508 for Dummies  

A talk with Gloria Reece, a senior member of STC's AccessAbility SIG who can help demystify Section 508. Get practical advice for implementing the law in your workplace without tearing apart existing products and starting from scratch. Section 508 for Dummies will introduce you to the basics of the regulation using models and scenarios.

Reece, Gloria A. STC Proceedings (2004). Articles>Accessibility>Standards>Section 508

Accessibility Meets Usability: A Plea for a Paramount and Concurrent User-Centered Design Approach to Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility for All  

This paper identifies challenges for a user–centered design process with respect to infusing accessible design practices into electronic and information technology product development. Initially, it emphasizes that when user–centered design is paramount and concurrent with accessible design, electronic and information technology can be accessible for all. Next, it provides an overview of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Section 508. Last, it provides basic accessible design heuristics that can be integrated into the design process. It concludes with recommendations for a paramount and concurrent user–centered design approach to product development.

Reece, Gloria A. STC Proceedings (2002). Articles>User Centered Design>Accessibility>Usability

Accessibility Meets Usability: Designing for Multimedia Using Digital Storytelling  

Initially, this article provides an overview of digital storytelling that describes its uses, technology, a methodology for creating a digital story, tips for creating a digital story, assessment strategies for digital stories, and links to current examples of digital stories. Next, this article recounts the third author's first experience with digital story-telling, in the context of helping children with hearing loss adopt a more positive frame of reference toward their disability. It describes the storyboarding process, explains how writing is still a primary concern, and gives some valuable advice concerning the pros and cons of dabbling in high- technology. Last it discusses accessibility and usability requirements for digital stories.

Reece, Gloria A. and Judy Vinegar. STC Proceedings (2004). Articles>Accessibility>Multimedia>Usability

ADA-508 Compliance and Usability Testing Techniques for Accessible Web Pages  

This scenario–based progression session will introduce basic usability testing concepts for developing accessible web pages, raise awareness of the need to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Section 508, and provide resources for further investigation. Emphasis will be given to interactive discussion that centers on requirements analysis for accessible design.

Reece, Gloria A. STC Proceedings (2002). Design>Web Design>Accessibility>Section 508

Adaptive Technologies and Techniques for People with Vision Problems  

Talk with Gloria Reece, a senior member of STC’s AccessAbility SIG who can help you understand vision problems and the technologies that exist to make information accessible. Get practical advice for implementing new technologies in your workplace.

Reece, Gloria A. STC Proceedings (2004). Articles>Accessibility>Visual>Workplace

Bibliography for Performance Systems Technology and Computer-based Instruction  

Bibliographies which serve as companions to the two-part article by Reece which appears in the August and November 2000 issues of the Journal of Computer Documentation.

Reece, Gloria A. Journal of Computer Documentation (2000). Resources>Bibliographies>Education

Digital Portfolios: How to Market Your Skills!   

A recent article in the Chicago Tribune last year suggests that technology workers need a variety of skills that include soft skills--good communication skills and the ability to work in teams.

Reece, Gloria A. and Louise I. Keeton. STC Proceedings (2004). Careers>Portfolios>Online

Experience Equity and Universal Access: Designing Clinical Studies for Low Vision  

In this paper, I describe web page design for those interested in conducting clinical, low vision studies. Ideally, web pages should be accessible and usable for all readers; however, the web is a highly visual medium for communication and creates serious accessibility issues for specialized (diverse needs) those with vision needs. Therefore, I propose that researchers consider a paramount and concurrent user-centered design approach when creating stimulus materials for these specialized audiences. This paper introduces readers to this design approach for a low vision audience as described in the WebText Study.

Reece, Gloria A. STC Proceedings (2005). Articles>Usability>Testing>Visual

Software Reuse, Processes—Essentials for the Trainer’s Toolbox and Single-Source, Multimode Document Delivery  

Traditionally, custom document production begins with an empty “New” electronic document and with the writer confined to the paper delivery mode. Networked software reuse facilities can allow writers to avoid this requirement of continually starting from scratch. Hence, net worked software reuse may provide a framework for efficiently creating custom documents in either academic or industrial settings for single-source, multimode delivery (Reece, 1993- 1994). More importantly, software reuse facilities may also provide common ground for technical training within a variety of computing environments. This paper defines software reuse, recommends a process for the development of documents in a software reuse facility, and provides information on quality characteristics for evaluating such software.

Reece, Gloria A. and H.J. Scheiber. STC Proceedings (1995). Presentations>Documentation>Help

Stuckness and Low Vision: How Technology and Socratic Classroom Dialog Changed My Life  

The author shares some stories from her own life that may be useful in helping Web page designers and product developers better understand issues surrounding low vision, hearing loss, and mobility restrictions using her 'art of accommodation.' In this article, she discusses this art as it applies to seven areas: (1) reading structural cues and wayfinding, (2) multimedia, (3) graphics, (4) text design and visual threshold, (5) contrast, (6) glare and size of electronic displays, and (7) mobility.

Reece, Gloria A. STC Proceedings (2005). Articles>Education>Accessibility>Web Design

Stuckness and Low Vision: How Technology and Socratic Classroom Dialogue Changed my Life

Gloria discusses her low-vision condition, the problems it poses in her life and work and the accommodation strategies she has developed.

Reece, Gloria A. Usability Interface (2003). Design>Usability>Accessibility>Visual

Usable, Accessible Web Pages for Low Vision: Criteria for Designers  

This paper identifies challenges for design of web pages for low vision. It examines key usability considerations (subject, occasion, audience, and purpose) for defining content for web pages and emphasizes seven basic principles of universal design. SOAP for web pages is a model that web page developers can use to define content criteria for websites. The model emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to audience, needs, task, and requirements analysis. It discusses a user–centered approach (capture, specify, plan, realize, deliver) to usability testing. Additionally, this paper summarizes key findings from low vision research on type legibility. The paper concludes with design principles that can be derived from print–based studies (normal and subnormal vision) for developing accessible web pages.

Reece, Gloria A. STC Proceedings (2001). Design>Web Design>Accessibility>Visual

Working to 508: Seeing, Hearing, and Understanding Accessible, Usable Web Pages  

Now that the U. S. Government has mandated that web pages comply with accessibility standards (Section 508, a 1998 amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973), it is time to test web pages against the standards. “What do newcomers to these standards need to know to ensure that they are on the right tract with accessible, usable web page design? “What do web page designers need to know beyond 508 standards? Join us in an exploration of our personal experiences with “stuckness” when using web pages (visual accessibility), Reece; learn possible solutions to our “silent screams” (audio accessibility), Vinegar; and consider also the question of web page accessibility to users with cognitive or learning disabilities (comprehensibility), Gillen.

Reece, Gloria A., Judy A. Vinegar and Lori Gillen. STC Proceedings (2003). Design>Web Design>Accessibility>Section 508

Working to 508: Web Page and Interface Design for Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)  

This scenario–based progression targets designers and developers who are interested in learning about assessment for web page design for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It introduces the topic by providing a background on web page design for individuals with special needs (varying physical and sensory abilities). Then, it presents basic concepts for developing accessible web pages, raises awareness of the need to comply with the ADA, Section 508, and provides resources for further investigation. Emphasis will be given to interactive discussion that centers on assessment questions to consider for concurrent, accessible and user–centered design approaches for web pages.

Reece, Gloria A. STC Proceedings (2002). Design>Web Design>Accessibility>Section 508