Day 54: Users with Motoric Disabilities

Published on 23 Jan 2019

• journal
• resources
• was
• assistive-tech
• people

More on people with various disabilities. Today's exploration led me to learn more about people with different motor disabilities. This group may include people with cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, quadriplegia, and arthritis.

• Read Motor Disabilities (WebAIM)
• Re-read I Used a Switch Control for a Day (24 Accessibility)
• Watched Assistive Tech: Switch Device (A11yCasts YouTube)
• Looked at The Steady Mouse Project site
• Looked at the EyeGaze Edge site
• Watched some Dragon NaturallySpeaking tutorials
• Read Diverse Abilities and Barriers: Physical Disabilities (W3C)

When considering people with motor disabilities, web designers and developers should hold fast to WCAG's operable principle. Specific important concepts includes creating a usable interface that:

• is keyboard navigable (this also benefits voice activated software)
• tolerates user error
• provides alternative navigation methods to skip over lists of links, repetitive sections, and lengthy text
• sets important stuff above the fold
• offers autocomplete, autofill, or autosave
• enables extended time limits
• manages off-screen items appropriately (display:none, visibility:hidden when out of view)
• provides clear focus outlines
• provides large target (clickable) areas (buttons, links, controls)

There are one-handed keyboards for people with the use of only one hand. Other assistive technologies that can be used by those with more severe paralysis include head wands, mouth sticks, voice recognition software, switch access, and eye-tracking.