According to the data published by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics IBGE and Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship (MDHC) (2023), the population with disability in Brazil in 2022 is 18.6 million, representing approximately 8.9% of the population. Relevant data is that 3.1% of this group have visual impairments, encompassing cases of blindness and low vision (IBGE, 2023).

This context highlights the importance of addressing visual impairment issues and implementing initiatives to improve accessibility and quality of life for this population segment. Therefore, developing accessible software for people with visual impairments is a relevant subject, addressing social, ethical, and legal aspects.

3. Accessibility Guidelines

Accessibility encompasses various disabilities, including visual, hearing, physical, speech, and neurodiverse. While guidelines consider a variety of issues, they may not address the needs of people with multiple disabilities and all degrees. There is also a difficulty in understanding accessibility recommendations (VALÉRIO, 2019).

There are some guidelines directing accessibility aspects for digital content and solutions. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) defines criteria and recommendations to make content more accessible for people with disabilities, addressing design, content, and development aspects (UK-BRAZIL DIGITAL ACCESS PROGRAMME — DAP, 2023).

The WCAG was developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) in cooperation with professionals and organizations worldwide with the goal of providing a shared standard for website and application accessibility that meets international requirements. The WCAG consists of four principles, known as P.O.U.R (W3C, 2023):

• Perceivable: Information and user interface components must be presented in a way that users can perceive.
• Operable: User interface components and navigation must be operable without requiring interactions that users cannot perform.
• Understandable: Information and operation of the user interface must be understandable.
• Robust: Content must be sufficiently robust to be interpreted reliably by a variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.

These principles are divided into specific guidelines, each with requirements that help ensure accessibility for people with different needs.

4. What are Screen Readers?

A screen reader is an assistive technology mainly used by people with visual impairments and can also be used by someone with temporary visual limitations.

The screen reader was developed as a technological solution to identify labeled texts and images on computing devices, presenting content to the user through voice commands and facilitating the access to computing resources for people with visual impairments (CAMPANA, 2017).

This solution performs an essential role in supporting people with visual impairments in daily tasks related to the use of technology, such as working and browsing the web independently, contributing to digital inclusion and equal access to technology.

Many screen readers are available in the market for computers, such as NVDA, JAWS, Virtual Vision, and Narrator. There are also options for mobile devices, for instance, VoiceOver integrated with Apple devices and TalkBack, integrated with Android devices.

4.1. Screen Reader: Narrator

The Narrator is a screen reader integrated into the Microsoft Windows operating system, designed to assist people with visual impairments in interacting with the computer, making the use of the operating system and its applications more accessible.

Narrator was developed by Professor Paul Blenkhorn in 2000 and has been released in versions of Windows, including the latest versions such as Windows 10 and 11.

4.2. How Does the Narrator Work?

Some Narrator features include:

• Screen reading: The Narrator vocalizes the content displayed on the computer screen, covering menus, buttons, text, emails, web pages, and documents.
• Audio navigation: It allows users to navigate the Windows interface using keyboard commands or touch gestures on touch-sensitive devices based on audio feedback. Commands are essential for moving through interface elements such as desktop icons, applications, and settings.
• Scan mode: This mode enables navigation through applications, emails, and web pages using directional keys. Moreover, users can use common keyboard shortcuts to read text and jump directly to headings, links, tables, and points of interest.
• Customization: The Narrator offers various customizable options, allowing users to choose voices, reading speed, voice tones, shortcuts, and adjust preferences when interacting, as well as details about the text. Additionally, punctuation can be used to determine pauses during reading, and users can listen to words as they type.
• Braille support: In addition to voice reading, Narrator is also compatible with Braille devices, allowing visual impaired users to read content in Braille, including specific key commands for each display.
• Activation: The Narrator can be easily activated by pressing a combination of keys, providing accessibility whenever the user wants to activate it.

5. How to Develop Software Using Accessibility Best Practices?

Incorporating accessibility best practices in software development is important for many reasons, because it directly impacts the user experience and expands the range of users. In the following is showed some reasons why accessibility is essential:

• Social Inclusion and Users Diversity: Accessibility ensures that people with different abilities, including physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities, can access and use software.
• Legal and Regulatory Compliance: Following international standards and recommendations, and local laws for accessibility, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), is considered a best practice.
• Overall Usability Improvement: Many accessibility principles contribute to overall user experience. For instance, designing light-colored and simple interfaces can benefit all users, facilitating the use in different types of environments.
• Social Responsibility and Ethics: Ensuring that all users have equal access to technology promotes values of equity and respect for diversity.
• Future-proof: Including accessibility from the beginning of development aligns with the software evolution perspective. Thus, as technology advances and new devices emerge, the software will still meet different accessibility requirements.

