Products
Select one of the following products to obtain information about accessibility that is tailored to that product.
Desktop All-in-One Devices
A desktop all-in-one device integrates several common office appliances into a single device.
The primary function is printing, but these devices also typically support copying, scanning,
and faxing. The user interfaces of desktop all-in-one devices can be somewhat complex. Some
features of the device require interaction with the hardware interface, while other features can
be controlled through software. The hardware interface usually poses many accessiblity challenges;
the software may also have accessibility problems, especially for
users who are blind, if it is not designed with accessibility in mind. These devices are normally
used in a home or small office environment. For home users in particular, it is important that
both the device, including maintenance aspects, and the software be accessible to all users, including
users with disabilities.
Digital Multi-function Copiers
A digital multi-function copier integrates several common office appliances into a single device.
In addition to making copies, a typical digital multi-function copier supports printing,
scanning, faxing, and document storage. Because of the number of functions typically supported
by these devices, a rather complex user interface is often required. The complexity of the
user interface, and certain design features necessary to accommodate the complex interface
(e.g., small labels and icons, small and numerous controls), pose many accessibility
challenges. The physical dimensions of these types of devices, which are typically tall and
are designed to be used by users in a standing position, also pose accessibility challenges.
Kiosks
Kiosks are interactive devices that allow users to access information or conduct other
self-service functions. Examples include product price check stations, internet access
terminals, job application kiosks, building directories, fountain drink dispensing
machines, wayfinding kiosks, digital photo order stations, museum exhibit information
kiosks, gift registry terminals, and sign-in/sign-out stations. The number of kiosks
in use is increasing, and the range of tasks handled by these machines continues to
expand. Kiosks can reduce interaction times, enhance privacy, and provide greater
convenience for many users. However, as the reliance on kiosks to provide services
to the public increases, the importance of providing kiosks that are accessible to
people with disabilities increases as well. Both the physical design and the user
interface of POS machines can pose a wide variety of problems for users with various
types of disabilites.
Laptop Computers
Laptop computers, also known as notebook computers, are portable personal computers. Laptops
are generally capable of performing the same tasks as desktop computers, though compromises
to decrease power consumption and size often mean that laptops are computationally less
powerful than desktop computers. Because laptop keyboards are smaller than standard
desktop keyboards, the keys tend to be smaller, some key locations are changed and
some keys are omitted entirely, and multiple functions are combined onto each key.
Specialized hardware devices known as "touchpads" or "trackpoints" are used in lieu
of a mouse. Laptop computers pose a number of accessibility issues. Missing or
rearranged keys pose problems for users who are blind and users with cognitive
impairments. The smaller keyboard and small, densely populated ports and controls
pose problems for users with upper mobility impairments. The small display and small
hardware labels pose problems for users with low vision. The lack of standardization
of key placement and other design features across laptops causes problems for many
users with various impairments.
Point of Sale Machines
Point of sale (POS) machines are interactive devices that allow customers of a business
to conduct self-service financial transactions. Examples include credit card payment
terminals, retail store self-checkout stations, movie theater ticket machines, machines
used for ordering food at convenience stores or quick service restaurants, airport check-in
machines, and gas station pay-at-the-pump systems. The number of POS machines in use is
increasing, and the range of transactions handled by these machines continues to expand.
POS machines can reduce transaction times, enhance privacy, and provide greater convenience
for many shoppers. However, as the reliance on POS machines to conduct business increases,
the importance of providing POS machines that are accessible to people with disabilities
increases as well. Both the physical design and the user interface of POS machines can
pose a wide variety of problems for users with various types of disabilites.
Programmable Thermostats
Programmable thermostats are thermostats that automatically adjust the set temperature in a
user's home at different times according to user-defined settings. Programmable thermostats
range from basic models with only one program to more complex models with the ability to create
a different program for each day of the week. Programmable thermostats may have only hardware
controls, only a touchscreen, or a combination of the two. Programmable thermostats can be
especially beneficial to users with disabilities, because the programmability nearly eliminates
the need for interaction with the device after initial setup. However, programmable thermostats
still pose a number of accessibility issues. Programmable thermostats sometimes have complex user
interfaces, especially for creating a new program, which can be problematic for users with cognitive impairments.
Other aspects of the programmable thermostat can cause problems for users with impaired vision,
especially if the unit has only a touchscreen. Additionally, users with upper mobility impairments
may experience difficulty accessing and using the controls on a programmable thermostat.
Digital Video
"Digital video" refers to digital media files, typically played on a computer, that may contain
both audio and video content. As Internet connection speeds have increased, the popularity of
digital video on the web has skyrocketed. Digital video can be delivered in two ways: streaming
and downloadable. "Streaming" is the simultaneous transfer and display of digital video from the
Internet. The video file resides only on the server machine and is not copied to the client machine.
"Downloadable" video can be copied from the server to the client, and the local copy is then played
by the user. Without some effort to add accessibility features, such as captioning or audio
description, to digital video files, the multimedia content will not be completely accessible
to some users. If the digital video requires special software to play it, the accessibility of
software package used to play the video must also be considered.
PDF Documents
The Portable Document Format (PDF) is a file format that was developed by Adobe Systems
to represent documents in a format that is independent of the original application,
operating system, and hardware that was used to create the document. PDF documents are
documents that are stored in the PDF file format. PDF documents must have certain
characteristics in order to be accessible to users with disabilities. For example, the document
must be a searchable text file (not just a scanned image) so that a screen reader can read the words
in the document; the structural elements of the document must be indicated by tags, so that a screen reader
can properly interpret elements such as headings, paragraphs, and tables; and the reading order
of the document must be logical and easy-to-follow, so that a screen reader can present
the content of the document to the reader in the proper order.