Accessibility

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Info about available Resident-created tools to make Second Life easier for people with disabilities

Background

Many accessibility features are currently in use in Second Life. These include tools built into the viewer software and the structure of the world itself, as well as accessibility tools available in all modern computer operating systems. Assistive technologies, such as screen reader software and onscreen keyboards that many people with disability use, work in Second Life. As you might expect in a resident-developed environment, various accessibility solutions have been developed and shared by community members.

One goal of this wiki page is to highlight some of these accessibility features for those who would need them in order to be able to access and function in Second Life. Another goal is to remind content designers and other Second Life residents of ways to make the virtual world more accessible for all users. Disability can happen to any of us at any time, so it’s always wise to be prepared.

Accessibility is everyone’s responsibility. Please do your part.

Definitions

Accessibility means the degree to which an object, function, service, or environment is available for use by as many people as possible. Although often thought of as mainly an issue for people with disabilities, or even more specifically as an issue for those who use assistive technology, accessibility can become a problem for anyone. This broad definition includes wheelchair accessibility (e.g., ramps or lifts instead of stairs, designated parking and curb cuts), sensory accessibility (assistive listening devices for theaters, audio signals at street corners, Braille signs, TTY in public phones and alt tags on websites) and many other kinds of accessibility. The numeronym for accessibility is a11y.

This is an internationally recognized symbol for accessibility. However, some people with disabilities do not recognize it as representing their needs. Others feel it is a symbol of the segregation of those with special access needs.

In many countries, accessibility is legislated and thus may be more clearly defined. See the Links below.

Assistive technology (AT) includes all devices (including assistive, adaptive, or rehabilitative tools) that help people accomplish tasks they can’t do adequately or at all without the device. AT can enhance a person’s capabilities, or it can change the method of interaction to one that is compatible with a person’s available capabilities. A wide variety of AT is used by people in virtual worlds. Many specific examples are given in the Solutions section of this wiki.

Disability means a restriction or lack of a person’s ability to perform a basic life activity, engage in interpersonal relationships or participate in civic and social life.

Disability can be further defined from several perspectives, often known as models. In the medical model of disability, the focus is on the cause (disease, health condition or trauma) of the disability. The goal under this model is “fixing” or “curing” the disability, and health and capability are seen as human rights. In the social model of disability, disability is thought to be created by external societal factors that interact with the individual’s condition. The goal of the social model is full inclusion of all people into society, and equitable access is seen as a human right.

Equality is treating everyone as if they were the same. Everyone is given the same resources or the same opportunities. This is not generally a goal of persons with disabilities, because people have different needs. The concept of equality can be contrasted with the concept of equity.

Equity is a goal for many people, including people with disabilities. Everyone has different capabilities, needs and circumstances. Therefore, everyone must get different resources and assistance in order to achieve the same outcomes. For a good discussion of the difference between equality and equity, plus programmatic examples, please see ‘’’Equity vs. Equality: What’s the Difference?’’’

Impairment indicates a characteristic of an individual and is often contrasted with the term “disability.” Impairments include problems with or loss of physical, mental, emotional, sensory, or developmental abilities. The effects of chronic illnesses are often included.

For a discussion of the relationship between disabilities and impairments and some examples, please see ‘’’Impairment, Disability and Handicap.’’’

“People first language” is one way of emphasizing the similarities among all people before recognizing differences. This simple grammatical rule, putting the person first in naming, creates this emphasis. Using “person with a disability” rather than “disabled person” indicates that the disability modifies a person rather than subordinating humanity to the disability. Similarly, a person’s assistive technology should be seen as a tool (“a person who uses a wheelchair”) rather than as a limitation (“a person confined to a wheelchair”). Note that not all people with disabilities feel that “people first language” is important, nor does the concept apply in all languages.

