[a11y Support] Ask VA Team (Phase 1)

[sara-amanda]

a11y Assignee(s)

• @eli-oat (collaboration)
• @sara-amanda (research)
• @coforma-jamie (?) CAIA Team Member for Additional Support (optional)

About the AVA Team

Toggle to view AVA team info.

• Team name: Ask VA (AVA)
• OCTO-DE product owner: @clantosswett
• Product manager: @ruchishah29
• Designer: @t-michaud @beckyphung @tygindraux
• FE engineer:
• Accessibility specialist:
• Content writer:
• Product/team Slack channel: #ask-va-public
• Related Epic from the Collaboration Cycle: [Epic] CAIA Support for Ask VA team #60696

Requesting a11y Support for Phase 1

• Accessibility review of wireframes and/or prototypes
• Accessibility user research support
• Collaboration Cycle Accessibility Support (all stages)

Background Information

Overview information collected during the kickoff meeting held in July of 2023.

Some Initial A11y Considerations:

• Mobile Focus (per Martha)
• Removing tables and reserving them for data only.
• One-item per page for cognition optimization.
• SR research (Jan. 2024)

Toggle to access background info. on this project

• This is an existing product:
  • There are apparently a lot of issues with the tool as it exists now.
• Initial goals:
• "Quickly lift and shift (with a facelift) on Ask Va to bring the functionality over to Va.gov and forward thinking about it more strategically as a larger support ecosystem within the va and va.gov."
  • "Our Phase 1 will have brought the current Ask VA up to VA.gov design and accessibility standards, updated the content to make it more intuitive for our submitters, and sunset the existing front-end portal of AVA."
  • AKA P1 Focus:
    • "Phase 1 - exclusively focusing on the web form experience, as well as the ability to look up your inquiry and see the status of it."
  • Longer-Term Goals:
    • Accurately answer submitters' questions:
      • "Submitters should feel it is easy and intuitive to submit their issues and receive adequate updates and information that results in a final resolution.
      • Ultimately, we want AVA to feel part of a cohesive and submitter-centered approach to support."
  • Collab Cycle:
    • We shared a slew of resources in the doc and they implemented our recommendations prior to design intent.
    • Midpoint Review: Nov. 14 at 11:30 a.m. Eastern (via Zoom)

Resources

Toggle to review the AVA resources

• Product outline
• User flows: Health Category User Flow
• IA Spec Doc c/o Kristin on 8/8/2023.
• Prototype or mockups: Sketch link as of 10/15/2023
  • If this is in Sketch, which version or specific page should we focus on?
• Content source of truth: Content Flow Spreadsheet and proposed content categories, topics and sub-categories
• Content Label Spreadsheet to document the current names and proposed revisions
  • Blocker: Per Tyler 9/8/2023: Still limited right now in our MVP (Phase 1) stage, where we're not able to merge, add or remove categories, topics or subtopics.
  • Content support for Ask VA tool integration #67626
• Research plan
• Conversation guide
• Research Ticket: [CAIA A11y Research]: Ask VA Tool (January 2024) #66774

A11y Tasks

Beta Give feedback

1. Collaborate with CAIA Content (Derek - @d-beyer) per Laura - @laurwill as they work on Content support for Ask VA tool integration #67626 (@eli-oat) 11/2/2023 10:30 AM EASTERN
2. [a11y Design Review] Ask VA Team Phase 1 - Midpoint Prep (Nov. 14) #68938
   13 of 13
   sitewide CAIA sitewide accessibility +2
   

   
3. Prepare for Midpoint Nov. 14: Consulting Approach with AVA Team (@eli-oat) Sketch File Review Deliverable from Eli and Jamie in ticket 68938
4. Intake Request Included: Accessibility user research support [CAIA A11y Research]: Ask VA Tool (January 2024) #66774 (@sara-amanda)
5. PENDING Support for Staging Prep (Requested via Intake Ticket)

[tygindraux]

Hiya, I reached out to @sara-amanda but then I noticed that she's out of the office.

I'm wondering if we can/should set up an accessibility review with y'all, before we go to our midpoint review on November 14? We set up one with the content team (review ticket). Should we do the same with you?

[sara-amanda]

CAIA Update

Howdy, @tygindraux! Sorry I missed you today, when I stepped out for a bit. Yes! We can help! Can you confirm the links we should be referencing? I will post those below.

CAIA A11ys

• Assignees: Specifically, @eli-oat and @coforma-jamie are likely going to be assisting on this one from the CAIA a11y side.
• Meeting: They have a meeting scheduled with CAIA's Content Team (Derek and A) this week, to discuss Ask VA.
• Ticket: We can track our Midpoint Prep Work in a11y Ticket [a11y Design Review] Ask VA Team Phase 1 - Midpoint Prep (Nov. 14) #68938

Midpoint Prep Assistance Requested

• Midpoint Review Date: Nov. 14, 2023 Scheduled
• Artifacts c/o the Collab Cycle Ticket Collaboration Cycle for Ask VA Integration - Ask VA #62304 on 11/1/2023
  • Finalized design mockup: Sketch - Ask VA Form - C - VA Health Care [WIP]
  • Specific page to review: V3 - C - VA Health Care Flow
• Background information can be found in this ticket.

[tygindraux]

Thanks @sara-amanda!

Awesome news that CAIA A11ys will meet with CAIA content folks this week. If there's anything you need from us before, during, after, let us know.

The links you have posted above are all correct. Although, we did have a chat with Jamie and Eli on Slack about the Sketch file being too big. So we're working on breaking it into smaller files, and when we have those links I'll circle back here too.

[coforma-jamie]

The Sketch files (thanks @tygindraux!)

• Chapters 1-3: Ask VA - VA Health ch.1-3 [WIP]
• Chapter 4:
  • General question: Ask VA - VA Health ch.4.01 [WIP]
  • About me, the Veteran: Ask VA - VA Health ch.4.02 [WIP]
  • For the dependent of a Veteran: Ask VA - VA Health ch.4.03 [WIP]
  • On behalf of a Veteran: Ask VA - VA Health ch.4.04 [WIP]
• Chapter 5: Ask VA - VA Health ch.5 [WIP]

[eli-oat]

Notes of sketch file review.

[sara-amanda]

Moving overall ticket to the backlog for now. Research ticket is also in the backlog.