Progress on description implementaion for this sim

[terracoda]

On October 25, 2019 this sim was published with Alternative Input, Sonification, Interactive Description, and Interactive Description on Mobile

This sim is being outfitted for the following accessibility features:

• Keyboard Navigation - Alternative Input
• Simple Description - Minimal Static State Descriptions
• Full Description - All State & Responsive Descriptions
• Sonification & Mute Sound toggle button (Add sound #166)
• Mobile Accessibility (covered in the 3 RC's)
• RC 4 spot check completed - October 25, 2019

Implementation of descriptions for Gravity Force Lab Basics is quite far along due to initial work on Gravity Force Lab (regular).

Some changes to labels (m1 to be mass 1 and m2 to be mass 2) and content (simplification of some language) is required for this sim.

This issue helps tracks the big picture progress for description implementation.

Link to GFLB A11y Design Main

Implementation of PDOM
Common Static Descriptions & Items

• Focus order correct
• H1 for sim title
• Sim Regions & H2 Headings (Play Area, Control Area, Sim Resources)
• Static part of screen summary (update verified Screen Summary: tweak to static description of screen summary #133)
• Keyboard Shortcuts interaction hint is in scene/screen summary
• Initial sim-specific interaction hint in

Static Descriptions (Play Area)

• Sim-specific H3s for sim objects
• Labels for all interactive items
• Help text for interactive items

Static Descriptions (Control Area)

• Sim-specific H3s for Control Area (none for this sim)
• Labels for checkboxes
• Help text for checkboxes
• Reset All button

Sim Resources (Sim Resources)

• Keyboard Shortcuts button added
• Related Interaction hint is in scene/screen summary

Dynamic Descriptions

• Dynamic descriptions for the State of the Sim
  • Simplification to wording complete
  • Constant Size (comparative density description)
    • Constant Size descriptions implemented
• Dynamic descriptions for Mass Spheres
  • Simplification to wording complete

Interaction Alerts
Simple Interaction Alerts for UI Options

• Alerts for checking/unchecking checkboxes (updated)
• Reset All alert, verified

Complex Interaction Alerts
Sphere Position slider description/alerts (aria-valuetext) - describes changes to distance between spheres

• Position information on focus
• Position changes: decreasing distance
• Position changes: increasing distance
• Edge cases for position/distance - changed to Right edge, Left edge, and Last stop (touching)
• Described distance: qualitative distance added when Distance checkbox is unchecked
  • New value ranges for described distance implemented see Distance Ranges: Add new ranges for described distance (changed title) #88 (comment)
• Based on interview feedback rethinking position/distance, see Position slider's verbose aria-valuetext: describe position instead of providing a kilometer mark #107
  • Iterations to position: (Track end left/right, Last stop left/right, Left/Right side of track)

Sphere position force alerts (ARIA live region)

• Force information on position focus (position slider focus alert)
  • @terracoda to verify with consultants that we need a force focus alert - removed focus alerts
• Force information as position changes (position/distance force alerts)
• Simplification to wording in alerts complete

Mass number pickers descriptions/alerts (aria-valuetext) - describes changes to mass or density of spheres

• Mass value changes in aria-valuetext
• Mass changes: increasing mass of sphere
• Mass changes: decreasing mass of sphere

Mass number pickers force alerts (ARIA live region)

• Force information on focus of mass (mass focus alert)
  • @terracoda to verify with consultants that we need a force focus alert - removed focus alerts
• Force information as mass changes (mass force alerts)
• Edge case 1 (position of same sphere changes as mass increases)
• Edge case 2 (position of other sphere changes as mass increases)
• Simplification to wording complete

Mobile A11y

• iPadOS 13 Checkboxes won't select/deselect with VO #176 - issue with checkboxes found during RC
• Make sure that this sim works with mobile #119 - coming along nicely, but haven't yet closed issue
• Discuss issue about about dynamic aria-valuetext with MK
  • Left/Right side of track - design solution - provide on start and special cases (see Redesign - Remove on focus listener that changes aria-valuetext on position sliders #124 (comment))
  • Comparative Mass and Density descriptions - design solution moved comparative description to PDOM

Other Features & Items (Keyboard Shortcuts, Sim Resources)

• Visual Keyboard Shortcuts Dialog
  • Keyboard Shortcuts Dialog adjustments & additions #118 Remove Small steps for Mass & add Basic Action for checkboxes
• Accessible content for Keyboard Shortcuts dialog added
• Keyboard Shortcuts button added to Sim Resources

Check Credits

• Verify A11y team has been added
  • - Team: add Emily B. Moore, Taliesin Smith, Brianna Tomlinson (QA credits & A11y Team credits #154 (comment))
  • - Software Development: add John Blanco, Michael Kauzmann
  • - Sound Design: Ashton Morris after Graphics Arts