Universal Design (UD) is an approach to creating structures, products, and environments that are accessible to all people. The ‘’’seven UD principles’’’ promoted by the Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University show how this concept extends accessibility:

1. Equitable use 2. Flexibility in use 3. Simple and intuitive 4. Perceptible information 5. Tolerance for error 6. Low physical effort 7. Size and space for approach and use

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is intended to help educators design and assess learning activities that are customizable to the needs of individual students. It offers ‘’’three sets of guidelines’’’ that can be applied by educators in any discipline. Applying these guidelines will assist all students to access and participate in educational activities. These guidelines target student motivation and engagement, educators’ representation of information in varied modalities, and alternate ways for students to express what they have learned.

LINKS:

Americans with Disability Act

Section 508

United States Access Board

UK Equality ACT of 2010

Australian Disability Discrimination Act 1992

Canadian Human Rights Act, Article 25

United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

World Health Organization International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF)

Accessibility Issues within Virtual Worlds

Some conditions may be more disabling in a virtual environment than in the physical environment. It is important that virtual environments be made accessible for people with these disabilities.

Keyboard/Mouse Impairment Accessibility Issues

Typically, a computer accepts input from both keyboard and mouse. Normally the keyboard is used for text input and moving the avatar around. Similarly, the mouse is normally used for User Interface navigation.

Keyboard/mouse impairment makes the use of a regular keyboard and/or mouse difficult. It may be caused by upper limb paralysis or amputation, neurological diseases such as muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy, degenerative conditions such as arthritis or carpal tunnel, or blindness.

Reading Impairment Accessibility Issues

Much information, including local chat, IMs, user interface menus, posters and signs, is provided in virtual worlds through text. Reading impairment also applies to obtaining information from images.

Reading impairment includes blindness, visual impairment, and dyslexia (a form of learning disability that includes print impairment). People who cannot understand the language of the text are also reading impaired. Reading impairment may also come with aging.

Hearing/Speech Impairment Accessibility Issues

Virtual worlds were originally entirely text-based. Once Voice was introduced, it became useful in many aspects of virtual worlds to be able to hear and speak.

Hearing impairment often accompanies aging. It also includes various levels of D/deafness, whether congenital or caused by accidental injury, or auditory impairment from neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease or cerebral palsy. Hearing impairment may also be related to different levels of comprehension of sounds. Reasons for being unable to speak clearly include Deafness, but also stuttering, traumatic brain injury, anxiety, stroke and oral/throat cancer.

Other Accessibility Issues

Other accessibility issues include learning disabilities, attention deficits, memory issues, limited cognitive capabilities, and chronic fatigue. Learning a new skill requires attention, effort, and practice. These capabilities may be difficult for someone with these types of other accessibility issues.

Self-identity is also sometimes an accessibility issue. For instance, some people who use a wheelchair in the physical world prefer that their avatar also be in a wheelchair. Others may prefer to appear as an amputee with a prosthesis, or to ambulate with crutches or leg braces. Some individuals use virtual worlds to hide or leave behind their visible disabilities. These representational choices should be respected, in addition to supporting the access needs of those whose disabilities affect their ability to function in a virtual world.

While aspects of Universal Design, such as ramps instead of stairs and providing multiple modes of communication, are important to include in virtual world creation, some physical world accommodations, such as designated handicapped parking spaces, are not necessary in virtual settings.

Virtual World Accessibility Solutions

Keyboard/Mouse Accessibility Solutions

The keyboard and mouse are common input devices for computers. Using the keyboard to type commands (as well as communicate in text) and using the mouse to click and scroll are common actions in a virtual world. Other important actions in a virtual world are pressing and holding a keyboard key, pressing two keys on opposite sides of the keyboard, and pressing and holding a key while simultaneously moving the mouse and pressing a mouse button.

You will need to be able to perform these basic keyboard and mouse actions in order to control your avatar and interact with objects in a virtual world.

