# Presentation: 460024

## Next VVSG Training  Chapter 3: Usability, Accessibility, and Privacy

**Part 2**
- October 15-17, 2007
- Dr. Sharon Laskowski
- National Institute of Standards and Technology
- sharon.laskowski@nist.gov

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## 3.2.4-F Conventional use of color (Cognitive issues)

- Note: As part of the test method work, a color guide is being developed, which will also address color blindness and contrast.
**3.2.4-G** Icons and language (Cognitive issues)
- While icons can be used for emphasis when communicating with the voter, they must not be the sole means by which information is conveyed, since there is no widely accepted "iconic" language and therefore not all voters may understand a given icon.

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## 3.2.5 Perceptual issues

- These requirements are designed to minimize perceptual difficulties for the voter.  Some are designed to assist voters with poor reading vision.
-    3.2.5-A Screen flicker
-    3.2.5-B Resetting of adjustable aspects at end of session
-    3.2.5-C Ability to reset to default values
-    3.2.5-D Minimum font size
-    3.2.5-E Available font sizes (VEBD-V)
-    3.2.5-F Use of sans serif font

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##    Sharon Laskowski, NIST

**3.2.5-C Ability to reset to default values: ** **Q & A**
-    Sharon Laskowski, NIST
-    Jim Dickson, Board of Advisors
-    Wendy Noren, Boone County, Missouri
-    John Cugini, NIST
-    Matt Masterson, EAC

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## 3.2.5 Perceptual issues 

**3.2.5-G** Legibility of paper ballots and verification records
- While this requirement may be satisfied by one of its sub-requirements, other innovative solutions are not precluded.
**    ****3.2.5-G.1** Legibility via font size: “The system ***may***** **achieve legibility of paper records by supporting the printing of those records in at least two font sizes, 3.0 - 4.0mm and 6.3 - 9.0mm.”

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##   Sharon Laskowski, NIST

**3.2.5-G1 Legibility via Font Size; Q & A**
-   Sharon Laskowski, NIST
-   Wendy Noren, Boone County, Missouri
-   Barbara Guttman, NIST
-   Keith Cunningham, Allen County, Ohio
-   Sarah Ball Johnson, Kentucky Board of Elections
-   Brian Hancock, EAC

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## 3.2.5 Perceptual issues 

**   ****3.2.5-H** Contrast Ratio
**   ****3.2.5-I** High contrast for electronic displays
**   ****3.2.5-J** Accommodation for color blindness
**   ****3.2.5-K **No reliance solely on color
- [Q & A: Wendy Noren, Boone County Missouri]

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## 3.2.6 Interaction issues

- Designed to minimize interaction difficulties for the voter.
-    3.2.6-A No page scrolling
-    3.2.6-B Unambiguous feedback for voter's selection
-    3.2.6-C Accidental Activation
-       3.2.6-C.1 Size and separation of touch areas
-       3.2.6-C.2 No repeating keys

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## Timing Issues: Definitions

**Initial system response time:** the time taken from when the voter performs some detectible action (such as pressing a button) to when the voting system *begins* responding in some obvious way (such as an audible response or any change on the screen).
**Completed system response time:** the time taken from when the voter performs some detectible action to when the voting system completes its response and settles into a stable state (e.g., finishes "painting" the screen with a new page).
**Voter inactivity time:** the amount of time from when the system completes its response until there is detectible voter activity. In particular, note that audio prompts from the system may take several minutes and that this time does not count as voter inactivity.
**Alert time:** the amount of time the equipment will wait for detectible voter activity after issuing an alert before going into an inactive state requiring poll worker intervention.

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## 3.2.6-A No page scrolling; Q & A

-   Sharon Laskowski, NIST
-   Britt Williams, TGDC NASED
-   John Cugini, NIST
-   Wendy Noren, Boone County, Missouri

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## 3.2.6.1 Timing issues

-    3.2.6.1-A Maximum initial system response time _<_ .5 secs
-    3.2.6.1-B Maximum completed system response time for vote confirmation _<_ 1 sec, _<_ 5 secs, audio
-    3.2.6.1-C Maximum completed system response time for all operations  _<_ 10 secs, VEBD-V
-    3.2.6.1-D System response indicator .5 secs, if not complete in 1 sec
-    3.2.6.1-E Voter inactivity time  2-5 mins
-    3.2.6.1-F Alert time 20-45 secs

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## 3.2.7 Alternative languages	

- These requirements are for voting systems to be *certified* for the languages declared by the manufacturer. Election officials must ensure that the voting system they deploy is capable of handling the languages meeting the legal VRA threshold within their districts.
-    3.2.7-A General support for alternative languages
-       3.2.7-A.1 Voter control of language
-       3.2.7-A.2 Complete information in alternative language
-       3.2.7-A.3 Auditability of records for English readers
-       3.2.7-A.4 Usability testing by manufacturer for alternative languages

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## 3.2.7-Alternative Languages  Q & A

-   Sharon Laskowski, NIST
-   Shelly Growden, Alaska

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## 3.2.8 Usability for poll workers

