Project: Standard framework for accessible and usable platform development for dissemination and promotion of web 2.0

WACCES2.0 Project will develop a standard framework for accessible and useable platform development for dissemination and promotion of web 2.0 interaction and new web capabilities, improving the independence, the autonomy and the inclusion of users with different handicaps. The platform will work on current standards as Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) recommendations and will enable users to access digital multimedia contents which best fits the user preferences and needs. _x000D__x000D_WACCES2.0 aims to boost the independence, the autonomy and the inclusion of users with different kind of disabilities (visual-audition-mobility handicaps) in web interactio_x000D__x000D_There are still lot of work to be done in accessible multimedia websites. There are in the market different possibilities to reach the goal of accessible web, the current web 2.0 context has meant lack synchronization in terms of accessibility compared with the new capabilities offered by the new environment. Also, the limitations of the current standards and frameworks for accessibility, and the lack of an easy-to-use framework becomes in fact in a situation so called the "garbage in - garbage out" paradigm: _x000D__x000D_- If you write garbage code, you will get garbage view. _x000D__x000D_Web accessibility to people with sensory disabilities is achieved through various techniques to support communication: providing equivalent alternatives to auditory and visual content, clarifying natural language usage, user control of time-sensitive content changes and Audio Description Engine (ADE). _x000D__x000D_The Audio Description in websites will provide to blind and low vision people and poorly educated sector an additional commentary describing body language, expressions and movements._x000D__x000D_Web accessibility increases website visits for two reasons:_x000D__x000D_- Potential audience increases. _x000D__x000D_In the European Union there are almost 60 million disabled people. Only taking into account elderly population with different levels of disabilities, is predicted as a huge potential customer base that demands quality services that can respond to their needs and expectations in the same terms as the average users in terms of web interaction. _x000D__x000D_Taking into account blind and low vision people as target group, we notice that 37 millions of people around the world (2 millions in Spain) need screen magnifier or screen reader (like JAWS), however these technologies don’t let them to access to multimedia contents. _x000D__x000D_- Accessibility increases web positioning. _x000D__x000D_The aim is to appear in the top positions in search engines. There are many similarities in guide to create accessible content and guides for increasing web positioning. Besides, accessible website increase user’s experience because website is more adaptable to diverse circumstances and is more usable (the structure and information provided is more clear and consistent)_x000D__x000D_WACCES2.0 Project will generate different components and libraries, and will generate interfaces to be easily adapted to the current Content Management Systems (CMS) like Joomla!, Zope, Zikula, Drupal._x000D__x000D_WACCES2.0 Project will generate new ways of Human Machine Interaction frameworks in order to allow the access to disabled people to web contents with different devices already in the market. _x000D__x000D_WACCES2.0 platform will be designed and deployed following the guidelines and instructions made by Non-governmental organizations which represent disabled people and according to European Commission legislation and Spanish accessible and usable laws. _x000D__x000D_WACCES2.0 will increase an organisation’s intellectual capital because of investing in accessibility increases:_x000D__x000D_- Market assets, since accessibility raises the company’s image and prestige. _x000D__x000D_- Human assets, since the employees must train and gain experience in accessible websites. _x000D__x000D_- Intellectual property, since it requires the creation of methods for developing accessibility that increase the company’s know-how. _x000D__x000D_The WACCES2.0 consortium form a well balanced combination with developer of mobile and web interfaces, Web Services expert and eService developers. _x000D_

Acronym	WACCES2.0 (Reference Number: 5679)
Duration	01/07/2010 - 01/03/2012
Project Topic	WACCES2.0 Project will develop a standard framework for accessible and usable platform development for dissemination and promotion of web 2.0 interaction and new web capabilities, improving the independence, the autonomy and the inclusion of users with different handicaps.
Project Results (after finalisation)	The WACCES2.0 technology has addressed the problem of accessibility from an innovative standpoint: instead of creating general purpose assistive navigation tools, the WACCES2.0 commercial alliance has set the objectives of augmenting existing Web sites and services with accessibility add-ons. _x000D_One of the most remarkable developments that WACCES2.0 has produced regarding website accessibility improvement is the WACCES2.0 ADE (Audio Description Engine) which is aimed to offer an Audio Description especially for web visual content, including both pictures and videos. _x000D_Both ADE and WACCES2.0 could be seen as back-end technology and as a framework for development which implies that the only people capable of using the system would be programmers. They would be able to integrate the project results into their own systems and bring final users more accessible web pages and audio description of media and to content creators the possibility to apply both technologies._x000D_Since ADE and WACCES2.0 cannot be used directly by final users with accessibility concerns or by content creators, several integration schemes have been generated to give such needed functionality. The complete list of integration interfaces are: _x000D_-WACCESS Browser Plugin, it let users to fix web pages upon activation_x000D_-WACCESS Web Interface, it can be added to web pages by content creators and the final users can use it to improve those pages upon request of improvement._x000D_-WACCESS Python API, it gives programmers the capability to integrate a remote WACCESS Instance._x000D_-ADE Python API, it gives programmes a simple way to integrate ADE with a remote instance._x000D_-ADE JavaScript API, it can be added by content creators or programmers to be able communicate with a remote ADE Instance for the creation of audio description. _x000D_-OVA, gives users the power to create and view videos with audio descriptions._x000D_Based on WACCES2.0 framework, and in the integration interfaces generated, WACCES2.0 has generated different prototypes to allow the assessment of the project: _x000D_WACCES2.0 and SCCM_x000D_The SCCM© Platform is a product that has been implemented by Systema Technologies addressing the needs of managing important digital assets and audio visual archives._x000D_WACCESS2.0 Subtitling and Closed Captioning_x000D_People with hearing disabilities can watch a video of cultural content with all significant audio content, spoken dialogue and non-speech information. Within WACCESS2.0 SCCM can be used through a new extension that can allow for fluent enhancement of existing audiovisual content, films and footage with subtitles and closed-captions in new languages. This can support immense opportunities of development and promotion of content to various languages, countries and cultures, using the established and widely accepted web content distribution channels._x000D_Subtitling and Closed Captioning and ADE_x000D_Subtitling and Closed Captioning can be used in tandem with the WACCESS2.0 ADE, so to allow for the development of viable services that can guarantee increased accessibility to added-value content in areas such as culture, education and entertainment._x000D_WACES2.0-Facebook App _x000D_As a demonstration of the valuable technological achievements that WACCES2.0 has implemented, a new Facebook app has been implemented, seeking to bridge the experience of people with different sensory requirements in the ever so popular social media environment._x000D_Using the paradigm of Greeting Cards, multisensory information can be shared between users of different needs. The cards can be dispatched from the WACCES2.0 content repository to the friends’ network via a single click. Recipients of different nationalities or different sensory needs will receive the content adapted to their specific requirements: language adaptation, audio description and captioning being readily available. _x000D_Also, the project website “www.waccess-project.com presents both project related information as well as very valuable online demos of the produced project results.
Network	Eurostars
Call	Eurostars Cut-Off 4

Project partner

Number	Name	Role	Country
3	CADMO OUTSOURCING SERVICES S.L.	Observer	Spain
3	Desarrollo de Medios y Sistemas, S.L.	Coordinator	Spain
3	SYSTEMA TECHNOLOGIES S.A.	Partner	Greece