There are numerous reasons why a person might have difficulty with these actions. Maybe this is due to fine motor control issues, or dexterity limitations in the hands. Perhaps the individual is paralyzed, or an amputee, or has arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome, or has a temporary disability such as a broken arm in a cast or surgery on a hand. These types of disabilities may affect one or both hands.

If you aren’t physically capable of performing these actions, you can use alternative methods of accomplishing a virtual world task.

The Second Life viewer has some built-in capabilities that make avatar control easier. Many of these are in the User Interface or are Preferences to select from menus.

Making the avatar walk forward or backward or turning to left or right can be accomplished using the arrow keys on the keyboard, but also using arrows in the Walk/run/fly button on the bottom toolbar. (This control can be detached and dragged elsewhere on the screen.) This button has additional sideways movements, and also allows changing between walk, run, and fly mode. In the Preferences menu, General Preferences can allow the use of letter keys (WASD) to move the avatar.

Several Move&View Preferences can aid individuals who have difficulty using the keyboard or mouse. Keyboard options include: Arrow keys always move me; Tap-tap-hold (the arrow keys) to run; Hold jump or crouch key to start or stop flying. Single click on land can be set to: no action, move to clicked point. Double click on land can be set to: no action, move to clicked point, teleport to clicked point (selected on the world map). You can also designate a Joystick or SpaceNavigator as your input device.

In Controls Preferences, you can select primary, alternate 1, and alternate 2 controls for Motion, Camera, and Sound and Media.

The Favorites bar at the top of the SL User Interface allows you to single-click to teleport to frequently visited locations.

Keyboard shortcuts are available for many Second Life functions. https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/All_keyboard_shortcut_keys

Another source of assistance for motor issues is the Accessibility Features section in every computer operating system. There you will find information on how to

• activate voice control (speech recognition), which allows you to speak in order to move the cursor and click; click, hold and release the mouse; create and edit text; and numerous other functions

• use Sticky Keys to hold modifier keys down

• enable Mouse Keys

• use the Head Pointer

• allow mouse, keyboard, gamepad buttons or dedicated devices to be used as switches

• and many other functions.

Many types of assistive technology are available to aid in using the keyboard and mouse. The assistive tech used to operate your computer is all that is needed to operate your avatar in a virtual world. Here are some examples of types of alternative input assistive technology that can help you operate in a virtual world:

On-Screen keyboard https://askjan.org/solutions/On-Screen-Keyboards.cfm

Word prediction software https://askjan.org/solutions/Word-Prediction-Completion-and-Macro-Software.cfm

Alternative input devices https://askjan.org/solutions/Alternative-Input-Devices.cfm

Alternative keyboards https://askjan.org/solutions/Alternative-Keyboards.cfm

Alternative mice https://askjan.org/solutions/Alternative-Mice.cfm

	These devices can be controlled by the eyes, breath, tongue, head movement

One-handed keyboards https://askjan.org/solutions/One-Handed-Keyboards.cfm

Typing aids to depress keys https://askjan.org/solutions/Typing-Keyboarding-Aids.cfm

For assistance in using assistive technology with your computer, contact one of the following: Vocational Rehabilitation in your state https://rsa.ed.gov/about/states RESNA https://www.resna.org/ An occupational therapist - contact your state OT agency at STATE@aota.org

Sometimes personal assistance is helpful. There are many kind, helpful people in virtual worlds who will be happy to work with you. There are even inworld tools that allow another person to accompany you and move your avatar. For instance, “follower” tools are available that allow someone who has trouble typing to walk hand-in-hand or ride piggy-back with another avatar, walk behind or beside another avatar, or ride in a vehicle controlled by another avatar.

For additional information about keyboard/mouse solutions for virtual world accessibility, please contact info at virtualability dot org

Reading Accessibility Solutions

Text is a common means of communicating in a virtual world. The sign-up process, user interface, menus, messages, invitations, pop-ups, advertisements, educational information… all may be presented in text. You will need to be able to understand these types of information in order to control your avatar and interact with objects in a virtual world.

