ti trovi in: Home Page - Normative -

Ministerial Decree July 8, 2005
The technical requirements and the different levels of accessibility of computer tools.

Annex B

Methodology and criteria for the subjective accessibility assessment of Internet technology-based applications

 

1. Subjective assessment methodology

 

The methodology of the subjective assessment of Internet technology-based applications consists of four principle phases:

 

a) – Analysis by one or more human factors expert

The assessment by one or more human factors experts essentially consists of the cognitive simulation method whereby the expert defines contexts, purposes and modes of interaction of the user, present in the assessment group, with the site, and constructs scenarios that simulate the cognitive level of the user’s behaviour.

The human factors expert will know the services that the site intends to provide, the information that it can provide, the actions required of the user to achieve these objectives by means of the interface, as well as information on potential users and the experience and knowledge required of them to interact with the site.

This part of the assessment, in accordance with what has been carried out in the design phase, is intended to assign each of the indicated criteria, where applicable, a rating on a rising scale of 1 to 5, where:

1 corresponds to no compliance of the environment with the criteria under examination;

2 corresponds to partial compliance of the environment with the criteria under examination;

3 corresponds to satisfactory compliance of the environment with the criteria under examination;

4 corresponds to good compliance of the environment with the criteria under examination;

5 corresponds to optimum compliance of the environment with the criteria under examination.

 

b) Composition of the assessment group

The second part of the assessment involves forming the assessment group, the disabled members of which use their own assistive technology. Users representing different types of disabled groups shall form part of the assessment group: deafness, low vision, colour blindness, blindness, upper limb motor disability, spastic dystrophy, cognitive disability, as well as persons belonging to other categories of users interested in accessing the site.

 

c) – Performance of tasks by the assessment group

Tasks shall be performed by members of the assessment group in both normal contexts (at home, in a working environment), and in specifically arranged contexts (laboratory environment).

The assessment group performs a series of tests based on interaction with the environment. The tests shall be performed freely, that is to say without specific tasks, or with objectives if performed in accordance with specific tasks.

In performing the tests, the assessment group shall be guided by the human factors expert.

During free navigation, the expert shall collect the user’s comments, including verbally, and observations on their behaviour.

In the test on specific tasks, the expert shall record the type of task, the length of time taken to perform it and any errors made, and he shall note the user’s comments and observations on their behaviour.

 

d) – Assessment of results and drafting the conclusive report

The subjective assessment shall conclude with the drafting of a report in which the human factors expert indicates the assessment on the subjective scale drawn from the cognitive simulation performed by him, his comments on the qualitative characteristics of the site and data relating to user services in relation to the tasks assigned to them: performance, comments, behavioural observations, answers to assessment questions compiled by the user, overall assessment of the level of quality achieved according to the following scale:

1. average overall value less than 2 = no quality;
2. average overall value greater than or equal to 2 and less than 3 = first level of quality;
3. average overall value greater than or equal to 3 and less than 4 = second level of quality;
4. average overall value greater than or equal to 4 = third level of quality.

2. Assessment criteria

The essential criteria on which the subjective assessment of Internet technology-based web sites and applications is based are:

1. perception: information and commands necessary to perform activities must always be available and perceptible;
2. comprehensibility: information and commands necessary to perform activities must always be easy to understand and use;
3. operability: information and commands must allow immediate selection of the suitable action to achieve the desired objective;
4. coherence: symbols, messages and actions must have the same meaning throughout the environment;
5. safety: the environment must have suitable characteristics to protect the psycho-physical well-being of the user;
6. security: the environment must have suitable characteristics to provide reliable transactions and data, managed with a suitable level of security;
7. transparency: the environment must communicate to the user the status, effects of actions performed and the information necessary for the proper assessment of the dynamics of the environment;
8. learnability: the environment must be easy to use and quick to learn;
9. help and documentation: help functions, such as guidelines, and documentation relating to the functioning of the environment must be easy to find and connected to the task performed by the user;
10. error tolerance: the environment, even if it is configured so as to prevent errors, must display appropriate message that clearly identify errors that have happened and the action required to overcome them, where errors arise;
11. user-friendliness: the environment must have suitable characteristics to promote and maintain-the interests of the user;
12. flexibility: the environment must take account of individual preferences and circumstances.