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ADA Compliance?
A customer sent me this link for a recipe kiosk. (I have no affiliation.) The link takes you to a video of a nice looking kiosk and app, however, the first thing that I noticed is that the touchscreen is nowhere close to being ADA compliant. The top of the touch area looks to be a foot or more above the max height of 54".
These portrait-mode, large format, 1080p LCDs are very popular these days, but I always advise my customers against this style of interface, unless there are other provisions for wheelchair -bound users.
What is anyone else thinking/doing/selling?
15 comments Mike James • We post a web page on compliance ( http://beyondkiosks.com/page.php?title=ADA ) and ask all of our customers to review it. Sandra Nix • I wish everyone in our industry were so diligent... it would be good for all of us. Frank Beurskens • The video Mike refers to features display software from ShoptoCook, Inc, (www.shoptocook.com). I agree with Sandra's comment that ADA Compliance is a very fuzzy issue. While the top of screen is well above 54 inches, navigation and print output are located at the bottom of the display, well within reach of wheelchair bound shoppers, by design. Bill Lynch • Mike: Paul Laracy • To add a little more 'fuzziness' to this discussion, 54" is the max height of the touch screen portion as Frank mentioned in retail and other such environments - but in the transportation world, 48" is the max ADA compliant height.... Mike James • Hi Frank, Frank Beurskens • The same content accessible from the highest button is also available accessing the Keyword Search feature which is below 54 inches. In the majority of cases, kiosk content is also available through the Retailer's website, or through the mobile application, all of which are synchronized. Providing content through multiple channels is another way to reflect and honor, the varying needs of shoppers. (Usage on these large screen interactive displays runs approximately 200% higher than traditional 15 inch and 17 inch units in exactly the same environment making the cost per engagement, far lower!) Mike James • Hi Bill, Mike James • Hi Frank - Derek Fretheim • Hi guys. Thought I would chime in here. I've written about this issue since Section 508 hit the streets and even before that back in 1997 when I did a kiosk project for Valley Transportation Authority in San Jose. Back then there were no guidelines, only a very strong ADA advocacy group who pretty much sued everyone in the Santa Clara Valley when equal access wasn't addressed. For that project, we were required to have a solution for the hearing impaired and sightless (PC for blind individual). Dan Stiel • While no one solution "fits all" a creative way to provide service to customers impacted by certain challenges may be through mobile ordering technology. Edward Crowley • Derek / Paul great points and the ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) has always been loosely interpreted, often loosely (or wrongly) implemented and very often misrepresented by manufacturers of all type of devices, not just self-service and kiosks. Historically, most of us have recognized and designed to the 54" guideline as the highest point of interface, at a minimum, and considering forward, side reach and obstacles, often much lower. We certainly seem to be moving toward a standard more in-line with Canadian and European guidelines, hence the 48" adoption in the transportation sector. There are many emerging technologies, including new mobile devices, that offer new and creative ways to access information in public places and this may also impact future self-service ADA design as well. Let's keep in mind, that good design, should be good design for all and that includes full accessibility and ease of use. Craig Keefner • I am wondering now if it makes sense to transcribe this discussion and then I post it out on selfservice.org blog. I can also punch up the KMC/Networld editors and have them include it on main websites there I think. I would hyperlink everybody to their website (and insist on that). send me a note yea or nay if so (craig.keefner@gmail.com or craig@kiosk.com). Derek Fretheim • Clearly the ADA design issue is blurred and it's incumbent upon us as industry leaders to limit the confusion. So posting the discussion to industry blogs makes perfect sense to me.
Maybe I'm being naive...
I applaud you for encouraging customers to consider accessibility issues in the design of the kiosk. However, I agree with Sandra and have concerns about claims to be ADA compliant.
First, It's my understanding the ADA documents are only providing recommended guidelines for self-service kiosks and that you can't be "in compliance" to a yet to be determined specification. I believe you could say you are designing your kiosks to the current ADA recommendations.
Second, The guidelines address a wide range of disabilities including sight and hearing. The portion of the guideline on your site only addresses physical access to the machine. You will also have to consider additional inputs/access controls (other than touch screen), to comply with all of the recommendations.
I'm interested in hearing other thoughts, too.