There are numerous reasons why a person might have difficulty reading and understanding what they have read. These reasons fall into two categories: vision impairments and comprehension impairments.

Vision impairments are problems with the structure or function of the eye, and can range from mild to severe. Many of these problems are treatable ocular conditions, including difficulties with eye tracking and teaming, refractive errors, and imbalances of eye muscles. Various levels of blindness are the most severe vision impairments. Visual impairments are not considered learning disabilities, although they can to a lesser or greater degree affect ability to comprehend text.

Color perception is another type of visual impairment that an affect reading. Approximately 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women have some form of color blindness.

Some comprehension problems are due to learning disabilities. These problems occur when the brain does not properly process visual stimuli. Dyslexia, a learning disability that impairs reading, is the most well-known cognitive cause of reading difficulties. Dyslexia is commonly diagnosed in children. Alexia is an acquired reading disorder that occurs after a stroke, concussion or other brain injury with difficulties similar to those of dyslexia. Hyperlexia is a specific comprehension deficit impacting word recognition and reading fluency. Other types of comprehension impairments are due to non-native languages or illiteracy.

If you have difficulty seeing or understanding text, you can use alternative methods of reading in a virtual world.

The Second Life viewer has some built-in capabilities that make seeing text easier. Many of these are in the User Interface or are Preferences to select from menus. • Camera Controls allows you to center the view on a portion of text, then zoom in to enlarge it. • In the World drop-down menu, you can set the Environment to your preferred light level (morning, midday, sunset, midnight). You can set up your Personal Lighting, and even pause the motion of clouds! • From the Me drop-down menu, select Preferences. From there, you can use several menu selections to customize the appearance of your Second Life screen.

  • Among General preferences, you can turn your nametag and other avatars’ name tags and group titles on and off. You can highlight the names of your friends.
  • Among Graphics preferences, you can control brightness.
  • From Sound & Media preferences, you can play sounds from buttons or from gestures.
  • In Chat preferences, set your preferred font size (small, medium, large). You can play a sound or flash a toolbar button to alert you to instant messages and text chat, and play a sound for an incoming voice call, or teleport or inventory offer. You can also put text chat into a bubble above the head of the person chatting with you.
  • The Colors preferences allows you to select from a variety of colors for your selection beam, various chat fonts, and the background of name tags.
  • Advanced in the Preferences menu has a slider to set the UI size.

Another source of assistance for vision issues is the Accessibility Features section in every computer operating system. There you will find information on how to zoom in to enlarge portions of the computer screen or magnify portions of the screen. You will also be able to customize the display, including color and contrast.

To address reading comprehension issues, Accessibility Features in computer operating systems allows text content to be read aloud. Note that in a virtual world, this applies to text chat and IMs, menu items, etc., but not to text on posters and other images.

Many types of assistive technology are available to aid in reading material on a computer screen. The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) maintains information on various types, including screen reading and screen magnification tools. Screen reading software is commonly understood as the means blind people use to access online content. However, it is also useful for individuals who comprehend spoken information more readily than printed text. https://askjan.org/limitations/Reading.cfm

Translator tools can be considered assistive technology for people who are reading in a language other than their native one. Several inworld translator tools are available through the online Second Life Marketplace. https://marketplace.secondlife.com/

In the Chat preferences, you can enable machine translation using Azure, Google, or DeepL. • Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/ai-services/translator/create-translator-resource • Google https://cloud.google.com/translate/pricing?csw=1 • DeepL https://www.deepl.com/en/pro?cta=header-prices#team There is a cost associated with most of these translation tools and services.

Sometimes personal assistance is necessary. Many helpful people in virtual worlds will be happy to read aloud text for you. But as with many types of accessibility issues, equitable text access can be built in from the start.

The authors of text material should be aware of techniques to avoid accessibility issues. For instance, Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, Tahoma, Times New Roman, and Verdana are considered to be the most accessible fonts. Authors should avoid using “fancy” fonts.

