Consistency Modeling in a Multi-Model Architecture : Integrate and Celebrate Diversity

Central to Model-Driven Engineering (MDE) is seeing models as objects that can be handled and organized into metamodel stacks and multi-model architectures. This work contributes with a unique way of doing consistency modeling where the involved models are explicitly organized in a multi-model architecture; a general model for creating multi-model architectures that allows semantics to be attached is defined and applied; explicit attachment of semantics is demonstrated by attaching Java classes that implement different instantiation semantics in order to realize the consistency modeling and the automatic generation of consistency data. The kind of consistency addressed concerns relations between data residing in legacy databases defined by different schemas. The consistency modeling is meant to solve the problem of exposing inconsistencies by relating the data. The consistency modeling combines in a practical way visual modeling and logic (OCL). The approach is not limited to exposing inconsistencies, but may also be used to derive more general information given one or more data sets. The consistency is modeled by defining a consistency model that relates elements of two given legacy models. The consistency model is expressed in a language specially designed for consistency modeling. The language allows definition of classes, associations and invariants expressed in OCL. The interpretation of the language is special: Given one conforming data set for each of the legacy models, the consistency model may then be automatically instantiated to consistency data that tells if the data sets are consistent or not. The invariants are used to decide what instances to generate when making the consistency data. The amount of consistency data to create is finite and limited by the given data sets. The consistency model is instantiated until no more elements can be added without breaking some invariant or multiplicity. The consistency data is presented as a model which can be investigated by the user

Understanding and Supporting Web Developers: Working Practices and Resources for the Creation and Evaluation of Accessible Websites

Web developers have a responsibility to develop websites that are accessible and usable by the broadest range of users, including people with disabilities. Despite numerous initiatives over the last two decades to support, encourage and compel developers to fulfil this responsibility, websites continue to exhibit persistent accessibility problems. This programme of research aimed to better understand the difficulties that developers face and to develop the necessary support for them to successfully integrate accessibility into their existing workflows. The first study systematically reviewed 397 web accessibility evaluation studies published over a 15-year period between 1999 and 2014. This showed a persistent occurrence of accessibility problems that does not appear to be improving. The second study followed a contextual design methodology to investigate the working practices of 13 professional developers. This showed how they are hindered, not by limited awareness or concern, but by a lack of knowledge and practical guidance on how to make websites accessible. To understand the nature of their confusion and uncertainty, the third study interviewed 26 professional developers and attempted to elicit their mental models of web accessibility. Their mental models were found to incorporate some, but not nearly enough, knowledge and awareness of accessibility and were based on a conceptual model that prioritises technical conformance over user experience. These findings were embodied in the design and implementation of an accessibility information resource, called WebAIR. The ease of use and effectiveness of WebAIR in supporting the creation and evaluation of accessible websites was evaluated in a series of four studies with both professional and novice developers under increasingly realistic experimental conditions. The resource was well received by participants in each study and, despite concerns over its viability within organisations that place little value on web accessibility, WebAIR was demonstrated to be a usable, pragmatic accessibility information resource

Accesibilidad y estandarización en el ciclo de creación de materiales educativos

Un principio por el cual se puede resumir la motivación de este trabajo es la necesidad, en el uso de las TIC en la sociedad de la información, de producir material educativo accesible mediante estándares para conseguir un acceso igualitario. A principle that can summarize the motivation for this work is the need, in the use of ICT in the information society, to produce educational materials accessible via standards for equal access

Accesibilidad en entornos web interactivos: superación de las barreras digitales

A diario, millones de personas sin conocimientos técnicos publican contenido en la web en blogs, wikis, redes sociales, etc. A pesar de existir recomendaciones de accesibilidad, como las pautas WCAG y ATAG de la W3C y que estas se han convertido en normativas (la norma ISO/IEC 40500:2012, la norma UNE 139803:2012 en España, o la Sección 508 en Estados Unidos) e incluso leyes de obligado cumplimiento, la accesibilidad de la web es todavía una característica raramente implementada hoy en día. Los usuarios, inconscientemente, siguen publicando contenido que presenta barreras a las personas con discapacidad y que afectan sus derechos civiles. Esta tesis doctoral explora esta problemática y, con la intención de solucionarla, pone el foco en la comunicación de las barreras de accesibilidad a las personas que publican contenido en la web sin conocimientos técnicos. La hipótesis que fundamenta la tesis es que «reduciendo la complejidad de la información relacionada con la accesibilidad, se propiciaría la aplicación de criterios de autoría accesibles, aumentando la calidad general del contenido web». A partir de técnicas relacionadas con el DCU y la Ingeniería Semiótica (IngSem) se hace una propuesta de comunicación de las barreras de accesibilidad, que se demuestra en una prueba de concepto, el sistema Emphatic Editor for Accessibility (EE4A).Diàriament, milions de persones sense coneixements tècnics publiquen contingut a la web a blogs, wikis, xarxes socials, etc. Tot i que existeixen recomanacions d’accessibilitat, com les pautes WCAG i ATAG de la W3A i que aquestes s’han convertit en normativa (la norma ISO/IEC 40500:2012, la norma UNE 139803:2012 a Espanya, o la Secció 508 als Estats Units) i a més hi ha lleis d’obligat compliment, l’accessibilitat de la web és encara una característica rarament implementada avui en dia. Els usuaris, inconscientment, segueixen publicant continguts que presenten barreres per a les persones amb discapacitat i que afecta als seus drets civils. Aquesta tesi doctoral explora aquest problemàtica i, amb la intenció de solucionar-la, posa el focus en la comunicació de les barreres d’accessibilitat a les persones que publiquen contingut a la web sense coneixement tècnics. La hipòtesis que fonamenta la tesi és que « reduint la complexitat de la informació relacionada amb l’accessibilitat, es propiciaria l’aplicació de criteris d’autoria accessibles, augmentant la qualitat general del contingut web». A partir de tècniques relacionades amb el DCU i l’Enginyeria Semiòtica (IngSem) es fa una proposta de comunicació de les barreres d’accessibilitat, que es demostra en una prova de concepte, el sistema Emphatic Editor for Accessibility (EE4A).Every day, thousands of users with non-technical knowledge publish web content on blogs, wikis, social networks, etc. Although there are accessibility recommendations, such as WCAG and ATAG W3C guidelines, and that they have become standards (ISO/IEC 40500: 2012, UNE 139803: 2012 in Spain, or Section 508 in United States) and even mandatory laws, web accessibility is still a feature rarely implemented today. Users, unconscious of accessibility requirements, keep on publishing content which presents barriers to people with disabilities, and which impact their civil rights. This PhD explores this issue, aiming at find a solution, and puts the focus on the communication of accessibility barriers to people who publish web content without technical knowledge. The hypothesis underlying the thesis is that «reducing the complexity of the information related with accessibility would help the application of accessible criteria in authoring, and would increase the overall quality of web content». With techniques related with DCU and Semiotics Engineering (IngSem), the PhD thesis makes a proposal of communication of accessibility barriers, demonstrated through a proof of concept, the Emphatic Editor for Accessibility (EE4A)

The BenToWeb XHTML 1.0 Test Suite for the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0: Last call working draft

This paper presents the work carried out under the umbrella of the EU-funded project BenToWeb to develop a complete XHTML 1.0 test suite for the W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0. Initial work covered the June 2005 working draft, which was subsequently updated to the April 2006 working draft ("last call"). At the time of writing, a thorough evaluation, involving end users, is being carried out