If you take a close look at the picture on the left with the woman standing next to the machine, you'll see that her head is a few inches below the top row of touch buttons. Unless she's 4' 3" tall, there's no way for the those buttons to be at 4' 6". :)
The highest buttons look to be at 63" - 64", with the top of the screen above Mr.Goodyear's head -- maybe 72" or so.
The ADA is a civil rights law to prohibit discrimination based on disabilities. People regularly sue merchants and other entities who don't follow the ADA guidelines.
It may never be an issue, but I'd counsel that we all advise our customers about ADA. As we all know, when somebody starts suing, they typically serve papers on everybody involved. :)
One neat trick is to add a touchpad and select button below the screen. Have your program recognize when the touchpad is being used, display the cursor, and let the wheelchair-bound customer click anywhere she wants.
Paul brings up an important item which is the 48-inch height requirement in the Transportation Sector. Interestingly, this requirement is begining to trickle down to ANY Federally funded self-service initiative. So I imagine as more and more Federal self-service initiatives begin to become deployed the reach access item will become even more fuzzy and debated. Either way, it will take either a law suit or a regulatory agency to begin to enforce poor kiosk design. I think the Coin Star kiosks are ripe for a law suit given the nature of how people use them and today's economy.
I have adopted the 48-inch height for all my new kiosk designs as a precaution.
Customers can do business through their mobile devices - from smart phones to even iPads. I'm working with a mobile tech company that is doing just that. Check them out at www.JustEnjoy.com. I'd be very interested in your feedback.
Aside, I think there is a real temptation to offer non-ADA as option. You can see it all the time. And then you end up facing how bad do you want that deal pressure...
News from 3M on multi-touch and also launch of new "education" site touchtopics.com which is to explain all various touchscreen technologies be they from 3M or Elo or whomever. Upcoming conferences are in California.
3M Presents "What is Multi-touch" Overview at 2009 Display Conferences
3M Launches Touch Industry Reference Site to Help Establish Touch Nomenclature
Methuen, Mass. - August 26, 2009 - Multi-touch interactivity may be the touch industry's most discussed topic and possibly the most misunderstood when single finger gestures and 10 resolvable touch points are grouped together and called "multi-touch". For software developers writing applications along this 1 to 10 finger touch spectrum and system integrators matching their requirements with existing touch solutions, understanding the multi-touch capabilities of popular technologies is important. To help clarify this touch nomenclature, 3M Touch Systems will be presenting on "Multi-touch" at two upcoming display conferences (DisplayBank U.S. FPD Conference 2009, August 20, 2009, Santa Clara, CA and DisplaySearch Emerging Displays Technology Conference, September 2, 2009, San Jose, CA) and launching a touch industry reference web site at www.touchtopics.com.
"With 25 years of touch industry experience and as a manufacturer who offers touch technologies ranging from single finger touch to 10 resolvable touch points, 3M Touch Systems is in a unique position to help standardize our industry's nomenclature," said Scott Hagermoser, business manager, 3M Touch Systems. "We've seen first hand how a simple misunderstanding of 'what is multi-touch' can create buying confusion and lead customers to select the wrong touch technology for their solution."
Whether you realize it or not, touch technology quickly is becoming the intuitive input delivery method of choice. Look no further than self-service food ordering at the gas pump, ATMs, gambling (in the back of a Las Vegas taxi cab of all places), and kiosks at nearly every department store. Depending on the situation, a good touch screen application can be a cheap way of improving the customer experience or making someone's job easier. With demand for solutions that do both, someone out there is putting these deals together. Why shouldn't it be you? I talked with touch technology experts about what specifically you need to know to seize these touch screen opportunities.
Government And Healthcare Are Ripe For Touch Screen Solutions
It's common knowledge that touch screen applications are predominant in the retail POS (point of sale) and hospitality markets. Experts agree that these markets will continue to provide VARs with revenue for years to come. However, chances are you're going to find yourself competing against other POS VARs for sales in these saturated markets. If you're looking for some underserved growth areas, there are plenty. John Dittig, channel sales manager of Elo TouchSystems, notes that he's seeing increases in touch screen adoption in healthcare and industrial applications. "The basic advantages of touch screens are time management and cost savings," says Dittig. "Most touch applications are made for ease of doing business or making employees more effective in their daily roles. There typically are not many disadvantages. Wherever there is a need for a human interface, touch makes processes and procedures better in most verticals."