Using the Dyslexia Friendly Font, a typeface with heavier bottoms, longer sticks, and unique letter shapes, may be helpful for some readers. https://dyslexiefont.com/

Text found on posters, slides, and other graphic media is a kind of text that is not readable by screen reader software. This is because it’s not really text, but rather an image of text. This is where personal assistance is important. The person creating the text in a graphic format is responsible for providing an alternative format that is screen reader accessible. This could be as simple as providing a notecard with the full text and an image description of the contents of a poster.

Color vision issues are another area in which personal assistance is necessary. Persons creating text should be aware of the need for appropriate color contrast between text and background.

For additional information about reading solutions for virtual world accessibility, please contact info at virtualability dot org

Hearing/Speech Accessibility Solutions

Speech is a widely accepted means of interpersonal communication in virtual worlds. Auditory signals may be part of the user experience. Persons with hearing impairments may miss spoken conversations or presentations, and may not recognize important signals. In addition, individuals without hearing impairment may not be able to hear well if they are in a noisy environment, lack audio hardware, or have a silence requirement where they work or live. Persons who do not or cannot speak may be ignored in environments such as group discussions.

Individuals may have various levels of difficulty with both speech and hearing. Hearing loss ranges from mild to profound. It is a common issue for older individuals. In addition to aging, other reasons for limited or absent hearing include trauma, infections, and neurological and genetic factors. Some individuals with auditory neuropathy can perceive sounds but not readily interpret meaning from what they hear. Other hearing issues include ringing in the ears and noise sensitivity.

Speech can be disrupted by impediments such as stuttering, trauma, cancer, infections, brain damage (for example from cerebral palsy), structural issues (such as cleft palate), vocal cord polyps and other factors.

Hearing and speech problems can be temporary as well as permanent. Although many Deaf people can’t speak, it is possible for a hearing-impaired person to speak normally. Many people with speech difficulties can hear properly.

The Second Life viewer has some built-in capabilities that make hearing easier for people with mild impairment. Many of these are in the User Interface or Preferences menus. The volume of sounds, both in totality and individually for different sources such as ambient sounds, streaming music and voice chat, can be controlled either in the Sound&Media section of the Preferences menu, or by sliders accessed by hovering the mouse over the speaker icon at the top right of the User Interface.

You can choose to hear media and sounds or voice from either the Camera Position or Avatar Position. Sound&Media preferences allow you to choose your sound input and output devices.

Another source of assistance for hearing and speech issues is the Accessibility Features section in every computer operating system. You will find information on how to

• Flash the screen when an alert sound is made or choose an alert sound

• Change stereo audio to mono

• Select sound input and output devices

• Enable subtitles and captions

• Convert voice-to-text (V2T) and text-to-voice (T2V)

As in the physical world, personal assistance facilitates communication with and by someone who is Deaf or hard of hearing.

Speakers who prepare text ahead of time, either to be read or as an outline or set of notes from which to speak, can provide that text to their audience. Instructors or conference presenters can provide this text on a notecard to their audience. (This can double accessibility if image descriptions are included.) Alternatively, a teleprompter-like Second Life tool, such as SpeakEasy, puts prepared text into Nearby Chat, which the speaker can read aloud. If the presenter is unable to speak, another individual can speak this text aloud.

Automated captioning of speech is possible from an SL environment that is shared on an external screen such as Zoom. Captioning services include:

• AVA https://web.ava.me/

• Otter Live Notes https://otter.ai/

• Streamer https://streamer.center/

However, automated captioning on YouTube, for example, does not work on videos shown inside Second Life.

Human captioning, also called transcription, is another possible solution. Talented human typists can rapidly type the gist of speech into Nearby Chat. (It is not possible for a typist to keep up with the speed of ordinary human speech in order to provide a word-for-word transcription.) Virtual Ability provides this style of V2T transcription for spontaneous, ad-lib speaking. Please contact Elektra Panthar inworld to arrange for this service well in advance of when it will be needed.

