gisbert loff vice president, sap user experience los angeles, march 2008 adding additional...

Gisbert LoffVice President, SAP User Experience

Los Angeles, March 2008

Adding additional Accessibility capabilities to installed Software AFTER shipment

© SAP 2008 / Loff CSUN 2© SAP 2008 /

Preface – Software Product Lifecycle

UI programming and interfacing with assistive technology

Closing the gap

SAP Accessibility Competence Center (ACC)

References

About SAP

Agenda

© SAP 2008 / Loff CSUN 3© SAP 2008 /


UI programming and interfacing with assistive technology

Closing the gap

SAP Accessibility Competence Center (ACC)

References

About SAP

Agenda

© SAP 2008 / Loff CSUN 4

Preface: Software Product Lifecycle

Q&A about timeQ: How long can it take between initial specification and final shipment of

software?A: 2 – 5 years

Q: How long does a customer want to use an enterprise software installation?A: As long as possible, that is about 8 years according to our experience

In the meantime … legislation around accessibility changesNew UI technologies on the market (e.g. AJAX-based Web programming

technologies)New interfaces for linking assistive technology to user interfaces are

developedNew assistive technologies are developed, new operating systems, …


Preface: Software Product Lifecycle / 2

Our (SAP) worldMany SAP customers still use „SAP R/3 Enterprise 4.7“ or earlier versionsPortions of that software have been developed

at a time when accessibility was not as much in focus as it is today and assistive technology was not available in a way that we have it

today


The „master“ questions

How can we upgrade accessibility features of installed software ?

without performing a formal / major upgrade to the customers installation,without formal modification of the installation,

(this would put a burden on subsequent formal upgrades)selectively, fast,at minimum overall cost ?

© SAP 2008 / Loff CSUN 7© SAP 2008 /


UI Programming and interfacing with assistive technology

Closing the gap

SAP Accessibility Competence Center

References

About SAP

Agenda


About UI programming

SAP‘s UI architecture provides a generic „technical“ solution for many accessibility featuresA screen „model“ created by application developers is interpreted and

displayed via a „generic“ viewing engine(e.g. SAP GUI, SAP NetWeaver Business Client)

The viewing engine connects with assistive technologies at high level The screen model is forwarded to the screen reader The screen reader does not have to rely on assumptions, heuristics,

interpretations (like it is the case with many web applications)The viewing engine can (always) be upgraded separately

more frequent and less disruptive than backend/database upgrade most likely due to fast changing PC environment

e.g. operating system upgrade W2K => XP => Vista)


Linking JAWS/Virgo with SAP GUIStep by Step

Step 1The generic viewing engine exposes its UI modelvia standard technology (e.g. COM, UI Automation)

Step 2The model is adjusted / transformed to the needs of a specific

screenreader product, e.g. Virgo from Baum, via „Glue Code“ so the screen reader can interpret it in the right way

Getting the „Glue Code“Screen Reader extensions for SAP GUI are available free of charge


Linking JAWS/Virgo with SAP GUI

“Glue” Code

SAP GUI Object Model

Script Plugin Screen reader

© SAP 2008 / Loff CSUN 11© SAP 2008 /



Closing the gap


References

About SAP

Agenda


Closing the gap – What IS the gap?

The UI model represents the accessibility knowledge and tool abilities at time of development some years ago …

when different accessibility legislation was in place with different development tools in place

(today‘s development environment addresses many requirements automatically)

Huge number of screens (models) makes analysis / repair not an easy task

If the model is not sufficiently specified for today’s accessibility requirements by the application programmer at time of development

the model can be fixed by modification of code or … the model can be fixed by adding supplemental accessibility information

from the outside


Closing the gap – Idea for relief

Identify accessibility violations for selected screens that are used by a user with specific needsTypically, for any given single user the number of screens

he/she uses is extremely small compared to the overall number of screens

Change / enrich the model and store screen-specific supplemental accessibility informationon the user‘s PCor in a centralized location to be used by multiple users

Disclaimer: The method described here is meant to be a temporary solution for a selected number of ‘typical’ accessibility flaws if the customer cannot / does not want to upgrade the software.