One hot touch screen market isn't quite a market at all, but rather an emerging subset of the retail market: digital signage. Digital signage can be used to do everything from advertising in-store sales to delivering flight schedule information. Rob Baumgartner, director, commercial business unit of Planar Systems, says he's seeing requests for wide screen and large 40-inch-plus touch displays for digital signage applications. This is great for touch screen vendors, but when it comes to installation, is digital signage a job for a POS VAR or an audio-video specialist? "AV guys are used to some hardware issues including mounting large displays," says Baumgartner. "POS VARs have the advantage of being able to deliver solutions that account for POS needs and wants. Since digital signage typically provides computer-generated content rather than television or movie content, this points to POS VARs as the ones doing the work." If you aren't convinced that digital signage is your next moneymaker, Baumgartner has another idea. "As prices drop and people become more comfortable with touch technology in self-service applications, we've also seen growth in markets such as government, specifically with self-service kiosk applications in post offices and other government offices," says Baumgartner.
Understand The Pros And Cons Of Touch Screen Technologies
Landing on a market is only half the battle. In fact, the environments of each market pose unique challenges and pitfalls the unassuming VAR can fall prey to. "One of the most common mistakes is implementing touch technology based on cost rather than the application or environmental requirements," says Larry Loerch, sales manager, direct and channel sales at 3M Touch Systems. "For instance, offering affordable resistive touch screens in an unsupervised environment could lead to higher cost of ownership and lost revenue due to downtime and replacement/repair of damaged equipment." As your client's trusted advisor, it's ultimately your responsibility to recommend one touch screen over another. Therefore, you should be aware of the benefits and shortcomings associated with all the different touch technologies (see below). Also, the latest technology isn't necessarily the best -- rather, let each specific solution dictate which touch technology you recommend. "How the user interfaces with the touch screen is very important," says Loerch. "For instance, will the unit be used under supervision? Will the user be providing gloved, bare finger, or stylus input? Will the touch screen be located in an area with a large amount of sunlight or heat?" If you're replacing an existing touch screen, Loerch says you should be sure to examine the condition of the existing unit for surface wear, scratches, and contaminants on the screen. It may provide clues as to which technology should be used.
Of course, the prices vary according to brand, touch technology, and size. As a general rule, expect as much as a 20% increase in cost when choosing between different touch technologies. Loerch adds one final piece of information not to be overlooked: "In addition to choosing the correct touch technology, it's important to ensure the software drivers for the touch screen will work with the operating system of the solution you're putting in place," he says. In the age of plug and play, many assume the addition of what looks like a PC monitor will be recognized by the OS seamlessly.
Your Guide To Common Touch Screen Technologies | |
Resistive
Infrared (IR) An infrared touch screen panel employs one of two very different methodologies. One method uses thermal-induced changes of the surface resistance. This method is sometimes slow and requires warm hands. Another method is an array of vertical and horizontal IR sensors that detects the interruption of a modulated light beam near the surface of the screen. IR touch screens have the most durable surfaces and are used in many military applications that require a touch panel display. Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW)
"The main attraction of SAW is that you can use almost anything to activate it," explains Rob Baumgartner, director, commercial business unit of Planar Systems. "This also is the main drawback -- accidental touches. SAW isn't good in many medical applications because fluids running down a touch screen can change settings." | Capacitive
"People assume it's going to be a finger interacting with the touch screen, but if you watch a touch screen in use, you may be surprised how often people are using other things," says Baumgartner. "The hard surface of capacitive provides protection. Because it relies on electricity instead of a mechanical pressure point, the mechanism doesn't wear out." |
Web sites, self-service can play nicely together according to Jim Kruper of Kioware. With the increasing number of devices that must be served from a website, that would seem to argue for the idea of the internet site serving as the content and interface repository. From a security and source control standpoint that makes sense (ie keep/regulate data in one place).
By Jim Kruper President of KioWare, Kiosk System Software.
31 Mar 2009
At
its simplest, self-service is any application that allows the end-user
to perform a task with minimal supervision of the application owner.
In
this context, the very first Web site was a self-service solution.
