Modernization of legacy desktop software to support accessibility for visually impaired users: a case study

  • Livia Cristina Gabos Martins MStech
  • Bruno Elias Penteado MStech
  • Márcia Mayumi Haga MStech
  • Geysler Niclevicz da Silva MStech

Abstract


Software systems tend to evolve over time, either by changes in functional requirements, such as changes in business rules, applicable laws, etc. as in nonfunctional requirements: new levels of performance, new technologies and platforms, etc. in order to remain useful to those who use them. This paper shows the modernization of a legacy software to meet accessibility requirements for the targeted group of users with visual impairments. The software under study is a desktop program to control the computer labs. In this case study a reengineering process was applied, exploring white box techniques, to create a new layer of service that interprets the commands and controls its interface, implemented in Adobe Flash technology. As a result, we could use all the features of the software on the Windows platform, by communicating a screen reader DOSVOX using MSAA - interface communication platform.
Keywords: legacy desktop, accessibility, visual impairment

References

Adobe (2010). "Public Methods". Documentação Adobe Flash, http://www.adobe.com/livedocs/flash/9.0/ActionScriptLangRefV3/flash/system/package.html, Maio, 2010.

Borges, J. A (2002). "O que é o Dosvox". Núcleo de Computação Eletrônica da UFRJ – Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. http://intervox.nce.ufrj.br/dosvox/intro.htm, Abril, 2010.

Brasil.Lei nº 8.213, de 24 de julho de 1991. "Dispõe sobre os Planos de Benefícios da Previdência Social e dá outras providências".Diário Oficial [da República Federativa do Brasil], Brasília, DF, v. 4, 25 jul. 1991. Seção 1, p. 14809.

Freedom Scientific (2011). "JAWS for Windows Screen Reading Software". http://www.freedomscientific.com/products/fs/jaws-product-page.asp. Fevereiro, 2011.

IBGE (2005). "IBGE e CORDE abrem encontro internacional de estatísticas sobre pessoas com deficiência". http://www.ibge.gov.br/home/presidencia/noticias/noticia_visualiza.php?id_noticia=438&id_pagina=1, Maio,2010.

Inclusão Digital (2011). “Governo lança edital para investir R$ 165 milhões na inclusão digital”. http://www.inclusaodigital.gov.br/noticia/governo-lanca-edital-para-investir-r-165-milhoes-na-inclusao-digital, Abril, 2011.

Linux Foundation (2009). "IAccessible2". The Linux Foundation. http://www.linuxfoundation.org/collaborate/workgroups/accessibility/iaccessible2, Dezembro, 2010.

Microsoft Corporation (2000). "Microsoft Active Accessibility: Architecture". http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms971310.aspx#actvaccess_topic1, Maio, 2010.

MStech (2011). http://www.mstech.com.br/, Janeiro, 2011.

NVDA Project, (2010). "About NVDA". General Features. http://www.nvdaproject.org/wiki/About, Maio, 2010.

Programa Brasil Conectado (2011). “Programa nacional de Banda Larga”. http://www4.planalto.gov.br/brasilconectado, Abril, 2011.

Seacord, R., Plakosh D., Lewis, G. (2003), "Modernizing Legacy Systems: Software Technologies", Engineering Process and Business Practices, Addison-Wesley.

Sonza, A.P. (2008). "Ambientes virtuais acessíveis sob a perspectiva de usuários com limitação visual". Doutorado. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Centro de Estudos Interdisciplinares em Novas Tecnologias da Educação. Programa de Pós Graduação em Informática na Educação. http://www.lume.ufrgs.br/handle/10183/14661, Fevereiro, 2011.

van Someren, M. W., Barnard, Y. F. , Sandberg, J. (1994).The think aloud method: a practical guide to modelling cognitive processes. 1ª edição.New York:Academic Press, 1994.

W3C (1999). "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0". http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10, Março, 2010.

W3C (2005). "Introduction to Web Accessibility". http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/accessibility.php, Janeiro, 2011.

WARD, M. P.; BENNETT, K. H.(1995) "Formal Methods for Legacy Systems". Journal of Software Maintenance: Research and Practice, v. 7, n. 3, p. 203-219.

WHO (2009). "World Health Organization - Visual impairment and blindness – Fact Sheet no. 282". http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs282/en/, Março, 2010.

WHO, DIMDI, (2007). "World Health Organization - Chapter VII - Diseases of the eye and adnexa". http://apps.who.int/classifications/apps/icd/icd10online/?gH53.htm+h540,Dezembro,20 10.
Published
2011-06-06
MARTINS, Livia Cristina Gabos; PENTEADO, Bruno Elias; HAGA, Márcia Mayumi; SILVA, Geysler Niclevicz da. Modernization of legacy desktop software to support accessibility for visually impaired users: a case study. In: BRAZILIAN SOFTWARE QUALITY SYMPOSIUM (SBQS), 10. , 2011, Curitiba. Anais [...]. Porto Alegre: Sociedade Brasileira de Computação, 2011 . p. 345-352. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5753/sbqs.2011.15405.