Accessibility: the definition and the disabilities it covers

An accessible software product is software that can be used effectively by users with certain kinds of disabilities. Accessibility involves converting software that can only be used by people without disabilities into software that can be used by people with and without disabilities alike.

JViews Enterprise includes support for users with several kinds of disabilities and each kind of disability is handled by one or more software techniques. Some techniques are implemented by JViews Enterprise, whereas others, as in the case of thin-client applications, are implemented by the browser; operating system, and support software.

NOTE Applications that use JViews Enterprise are not automatically accessible. They must use at least some of the APIs and techniques described here to become accessible. The design tools, such as the designers, and most of the JViews samples are not accessible. They are not part of the applications that you deploy to your users. Rather, the techniques for accessibility are exemplified by specific samples for each product.

The following types of disabilities can hinder a user's ability to work with visualization products created using JViews Enterprise.

Physical disabilities that prevent the user from holding or controlling a mouse. For these users, JViews Enterprise provides keyboard navigation across a diagram or chart. See the section "Keyboard navigation" for your product.

Physical disabilities that prevent the user from typing and using a keyboard with the same ease and speed as normal users. For these users, the operating system provides keyboard accessibility features. These features are accessible across Java/Swing, browsers, and JViews. See the section "Keyboard operation modes" for your product.

Photosensitive epilepsy. For users with this type of disability, the blinking frequency of blinking objects must be limited. Only blink periods longer than 0.5 seconds are acceptable. This can be implemented using the JViews IlvBlinkingColor and IlvBlinkingPaint classes.

Low vision. For users with low vision, it might be necessary to enable “zoomed” or “high contrast” display. See the sections "Zoomed display" and "High contrast mode" for your product.

Color blind users. For color blind users, you must present information in a form other than colors. You can let the application auto-select the colors from a palette that avoids combinations of colors that would be indistinguishable to a color blind user. See the section "Use of colors in accessible applications" for your product.

Blind users. Use screen readers for blind users. A screen reader is a software application that reads portions of the screen aloud. Screen readers are available for Windows, either built into the operating system, or available from third-party vendors, and for Linux/Gtk. The built-in screen reader is a simpler version with less features. JViews Enterprise does not currently support these devices.