Software Evaluation for accessibility

Research

1. VPAT information

VPAT (attached) indicates only partial support forall criteria that are indicated as applicable.

2. Validation from known experts (WebAIM, University of Washington[1], etc.)

None researched due to the conclusiveness of #3 & #4.

3. Testing by students and employees with disabilities

1 – Determination: inaccessible

Reported:

I have finished my review of SmartSheet, and it appears to be inaccessible. There are several issues that make SmartSheet not usable for a screen reader user, including:

  • No heading structure throughout the interface.
  • No ARIA landmarks/regions for navigational structure.
  • Not usable/junk ALT tags on images.
  • Multiple tables throughout the interface, none of which use <th> headers for improved screen reader usability.
  • Inconsistent row/column structuring of tables. (some rows have x # of cells, others have y # of cells).
  • No links that can be accessed via screen reader links list or navigation quick-keys.
  • There are many text fields that are not labeled to a screen reader.
  • No usable buttons, radio buttons, or other controls that can be accessed using screen reader navigation keys.
  • Modals that do not have keyboard/screen reader focus locked within the dialog.

I tested SmartSheet using JAWS 15, NVDA 2013, and VoiceOver (OS X 10.9), these issues were consistent across all platforms. Based on the fact that so many of SmartSheets controls are non-standard and require the mouse, I am sure it would cause difficulties for those whose disability prevents them from using the mouse - just as it does for screen reader users.

4. Testing by IT staff

__X_ WCAG 2.0 (AA Standard)

____ EITA Desktop software checklist

Questions to ask advocates:

  • What is the purpose for the use / purchase of this software?
  • What is the unique capabilities that this software possesses that are not contained in any other product on the market or through freeware?

Determination: Inaccessible

Scott Holgate was one of the individuals spearheading the spread of SmartSheet. We met on Wednesday, February 19th to discuss my findings. Scott accepted the classification of SmartSheet as currently inaccessible and agreed to do the initial legwork to talk with the company about what could be done.

Resolution:

Scott Holgate was one of the individuals spearheading the spread of SmartSheet. We met on Wednesday, February 19th to discuss my findings. Scott accepted the classification of SmartSheet as currently inaccessible and agreed to do the initial legwork to talk with the company about what could be done.

[1] Organizations selected by EITA Working Group’s Software committee