These early Web sites contained nothing more than static information,
but it enabled a consumer sitting at home to learn about a company's
products without tying up company staff. Nowadays, Web sites are
infinitely more useful, and it makes sense for companies to extend that
self-service utility to the public kiosk realm. But useful as Web sites
are as a self-service tool, Web sites and touchscreen hardware in
particular do not mix.
When
the vast majority of Web sites were developed, the user in mind was
sitting behind a standard computer complete with keyboard and mouse.
Today, perhaps, those developers are designing sites for users to view
on a cell phone. But the one user likely not on their minds is the one
standing at a kiosk, trying to interact with the site via a
touchscreen. After all, the typical user's finger is probably more than
100 times wider than the mouse pointer the Web site was designed to
use. This fact alone likely makes the Web site unusable in a
touchscreen environment.
What
should be kept in mind, however, is that the touchscreen interface is
not the only means by which kiosk users can interact with Web sites.
Touchscreens
are great for presenting uncluttered and simple interfaces that don't
require significant text input. When text input is required, a
touchscreen application must use a virtual keyboard: a graphic
representation displayed on the screen that requires a user to hunt and
peck using a single finger. This can be frustrating and slow to the
user but a reasonable compromise when the input is minimal.
But
what about uses that require significant text input, such as job
applications? If the goal is to maximize the number of applicants,
using a touchscreen should be avoided. The caveat stands regardless of
whether the form is Web-based.
Pairing web and kiosk
Most
obviously, self-service devices and Web sites work well together when
the content of the Web site already is aligned with the goals of the
self-service project. Fitting examples include: product-ordering retail
kiosks that allow users to order a product not in stock, gift registry
kiosks, HR kiosks that use the company's existing 401k and benefits
applications, web-banking kiosks and informational kiosks in tourist
spots, churches, college campuses and company lobbies.
Fortunately,
there are many kiosk software products that enable browser-based
content to be efficiently deployed to a self-service kiosk. Kiosk
software titles can provide many features, but the most important ones
are those that replace the existing browser software, lock down the PC,
control where a user can browse, provide alternative navigation
toolbars, manage the user's session to remove any trace of users when
they leave, and interface with specialized kiosk hardware.
There are many reasons to go the software route instead of considering other, more extreme measures.
CONTENT.
Why re-invent the wheel if the content already exists? Especially now,
ROI is paramount in determining project viability. Rewriting the
display layer of an existing application can cripple the ROI of the
project. A visitor center kiosk is a good example. The local tourism
bureau likely already has an existing Web site with links to all the
local attractions. Why recreate that content and pay for it anew?
INTERFACES.
Why confuse the user with a different interface? For a financial
institution with online banking that their clients regularly use from
home, a second user interface designed for a self-service kiosk will
only confuse those clients and force them to learn two different
interfaces that perform the same functions.
OPERATIONS.
Maintaining a second user interface can cause operational problems.
Often the organization responsible for the company's Web site is not
the same organization responsible for the self-service kiosk. With two
interfaces, the business logic and Web site interface will be owned by
the Web site organization. And they may not notify the kiosk
organization when the business logic changes, thus breaking the
self-service interface. Irate kiosk customers may be the first
indication of the problem.
THIRD
PARTIES. Applications from outside vendors can prevent the development
of an alternate self-service user interface. HR self-service
applications are a perfect example. Most companies deploy a third party
HR solution, which they don't control, so they are severely limited in
how the user interface can be modified.
There
is a middle way between the issues above and the extreme of forgoing
the application of Web content to a self-service device. Kiosk software
provides a solution that is convenient for the deployer, friendly to
ROI and comparatively fast to put to use.
This site is produced by
SandraStop Following
Sandra Nix • It is a good concept and a nice unit, however, the ADA compliance issue has become like so many other descriptors used in our industry - they are misused so often they become meaningless. "ADA Compliant", "HIPAA Compliant" and even "Custom" are used because they are seen as a buzz word with little regard to actual meaning.
Unfortunately there is no recourse - no one patrols what competitors say and so they can and do say anything. The trade association says it isn't their job, and there isn't really any legal regulation, so I see web sites and marketing materials all the time with the full range of an honest misunderstanding all the way to bold face lies. As long as there is no consequence, for some there is no reason to accurately depict their product.