Linking JAWS/Virgo with SAP GUI

“Glue” Code


Script Plug-In Screen reader



Linking JAWS/Virgo with SAP GUI /Teaching step

“Glue” Code

Script Plug-In

Databasefor supplemental

accessibilityinformation

Teacher

„Teacher“ detects missing field-label relationship and stores it in a database

Screen reader


Linking JAWS/Virgo with SAP GUI /Usage of supplemental information

“Glue” Code


Script Plug-In

Databasefor supplemental

accessibilityinformation

From now on, this field-label relationship is available for assistive technology

Screen reader


The idea … more generic

A sighted user (teacher) identifies accessibility gaps on a screen / website / part of software that

hinders a screen reader to read out content or structure to a blind / visually impaired user

stores additional descriptive information (additional information, correction of gap) in a file / database / disk / CD / DVD / network

A file (network) / disk / cd / DVD … exchange is used to distribute the descriptive information to blind / visually impaired

users

A visually impaired / blind user loads that additional information from the file / disk / CD / DVD / network into

his/her screen readerThe screen reader identifies that there is additional information available for

a certain screen / website / part of software and behaves accordingly by reading out the additional information


Demo – Step 1 / 1

Start SAP TRACS UI (TRained ACcessibility for SAP GUI)


Demo – Step 1 / 2

Select a field that has missing accessibility information (Example: Field without connected label and tooltip)


Demo – Step 1 / 3

Select a field that has missing accessibility information (Example: Field without connected label and tooltip)


Demo – Step 2

Example: Add Tooltip Information


Demo – Step 3 / 1

Example: Assign label to inputfield


Demo – Step 3 / 2

Example: Assign label to inputfield


Demo – Step 4

Save


Demo – Step 5

Content of sample database

Additional Tooltipassigned to the Field

Field – Label Relationshipassigned to the Field


What you need to make it work that way

Identification Every „screen“ needs to be identified in an unique way

SAP GUI: ProgramName / ScreenNumber Browser: URL

Every field on the screen needs to be identified in an unique way SAP GUI: FieldName Browser: Fieldname (just the same way like one would store a field history)

Runtime hook Ability to „hook“ glue code between UI and screen reader understand to object model of the screen on semantic level instead of guessing at

pixel level Ability to access a database (or similar storage) when user comes across such a

field


The SAP User Experience Accessibility Teamworks for you in Walldorf, Germany & Palo Alto, US

Maintains and develops the Accessibility standard at SAP

Supports the development teams with guidelines and check tools

Supports Accessibility Coordinators in development

Supports the Accessibility Testlab in Bangalore

Performs technology certifications

Established in Palo Alto 2001, moved to Headquarters in Germany 2003


References

United States Patent Application 200600631382007 CSUN Presentation

“Accessible Software Architectural Design and Standard”SAP Designguild

http://www.sapdesignguild.org/editions/edition.aspAccessibility Infrastructure and settings

http://www.sapdesignguild.org/resources/acc.asp“Developing Accessible Applications with SAP NetWeaver“

(J.Koeble et al, ISBN 978-1-59229-112-0)


Summary of SAP Today

© SAP 2008 /

SAP AG in 2007 revenues: €10.25 billion More than 43,000 companies run SAP software Providing more than 25 industry solutions 43,861 SAP employees (December, 2007)

12 million users in 120+ countries team with us to… Integrate their business processes Extend their competitive capabilities Get a better return on investment at a lower total cost of ownership

Unique partner ecosystem More than 3,850 partners Overall more than 180,000 SAP partner certificates


SAP is Well Positioned for Growth

Trusted business partner for 43,000+ companies – the largest installed base in the enterprise software sector

Deep vertical expertise with strategic solutions for more than 25 industries

Great innovation power with 12,951 developers

Largest ecosystem in the industry system integrators, ISVs, OEMs, resellers, partners

One of the top brands globally #34 according to BusinessWeek

© SAP 2008 /


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