CART (Communication Access Realtime) services ( https://www.nad.org/resources/technology/captioning-for-access/communication-access-realtime-translation/ ) create word-for-word transcripts. The transcriber may have an avatar at the spoken event (generally preferred), or may listen to the event in a shared screen from the recipient’s Second Life presence. CART transcripts are produced on a stenotype machine and software sends the text to the receiving individual’s computer.

(Universal Design https://universaldesign.ie/what-is-universal-design/ note: As is often the case, adaptations for persons with hearing impairment are also valuable for persons whose first language is not the one being spoken, persons with attention disorders or unscheduled interruptions of attendance, and persons with memory or comprehension impairments.)

For Deaf individuals whose first language is sign, interpretation can be arranged. The Deaf individual and an ASL interpreter would both need to be present at the Second Life event, while also connected by video phone, in a manner similar to video remote interpreting services (https://www.nad.org/resources/technology/video-remote-interpreting/ ). The interpreter signs to the recipient of the relay services, and can speak the recipient’s signed words in the virtual world environment.

Due to limitations of finger and hand gestures and facial expressions of avatars, sign language is extremely limited within the virtual world. Some large signs are available as gestures. While some of these personal assistance solutions are offered at no charge, the presenter or sponsoring organization should expect to pay for most of them.

For additional information about hearing/speech solutions for virtual world accessibility, please contact info at virtualability dot org

Accessibility Suggestions for Builders, Creators and Sim Designers

It is impossible to anticipate every question or concern that may arise about virtual world accessibility. This checklist addresses some common areas of concern as well as some unusual ones that nonetheless are important to certain populations. The important thing is not to let this list limit you: think beyond the checklist.

   This list should also not be considered complete.  
   
   The first seven questions set the context for the rest of the guidelines.

1. What is the mission or purpose of this build or region? Any recommendations must work within the intended mission or purpose of the region. For example, a re-creation of an historical site is more restricted in terms of visible structural changes. See ‘’’Universal Design of Virtual Worlds’’’. An "expo" needs clear paths that guide visitors through the entire event, while classrooms need to have everyone able to hear and see the speaker(s), usually from a default (beginner) position.

2. Who is the intended audience of this build?

   For many builds, the answer will be "anyone" or "general audience." It is expected that almost anyone may visit. A build that is intended, for example, solely for active-duty military or law enforcement may not require certain features because the demands of the profession exclude certain populations.  BUT: are you certain that no civilian employers, contractors, or guest speakers will use it?  A project targeting people of a certain geographic area with common language(s) and cultural expectations is going to have different needs from a build that expects to serve people from around the world.

3. How do residents enter the environment? Is it obvious and easy to access?

   For a private region, this may be a matter of advertising the best landing point. For smaller areas or regions connected to other regions, clear paths and entryways should be available as well.

4. How do people know what to do once they get there?

5. Can they do what they will need to do? (Moving around easily, interacting with objects, etc.)

   This is the key question.  Most of this document deals with specific concerns relating to this question.

6. Is the region staffed or unstaffed? If staffed, what training have the staff received?

7. What languages should be supported?

8. Are scripts enabled? If scripts are normally disabled, is the venue willing to offer membership in a script-enabled group to those who depend on Assistive Technology devices in-world?

   Disabling scripts for a region creates obstacles for blind people and some who are visually impaired, as well as for some who have limited manual dexterity. A variety of assistive technology devices are available that use Linden Scripting Language to aid with orientation/navigation, mobility and awareness of virtual objects in the vicinity, among other needs. When unable to use scripts, some people may be unable to function effectively within the region.
   This must be balanced against the threat of "griefing" and other unacceptable behaviors in Second Life. While such incidents are far more rare than commonly believed, the liability cannot be ignored. Just as with physical world security, Second Life security measures cannot prevent everything. Instead, the goal is to create a difficult target while still providing access for legitimate users.

