inBEF

Inclusive, interactive explanatory elements in accessible e-forms

The aim was to develop and test accessible e-forms (BEF) that facilitate access to forms for people with cognitive language problems, referred to in the project as clients, by enriching them with so-called interactive "explanatory elements". These explanatory elements cover both the communication of information to users and the provision of information, typically via form input, by users. The focus of the project was to explore innovative explanatory elements: As static elements, images, symbols, icons and texts in simple language were investigated. As dynamic explanatory elements, action-oriented 3D scenes were created as avatar animations .

The project was complemented by the development of a software tool for BEF creation and use in the research project ITP@BEF. The present project inBEF built on the BEF application (environment for using BEF) created there and developed it further, especially in the area of the user interface.

The help and participation planning carried out in counselling sessions for people with impairments (mental and intellectual disabilities) served as an exemplary area of application. A PDF-based form from the project partner IPH - the so-called ITP (Integrated Participation Planning) - already existed for this purpose, as well as a version of it in easy language. The ITP represents a (conversation) process, which is reflected in the ITP form and could be implemented far more sensibly in the form of an interactive application than with a classic form format. The completed ITP form, in turn, is the basis for financing the assistance services for the clients.

The focus in terms of accessibility in the project was onpersons with limited communication skills who are handicapped in various ways both linguistically (writing and reading) and in communicative expression. These users formed the primary target group of a BEF and the explanatory elements it contained.

For the design of the user interface, relevant standards and common guidelines from the MCI field were used as well as guidelines developed in-house as a target group-specific adaptation and supplement. The very early involvement of the clients in the exemplary application area together with a development that took place in several iterations resulted in a user- and client-centred design of the BEF application. Through the iterative and participatory approach applied throughout, the requirements of the users could be comprehensively taken into account.

It turned out that access to the BEF application was improved by providing different, alternative types of explanatory elements (text, image, animation, etc.) for the respective facts to be conveyed. In this way, clients were reached who, due to their communicative impairments, are often underestimated in their competences of thinking and understanding. The animated 3D scenes with avatars worked particularly well here. Concentration and interest in the contents of the videos were persistently noticeable. The use of avatar animations, which symbolically depict various action scenarios, made it easier to understand the content. The reduced visual, stylised design of these dynamic figures reached people with so-called learning difficulties well and promoted cognitive engagement with content that would otherwise remain inaccessible due to its complexity without this technical support.