In order to apply development best practices, including accessibility requirements, developers can be based on specific guidelines to create more inclusive software. A recognized reference on this subject is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which establishes principles and criteria for ensuring web content accessibility, also applicable to software in general.

Some best practices for software development are illustrated in Figure 1, and the following sections describe them.

5.1. Semantic Markup

Semantic markup is important for writing good code that meets accessibility requirements because it provides structured meaning to content, allowing assistive technologies to interpret and present information understandable to users.

Use proper HTML tags to gather the content and create a meaningful and semantic structure, such as: <header>, <nav>, <main>, <section>, <article>, <aside>, and <footer>. Tags also correctly indicate the hierarchy of headings, for example, <h1>, <h2>, <h3>.

5.2. Alternative Text for Images

The alternative text in all images and non-text elements describes their content clearly and concisely. This alternative text is available in the “alt” attribute. For example, <img src=”image.jpg” alt=”Description of the image”>.

This attribute makes images accessible to users with visual impairments, allowing screen readers to verbalize details about the image where the cursor is focused.

5.3. Color Contrast in Images and Text

Maintain sufficient contrast between text and background to ensure readability for people with visual impairments. According to WCAG, a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 is ideal, and it is established to compensate for contrast sensitivity loss experienced by individuals with visual acuity of 20/40.

When using graphics or images, ensure proper contrast and avoid information that relies on color differences. Colors that are too close can be difficult to distinguish for people with visual impairments. In this case, using contrast-checking tools is a good alternative to evaluate contrast, like WebAIM contrast checker tool.

The contrast aspect is also related to font. Text should be easily readable with proper contrast and size, facilitating reading. Avoid text styles that can be difficult to read, such as text that uses excessively italics or underlining.

Developing a solution requires compatibility with the operating system’s high-contrast mode, including automatic adjustments when high contrast is enabled.

5.4. Adjustable Font Size

The possibility for users to increase or decrease font size without impacting the layout or feature of the software is an essential function. In this case, it is recommended to use relative units, such as “em” or “%”, instead of absolute units like “px”. Thus, the font size can be adjusted according to the user’s accessibility settings.

Use flexible and responsive CSS to ensure content adjusts to different screen sizes and font settings. The media queries implementation also supports adapting the layout and font size on different devices and screen sizes.

Attention to respect the operating system’s font size settings. In general, if a user adjusts the default font size in their settings, your application should reflect those preferences. Moreover, providing buttons or controls in the interface that allow manual adjustments to the font size can be especially useful for screen reader users.

Ensuring text is adjustable without affecting content or feature is crucial for users with low vision, who may need to enlarge text for comfortable reading.

5.5. Keyboard Navigation

Keyboard navigation should be available for the application, and the navigation through page elements must also be predictable, allowing logical content reading.

Enable the keyboard focus to support users understand the location where they are navigating on the application or site. The focus can be visible by using a border around the focused element.

Keyboard shortcuts are also significant for navigation, allowing users to access specific areas without navigating all elements on the page.

Ensure that all features can be accessed through the keyboard without the use of a mouse, including menus, buttons, and other controls.

5.6. Captions and Transcripts

Transcripts can be a basic with the text version of the speech or it can have descriptive format that includes the details of visual information, for example, the description of a video includes information about its content and scenario.

In addition to complete transcripts, it is important to provide captions for audio and video content. The captions make the information accessible to people with hearing impairments.

5.7. Audio Descriptions

Audio description transforms visual content into audio, including description of images and videos aligned with the script, which avoids the voice-over conflicts with the video.

Adding audio descriptions for visual elements in videos meets the needs of people with visual impairments.

5.8. Accessibility in Forms

If the application has forms, develop them with clear labels, explicit instructions, and proper validation to facilitate filling out forms for people with diverse needs.

Use <label> tags to associate labels with form fields to help users understand the purpose of each field. In the following a code sample is shown:

<label for="name">Name:</label>
<input type+ "text" id+"name name="name">        

5.9. Accessibility in Tables

Accessibility in tables generally involves the proper use of semantic markup, HTML markup, for instance, using <th> elements for table headers and associated attributes, like scope and headers. Ensure clear and concise descriptions for cells and headers, ensuring an accessible experience for all users.

5.10. Identification of Buttons and Links

Considering accessibility when identifying buttons and links is often done by implementing specific attributes in HTML code, for example, “aria-label” to provide an accessible description.

Practices like providing objective descriptive texts, adequate labels and appropriate semantic structure assist screen readers in interpreting and presenting these elements understandable to users.