9. What is the environment of the build?

   Are there clear lines of sight?  Are mock buildings and structures used, and if so, how do they support the mission of the build?

For informational regions, having a wide-open area has proven best. Structures such as buildings tend to increase obstacles for everyone: doors (you could use automatic openers or prop them open), stairs, poor line of sight or crowding. Is the door obvious in a wall of windows? Cameras tend to get “caught” in walls if rooms are too small, ceilings to low, or furniture too close to the wall. We have found that the best educational/informational regions keep everything under an open sky. This is not to say that buildings are always a detriment. Rather, they should serve a clear purpose and be built with thought and care. Avatars don't get hot or cold, and there is no weather unless we make it, so buildings are not an automatic necessity.

10. Are there forced landing points, or can people teleport around where they need to?

     Forced landing points can be an obstacle to people with visual impairment and those with limited manual dexterity who may rely on landmarks, SLURLs and teleports to reach specific areas more easily.
   If there is a forced landing point, is it in a position where people can figure out which way to go?  Will there be staff or volunteers on hand to act as guides if needed, to point out things of interest?

11. Can anyone set HOME there?

12. Are there stairs?

   Stairs can be an obstacle to some who have difficulty moving around in Second Life (the aforementioned visual and manual impairment issues).  
   It is true that using a wheelchair in the physical world is not necessarily an obstacle to using virtual worlds.  However, the region may have visitors who have chosen an avatar that reflects their physical world mobility need for a wheelchair. When operating in a virtual environment, people who use wheelchairs will tend to evaluate access according to their physical life experiences. They may become consciously or subconsciously distressed by a build that does not model physical world accessibility practices. Thus, while it may not be a requirement to accommodate virtual wheelchairs, it does show sensitivity to disabled persons’ experiences and needs in their physical lives.

   Spiral stairs should generally to be avoided. They are difficult for everyone, and additionally so for people who have difficulty with orientation and/or mobility within a virtual setting.

Appropriate alternatives to stairs include sit-teleports and replacing or supplementing stairs with ramps. Universal Design explains that everybody can use a ramp, but not everyone can use stairs. The recommended ratio of rise to run for a ramp should be of the order 1:8 or 1:10. For example: using the 1:10 ratio, a ramp that starts an avatar on the ground at <0, 0, 0> would end with them at <10, 0, 1>.

  For a sample ramp with the appropriate slope, please contact info at virtualability dot org

13. Are walkways even?

   Uneven walkways create problems for any avatar due to in-world physics engines.  For someone with virtual environment mobility of visual challenges, these are magnified.

14. Are paths wide enough for wheelchairs, with turning spots for changing direction?

   Experimentation has shown 2 meters minimum width for a straight path or ramp, and 3 meters square for a square landing/corner is reasonable. (This assumes side barriers, which can be made invisible.) However, every situation is different.

15. Are there sides, visible or not, for ramps, stairs and walkways?

   These keep people from falling off the sides.  This is not just a disability issue: those who are new to Second Life or who are dealing with lag issues commonly go over the edge of such structures.  A barrier is safest.  "Sideless" walkway structures can use an invisible side barrier without compromising location aesthetics.

16. Is Flight permitted?

   For some with in-world mobility concerns, flight is a compromise, permitting them to bypass confusing or challenging routes from one point to another.  Flight should generally be permitted unless it would somehow inhibit the mission of the region. It should be noted that there are clients and inworld tools that permit flight even in "restricted" areas.

17. Is Voice enabled?

   Some are unable to use Voice, others rely on it.  It is rare (though not unheard of) to find areas in Second Life where Voice is not permitted. Unless there is a compelling reason to exclude it, we recommend that it be permitted.

