Accessibility Review Report for California Top-to-Bottom Voting Systems Review Noel Runyan and Jim Tobias July 26, 2007 Table of Contents Table of Contents...................................................................................................i Executive Summary ..............................................................................................1 Introduction ...........................................................................................................1 Purpose of the Review..........................................................................................1 VVSG Provisions on Usability and Accessibility, Including A Brief History ...........2 Usability and Accessibility.....................................................................................3 Definitions of Usability and Accessibility..........................................................3 The Goal of Good Usability and Accessibility ..................................................3 Scope and Limits of the Review............................................................................4 General Methodology............................................................................................4 Heuristic Analysis ............................................................................................4 Group Walkthroughs ..................................................................................5 Individual Walkthroughs .............................................................................5 Review of User Videos...............................................................................5 Methodology for User Testing..........................................................................5 Physical Layout ..........................................................................................5 Testing Protocol .........................................................................................5 Major Findings ......................................................................................................6 Physical Access to the Voting Machines .........................................................6 Positioning for Wheelchair Users ...............................................................7 Interference with Wheelchair Controls and Armrests – Frontal Approach..8 Interference with Wheelchair Controls and Armrests – Lateral Approach 11 Adjustability for Standing and Seated Use ...............................................12 Machine Support Stand Stability Concerns..............................................12 Manual Dexterity Accommodation Concerns.................................................12 Voter Access Cards .................................................................................13 Physical Controls .....................................................................................13 Touch Screen Controls.............................................................................13 Access User Interface Connectors ................................................................13 Visual Display Concerns................................................................................14 Touch Screen Parallax.............................................................................14 Screen Rendering Time ...........................................................................15 Touch Screen Controls..................................................................................15 i Non-Touch Screen Input Controls .................................................................15 The three systems have very different physical controls..........................15 Counting of Keystrokes or Other User Control Input Actions ...................19 Dual-switch Input Control Concerns ..............................................................20 Speech Interface Concerns ...........................................................................20 Speech Quality and Rate .........................................................................20 Volume.....................................................................................................21 Pauses .....................................................................................................22 Concatenation Effects ..............................................................................23 Alternative Language Concerns ....................................................................23 VVPAT Accessibility for Verifying Print Record .............................................24 Total In-booth Voting Times...........................................................................24 Voting Accuracy.............................................................................................24 The Audio Interface in Complex Tasks..........................................................26 Write-in Concerns..........................................................................................26 Mispronunciation ......................................................................................27 Confusing Wording...................................................................................27 Orientation, Help and Instruction Messages for the Audio Interface..............27 Privacy Concerns ..........................................................................................27 Eavesdropping on the Visual Display.......................................................27 Blanking the Visual Display ......................................................................28 Privacy Shields.........................................................................................28 Vulnerability to Quick Glances or Camera Shots .....................................28 Eavesdropping on the Audio Voting with Radio Receivers.......................28 Eavesdropping on Audio Voting with Recorders and Wireless Bugs .......29 Personal Safety Concerns.............................................................................29 Public Health and Sanitation..........................................................................29 Reliability Concerns.......................................................................................29 Poll Worker Training and Assistance Concerns.............................................30 Near Term Mitigations for Major Findings ...........................................................30 Improving Physical Access to the Voting Machines.......................................30 Provide Chairs and Flat Surfaces for Voters ............................................31 Improving Manual Dexterity Accommodations...............................................31 Voter Access Cards .................................................................................31 Physical Controls .....................................................................................31 ii Touch Screen Controls.............................................................................31 Improving Interface Connectors....................................................................31 Improving the Visual Display .........................................................................32 Single Race per Page ..............................................................................32 Eliminate In-Screen Scrolling ...................................................................32 Accelerate Video Performance.................................................................32 Improving the Touch Screen Controls ...........................................................33 Reduce Touch Screen Parallax................................................................33 Improving Non-Touch Screen Input Controls.................................................33 Reduce Fatigue from Audio Interface Use or Arduous User Control Input Actions...........................................................................................................33 Improving the Speech Interface.....................................................................33 Speech Rate ............................................................................................34 Volume Control ........................................................................................34 Improving Alternative Language ....................................................................34 Improving VVPAT Accessibility......................................................................34 Addressing Total In-Booth Voting Times .......................................................35 Improving Voting Accuracy............................................................................35 Improving the Audio Interface in Complex Tasks ..........................................35 Verification ...............................................................................................35 Ballot Verifying and Casting Concerns ..........................................................35 Confusing Wording and Use of Grammar......................................................35 Orientation, Help, and Instruction Messages.................................................35 Missing the Startup Orientation Help or Instructions ................................35 Outreach to Inform Voters about Accessible Voting.................................36 Information Available in Braille and Large Print........................................36 Privacy Concerns 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