- These are general capabilities that all systems must support for setup, operation, and shutdown.
-    3.2.8-A Clarity of system messages for poll workers
**3.2.8.1** Operation
-    3.2.8.1-A Ease of normal operation
-    3.2.8.1-B Usability testing by manufacturer for poll workers
-    3.2.8.1-C Documentation usability
-       3.2.8.1-C.1 Poll Workers as target audience
-       3.2.8.1-C.2 Usability at the polling place
-       3.2.8.1-C.3 Enabling verification of correct operation

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## 3.2.8 Usability for poll workers: Q & A

-   Sharon Laskowski, NIST
-   Wendy Noren, Boone County, Missouri

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## 3.2.8.2 Safety

- 3.2.8.2-A Safety certification
- “Equipment associated with the voting system *shall* be certified in accordance with the requirements of UL 60950-1, Information Technology Equipment – Safety – Part 1 by a certification organization accredited by the Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory program.”

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## 3.3 Accessibility Requirements

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## 3.3.1 General

- These requirements are relevant to a wide variety of disabilities.
-    3.3.1-A Accessibility throughout the voting session
-       3.3.1-A.1 Documentation of accessibility procedures
-    3.3.1-B Complete information in alternative formats
-    3.3.1-C No dependence on personal assistive technology
-    3.3.1-D Secondary means of voter identification
-    3.3.1-E Accessibility of paper-based vote verification
-       3.3.1-E.1 Audio readback for paper-based vote verification

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## Ensure that all voters have a similar opportunity for vote verification:

- 3.3.1-E Accessibility of paper-based vote verification
- “If the Acc-VS generates a paper record (or some other durable, human-readable record) for the purpose of allowing voters to verify their votes, then the system ***shall*** provide a means to ensure that the verification record is accessible to all voters with disabilities, as identified in Part 1:3.3 “Accessibility requirements”.”

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## Allow voters with visual disabilities to verify, even if indirectly, the contents of the record.  The verification depends on the integrity of the mechanism that reads the record to the voter.  The audio must be generated via the paper record and therefore not depend on any electronic or other "internal" record of the ballot.

- 3.3.1-E.1 Audio readback for paper-based vote verification
- If the Acc-VS generates a paper record (or some other durable, human-readable record) for the purpose of allowing voters to verify their votes, then the system ***shall*** provide a mechanism that can read that record and generate an audio representation of its contents.

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## 4.2.4-A IVVR vote-capture device, observational testing:

- IVVR vote-capture devices that support assistive technology ***shall*** support observational testing.
- IVVR vote-capture device: Vote-capture device that achieves software independence through independent voter-verifiable records.
- Vote-capture device: Device that is used directly by a voter to vote a ballot.
- Software independence: Quality of a voting system or voting device such that a previously undetected change or fault in software cannot cause an undetectable change or error in election outcome.
- Observational test:  Operational test conducted on voting devices during an election, by real voters, to establish confidence that the VVPR is produced correctly when assistive technology is used.  Discussion: Devices subjected to observational testing are used for normal collection of votes; the votes so collected are included in the election tally.

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##   Sharon Laskowski, NIST

-   Sharon Laskowski, NIST
-   Wendy Noren, Boone County, Missouri
-   Britt Williams , TGDC, NASED
-   Barbara Guttman, NIST
-   Matt Masterson, EAC
-   Jim Dickson, EAC Board of Advisors
-   Keith Cunningham, Allen County, Ohio

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## What about VVPAT (Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail)?

- _VVPAT_ is one implementation of paper IVVR, also called voter-verifiable paper records (VVPR)
- Section 4.4.2 contains requirements specific to VVPAT.
- All relevant usability and accessibility requirements apply to VVPAT.

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## 3.3.2 Low vision	

- Section 3.2.5 applies as well (contrast, color-blindness, etc.)
- 3.3.2-A Usability testing by manufacturer for voters with low vision
- 3.3.2-B Adjustable saturation for color displays
- 3.3.2-C Distinctive buttons and controls
- 3.3.2-D Synchronized audio and video

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## 3.3.3 Blindness

- 3.3.3-A Usability testing by manufacturer for blind voters
- 3.3.3-B Audio-tactile interface
-    3.3.3-B.1 Equivalent functionality of ATI
-    3.3.3-B.2 ATI supports repetition
-    3.3.3-B.3 ATI supports pause and resume
-    3.3.3-B.4 ATI supports transition to next or previous contest
-    3.3.3-B.5 ATI can skip referendum wording

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## 3.3. Blindness : Q & A

-   Sharon Laskowski, NIST
-   Matt Masterson, EAC

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## 3.3.3 Blindness

- 3.3.3-C Audio features and characteristics
-    3.3.3-C.1 Standard connector
-    3.3.3-C.2 T-Coil coupling
-    3.3.3-C.3 Sanitized headphone or handset
-    3.3.3-C.4 Initial volume
-    3.3.3-C.5 Range of volume
-    3.3.3-C.6 Range of frequency
-    3.3.3-C.7 Intelligible audio
-    3.3.3-C.8 Control of speed

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## 3.3. Blindness : Q & A

-   Sharon Laskowski, NIST
-   Jim Dickson, EAC  Board of Advisors

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## End of Presentation

- Additional VVSG Training Modules at:
- _[http://vote.nist.gov](http://vote.nist.gov/)_

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