Rehema Baguma

A web design framework for improved accessibility for people with disabilities (WDFAD)

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) such as the World Wide Web (WWW) has increasingly become embedded in everyday life and is progressively becoming indispensable for public, business, personal efficiency or even improvement of livelihoods [1]. Web users including People with Disabilities (PWDs) can conveniently undertake a number of tasks that would otherwise be difficult or impossible. But many Web applications such as e-learning, e-commerce and e-government are not accessible to PWDs including the blind. Through Web accessibility guidelines, Web developers can develop Web applications that are accessible to PWDs. However, majority of the available accessibility guidelines are difficult to integrate into existing developer workflows and rarely offer specific suggestions that are developer oriented. In this paper, we propose a Web Design Framework for Improved Accessibility for People with Disabilities (WDFAD). The WDFAD provides precise guidelines on how to develop Web applications that are accessible to PWDs particularly the blind. These are packaged according to the three components of Web applications namely; content, navigation and user interface. Using constructs of the Non Functional Requirements (NFR) Framework, Web accessibility design objectives are represented as primary goals and sub goals. The primary goals represent the high level accessibility design objectives, while the sub goals represent the requirements that need to be met in the Web development process in order to meet each primary goal. WDFAD also illustrates the overlaps between the process of meeting each primary goal. This unveils the optimal ways of achieving Web accessibility during Web design. The precise nature of WDFAD and its packaging according to the main components of Web applications makes Web accessibility requirements potentially easier to understand and apply by Web developers. Web Developers prefer precise and familiar tools due to their busy work life and daily interface and expression in formal instructions. In addition, the global versus local classification of Web accessibility requirements in WDFAD modularizes the web accessibility guidelines hence making them easier to understand, apply and update.

Integrating Accessibility and Functional Requirements

Initial research on Web accessibility was focused on testing completed Web pages. More recently, the focus is moving to integrating accessibility features into coding tools such as Dreamweaver 8 and plugins notably LIFT. Thus accessibility is being considered slightly earlier in the development process. However, the state of Web accessibility is still disappointing even on websites that have followed the guidelines and or used evaluation and coding tools. We are proposing an approach to start considering accessibility much earlier. Our purpose is to address accessibility in the context of what is to be done and who will be participating. In this paper, we present views of Web developers about this approach. We then show (using a case study) how Web developers can elicit accessibility requirements alongside functional requirements and integrate the two to obtain conceptual models with explicit traces of accessibility requirements integrated with functional requirements. Finally we discuss lessons learnt from the case study and common benefits of the approach for Web accessibility and Web projects.

A framework for filtering web accessibility guidelines

This paper first presents a framework for filtering the Web Accessibility Guidelines according to contexts of use. It then presents a prototype that implements the framework and explains an evaluation of the prototype.

Factors for success and failure of e-government projects: the case of e-government projects in Uganda

This paper is a discussion of factors for success and failure of e-government projects based on a study of sample projects that have so far registered either partial or total success. The paper also discusses key strategies from recommendations of participants from the studied projects and existing literature that e-government projects can benefit from for higher levels of success.

Designing reality fit m-voting

In this paper, we examine the declining trends in voter turn-up in Uganda and other developing countries. We also look at the possibility of using ICT especially the widely used mobile phones to improve citizen participation in voting. We also assess the current citizen perception and responses towards using their mobile phones for voting. In addition we discuss political, technological, social and cultural factors that are likely to affect the use of mobile phones for voting.

Web Design Requirements for Improved Web Accessibility for the Blind

Considerable research has been done on how to make e-learning systems accessible. But Learners in electronic and hybrid learning environments utilize many Web based systems beyond what the instructor and institution provides and can control such as search engines, news portals and research databases. This paper presents Web design requirements that can improve the accessibility of such websites for PWDs particularly the blind. The requirements were derived from both theoretical and quantitative data gathered from both literature and a case study. It was observed that graphical user interfaces, non-linear navigation, forms, tables, images, lack of key board support, non-standard document formats and acronyms and abbreviations hinder Web accessibility for the blind. Therefore in order to improve Web accessibility for the blind, the following requirements were suggested; a text only version of the website or a combination of design considerations namely: text alternatives for visual elements, meaningful content structure in the source code, skip navigation link(s), orientation during navigation, ensure (tables, frames and forms) are accessible if any is used, test the website with keyboard only access, use or convert documents into standard formats and expand abbreviations and acronyms the first time they appear on a page. Meeting the given requirements in the Web development process improves Web accessibility for all blind Web users including those engaged in hybrid learning.

Usability and Utility Needs of Mobile Applications for Business Management among MSEs: A Case of Myshop in Uganda

This paper discusses the usability needs of mobile applications for basic business management for Micro and Small Scale Enterprises (MSEs) in developing countries. This is based on results from a user study carried out in Uganda on 30 MSEs. The study was carried out on MyShop, an easy to use mobile business management application for cash transactions and book keeping designed for micro-entrepreneurs. The study investigated learning to use MyShop, the support MyShop gives to the user and its usefulness, and value addition to users. The study also covered the pleasure and stimulation MyShop gives to users. Results from the study show that MSE owners/shopkeepers would like an application that is easy to use such as have an intuitive navigation and a simple and clear language. They would also like an application that supports their unique context like multiple people operating a shop, selling goods on credit, ownership of multiple businesses, use of low end phones and regular load shedding. In terms of value addition, MSEs would like the application to assist them in managing the daily operations and developing the business in the long term such as marketing, time saving and control over business.

Mobile money services in uganda: design gaps and recommendations

Mobile money is a great service for developing countries where the banking infrastructure is still severely limited and very few people can meet requirements of banking institutions. While these services are being greatly received due to the convenience that goes with electronic and mobile based services, the reception and uptake is still limited to literate populations who are the minority in these countries. This paper discusses the current design gaps of the mobile money service in Uganda based on a survey carried out in Kampala and Kayunga districts and provides recommendations on how these gaps can be addressed for the service to benefit more people especially the less literate poor that have no access or cannot afford conventional banking services.

Using Mobile Phones in Elections in Developing Countries: Opportunities and Challenges

A considerable number of developing countries have introduced Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) mainly in the initial stages of the electoral process such as voter registration using biometric technology. Post-conflict and emerging democracies in particular are exploring biometric voter registration to have clean voter registers—free of ghost voters such as Democratic Republic of Congo, Togo, Guinea Conakry, and Uganda. However, several other attempts to integrate ICTs—particularly computer-based systems in electoral processes in many developing countries have registered high failure. Causes of failure are mainly social cultural and economic challenges rather than technical and security factors. The various failures come at a soaring price for the world’s poorest countries. For example in 2001, Uganda lost US

Usability Evaluation of the eTax Portal for Uganda

22 million in a failed e-registration system. Hence there is a need to continue investigating how such failures can be avoided or at least reduced. Some Scholars have suggested the use of mobile phones as a voting tool given their wide spread use, portability, and affordability. However, to-date, research on use of mobile phones in elections has mainly focused on individual cases of using mobile phones in elections in specific countries. To our knowledge, there has not been an examination of current use of mobile phones in elections versus the opportunities they offer and existing challenges. This discussion is useful to inform future development of mobile phone based electoral services and enactment of relevant policies. This chapter discusses opportunities mobile phones can offer developing countries in organizing and conducting free and fair elections, how mobile phones are currently being used, challenges still inhibiting wider use of mobile phones in elections in developing countries and possible solutions.