Once Evaluation begins

• Ensure interviews are recorded to this sim's interview spreadsheet

During QA or just after publication

• KW mentioned that the weird number bug was reported during QA in the QA issue. @terracoda to check with @zepumph on this.
• Clean and polish up A11y design doc
• List out main design challenges (in progress, get opinions from devs & designers)
• List out lessons learned from this sim, e.g. found focus issues for iOS (in progress, get opinions from devs & designers)
• Make a description design github issue template (see https://github.com/phetsims/a11y-research/blob/master/issue-templates/description-design-template.md)

List of changes to Checklist (by date)
Tue. Apr 30, 2019 - updated Credits and added 2 new sections for post design work, updated a bit more
Mon. Apr 1, 2019 - checked constant size description, split issue 107 into to items
Wed. Mar 6, 2019 - Added new item for iteration on position/distance
Tue. Feb 19, 2019 - checked off more items, added issues to specific things
Mon. Jan 28, 2019 - checked off more items
Mon. Jan 14, 2019 - removed duplication, re-arranged list slightly, added some more items

[terracoda]

@zepumph, I am still working on this check list and will be making sure it is up to date for our meeting next week.

[zepumph]

Sounds good. Unassigning for now, let's talk more about it tonight.

[terracoda]

Final Code Reviews & Final Checks

• #134 - Code review of A11y - prep work
• #147 - ISLCObjectEnum - Enumeration
• #150 - MassNode
• #153 - Anything from GFL regular? (nothing in @terracoda's opinion)
• #154 - QA Credits
• #155 -Code Review
• #156 - Dev Code Review

New bugs/issues

• #168 - Incorrect mass alert when Constant Size unchecked. Bug fixed, but distance missing. It is difficult to detect the distance change. How important is the distance change information? To discuss with Emily.
• #152 - Boundary sounds and alerts for mass controls - currently onhold. I think we can do this one in a maintenance release after we test it in GFL regular.
• #151 - bigger/smaller conflict
• #146 - VO stops alerts after 2 quick steps (@terracoda verified potential fix)

Questions & Extras

• #149 - Reconsidering "density" help text and alert phrasing
• #142 - Any additional challenges or lessons learned?
• #141 - Mass Control Labels?
• #140 - Shadow Content?
• #137 - Add name of other mass to go-beyond-alerts (could wait on this one, and implement with GFL regular)

Final list of things to do

• Keyboard dialog columns and content #136 - Keyboard dialog columns and content (low priority)
• Final Tweak: Punctuation and Capitalization  #135 - Final weak to Punctuation & Capitalization (please review)
• The updating of all aria-valuetext? #128 - Updating of aria-valuetext (related to Redesign - Remove on focus listener that changes aria-valuetext on position sliders #124 - JG & MK to discuss Mon. May 27th)
• Redesign - Remove on focus listener that changes aria-valuetext on position sliders #124 - redesign of position sliders (top priority)
  • @terracoda to make clear before Monday for @zepumph (top priority) (Redesign - Remove on focus listener that changes aria-valuetext on position sliders #124 (comment))
• Credits are missing #47 - Missing credits (med priority)
• Mass Control Alerts says masses are moving when they are not #132 - Bug about Mass control alerts describing movement when movement is not happening (JG to review)
• Make sure that this sim works with mobile #119 - mobile a11y, coming along nicely (has blocking label)
• Optimize visual movement when a mass change causes sphere movement #99 - Optimize visual movement if possible (somewhat related to Mass Control Alerts says masses are moving when they are not #132) - decided not to address
• Related to position & mass: adjust the range of values that describe the size of the arrows #114 - @terracoda to review before Monday May 6th - reviewed and decided not to change
• resetting sim does not reset all descriptions #116 - assigned to @zepumph , med priority
• min force arrows go below GFLBConstants.PULL_FORCE_RANGE.min #120 - min force bug? assigned to @zepumph
• Next interview Tuesday May 7 #122 - consultant interviews scheduled for March 7th and maybe 10th (high priority)
• Redesign to address focus/blur listeners - Mass slider's (number picker) dynamic aria-valuetext #125 - redesign of mass number spinners - assigned to @zepumph (top priority)

Edits

• May 22 - updated after meeting with MK.
• May 21st added a few more issues to keep on radar.

[zepumph]

This sim has been published, anything else here @terracoda?

[terracoda]

On October 25, 2019 this sim was published with Alternative Input, Sonification, Interactive Description, and Interactive Description on Mobile.

@zepumph, I think that's a wrap, closing this issue!