5.11. Dynamic Content and Updates

Accessibility requirements for dynamic content involve elements that are modified or updated after the initial page load without a complete reload. This dynamic content can include updates made through technologies like JavaScript frameworks or JavaScript libraries that manipulate the content.

5.12. Validation Testing

Conducting usability tests of the application using assistive technologies ensure compatibility and proper performance for accessibility requirements. During validations, it is important to involve users with disabilities to identify and correct issues from a real usage perspective.

5.13. Education and Awareness

Promoting knowledge and awareness about accessibility among the technical team and other stakeholders is essential for the adoption of accessibility requirements from the beginning of the project.

These initiatives reduce digital accessibility barriers and make the products more inclusive.

5.14. Documentation and Training

Providing documentation for the software and training for the development team contributes to their understanding and implementation of accessibility best practices and guidelines. Accessible documentation supports a minimal understanding of the tool’s behavior regarding accessibility features, for instance, specific shortcuts.

6. The Screen Reader Narrator and Adherence to Accessibility Best Practices

Narrator, as a screen reader, aligns with motivations that emphasize the importance of accessibility, such as: Social inclusion and user’s diversity; Legal and regulatory compliance; Overall usability improvement; Social responsibility and ethics; Future-proof.

In addition to the motivations, Table 1 presents a discussion about how the Narrator aligns with development best practices that consider accessibility aspects.

Best practices of accessibility and Narrator’s performance

Semantic Markup: Narrator benefits from semantic markup when interpreting and utilizing structured information in the content. It understands the hierarchy and structure of the content, facilitating navigation and contributing to a precise interpretation and better understanding of the content.

Alternative Text for Images: Narrator reads alternative texts available in images effectively.

Color Contrast in Images and Text: Narrator also performs in the high contrast mode, ensuring that text and other visual elements are clearly identified during the reading.

Adjustable Font Size: Narrator was designed to recognize and adapt to different font sizes, ensuring clear and understandable reading for users.

Keyboard Navigation: Narrator depends on a logical order and keyboard focus visibility.

Captions and Transcripts: Narrator supports captions and transitions to enhance content accessibility, providing appropriate descriptions during transitions.

Audio Descriptions: Narrator can provide auditory information about visual elements, depending on the quality and comprehensiveness of accessibility practices incorporated into the content.

Accessibility in Forms: Narrator works better with well-structured and labeled forms.

Accessibility in Tables: Narrator reads better tables with appropriate headers and correct semantic markup.

Identification of Button and Links: Narrator identifies buttons and links by interpreting the user interface structure. It provides auditory information about interactive elements, enabling effective navigation.

Dynamic Content and Updates: Narrator performs better when updates are announced in an accessible way.

Validation Testing: Narrator must be part of accessibility testing suite, identifying potential issues in the tool’s performance.

Education and Awareness: Narrator supports education and awareness of accessibility because it is a tool that demonstrates inclusive practices through assistive technology.

Documentation and Training: Narrator can be used as a content of training to understand and implement accessibility practices.

7. Conclusions

This article emphasizes the importance of accessibility in software development, especially for the inclusion of users with visual impairments. Developing accessible software expands the product’s reach by promoting the participation of all user profiles.

Accessibility guidelines present a comprehensive set of principles to make digital solutions, like software, mobile or web applications, more inclusive and available for various disabilities.

The discussion about the possibility of adopting best practices from the early stages of the software project and the presentation of an assistive technology, Narrator screen reader, highlight the importance of accessibility to minimize digital barriers.

In addition, adequate implementation of these best practices by developers is essential to ensure accessibility requirements, providing inclusive and equitable experience for all users.

Article written by:

Danilo Loques, Tester II at FIT, Sorocaba, São Paulo. Graduated in Information Technology from Uniasselvi. Creator of the website Cegueta.com, an accessible portal for the visually impaired.

Karina Lee, Test Analyst at FIT, Sorocaba, São Paulo. Graduated in Analysis and Systems Development from Anhembi Morumbi University (Brazil).

Article reviewed by:

Gabrielly Araújo Cordeiro, Researcher. She holds a BSc in Production Engineering from the Federal University of Amazonas (Brazil) and an MSc and PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Campinas (Brazil).

Jadder Cruz, Researcher at FIT, Sorocaba, São Paulo. He holds a BSc and an MSc in Computer Science from UFSCar (Brazil). Currently, PhD candidate at Unicamp (Brazil).

Acknowledgment

This research was partially funded by Lenovo, as part of its R&D investment under Brazilian Informatics Law, and by the FIT — Flextronics Institute of Technology with all further resources needed to perform this work.

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