Taliesin Smith

Access, Action, & Agency: Inclusive Design for the Non-visual Use of a Highly Interactive Simulation

Interactive computer simulations are effective learning tools commonly used in science education; however, they are inaccessible to many students with disabilities. In this Major Research Project, we present findings from the design and implementation of accessibility features for the PhET Interactive Simulation, Balloons and Static Electricity. Our focus was access for screen reader users. We designed an interaction flow that connected keyboard interactions with reactions in dynamic content. Using a Parallel Document Object Model (PDOM), we created access for screen reader users to simulation content and interactive sim elements. We conducted interviews with 12 screen reader users to evaluate our progress on verbal text description and keyboard access, and to understand better how blind users engage with interactive simulations. We share findings about our successes and challenges and the insight we have gained in making an interactive science simulation more inclusive. http://openresearch.ocadu.ca/id/eprint/713/