18. Is there a clear method for contacting the owners or managers with concerns?

   This can be handled in a variety of ways.  If the land is owned by an individual avatar, the person controlling it should either be responsive to questions or able to forward them to someone who can.  A group-owned build should have some way to identify the person(s) responsible for running it.

19. Is V2T and T2V Transcription provided at events, classes, presentations? Voice-to-Text (V2T) is important for people who are D/deaf or hearing impaired as well as anyone who cannot use Voice for reasons not related to a disability. Text-to-Voice (T2V) is helpful for someone with Dyslexia and certain other kinds of reading impairment. When possible, presentations should be in both Text and Voice, simultaneously. Speakers who read from a prepared script can use an inworld tool (such as SpeakEasy) to put out their text like a public teleprompter. V2T accessibility tools provided by your computer operating system work in virtual worlds, as do commercial dictation products such as Dragon NaturallySpeaking. For prepared speeches, human transcription can be word for word. Otherwise, meaning-for-meaning is best. Virtual Ability can assist with arranging for various types of transcription of events for a fee.

20. Are rotating prims, particles and animated textures avoided?

   These are confusing, difficult to read or perceive, and also contribute to lag.   Except for purely decorative purposes in very moderate amounts, they should not be used.

21. Making Text-on-a-Prim (posters, displays, etc.) accessible. The font, size and color of text on signage determine how readable the information is. Contrast between text and background is particularly important to consider. High contrast is best, which is why black or dark text on white or light beige background is common. However, it is not optimal for many people with vision impairments or dyslexia. Remember, cursive and other fantasy fonts can be problematic. Some readers may be color blind. Blinking and moving text is particularly distracting to people with attention deficits. See ‘’’the WebAIM site’’’ for many good suggestions about making text more readable. The site discusses real vs. graphic text, font families, bold/italics/capitalization, color contrast and font size.

22. Do objects have descriptive names? Nothing named "Object"?

   Second Life residents who are blind or visually impaired may use the Radegast Viewer or a similar client to access Second Life. Radegast is also used by some who do not self-identify as having a disability. It is a lightweight client suitable for netbooks and other computers that may not be able to support a full-feature Second Life viewer. Rather than having a graphic interface, these users see a list of objects around them. For this reason, it is important to give objects descriptive names.  
   There is also a technical aspect. Compare the following script error messages. The first is from a generic "Object" that would normally give a notecard named "Instructions."  The second is from a named object that would normally perform the same task:
   
   •    Object: Unable to give inventory: 'No item named 'Instructions'.'.
   •    Object 4C: Unable to give inventory: 'No item named 'Instructions'.'.
   
   As you can see, with a unique object name any script errors will be more easily found and corrected. When script errors and other problems originate with "Object," tracking it down can take hours.

23. Look for prims or objects that may need to be linked or unlinked.

   People using text-based clients such as Radegast and/or scripted Assistive Technology devices do not perceive Second Life as a graphical world but as a collection of named objects in their vicinity. If they need to find one display and click on it, that display should not be linked into one object with the neighboring displays. It should be a distinct and separate object. When using stairs, having 20 "steps" as distinct objects is distracting and "spammy." They should be linked together into one object. Only the root prim of a linked object needs to be named.

24. Do posters and videos have notecard alternatives?

   Text on a prim is totally inaccessible to those who are blind, may be difficult to read for someone with other forms of visual or print impairment, and in some cases may even be an obstacle for someone with normal eyesight and reading ability. Videos create challenges for those with visual or hearing impairments. As such, supplement with notecards that include a transcript and image descriptions of the poster or video and other descriptive information as appropriate.

25. Do seats allow a change of name when occupied? Virtual Ability can provide a scripted cushion called "Empty Seat 1." The number can be easily changed (though, unless the script is modified, it must remain Empty Seat ## or else it will not function properly). When an avatar sits on the cushion, it changes its name to "Occupied Seat 1." When the avatar stands up, the cushion reverts to "Empty Seat 1." This way, someone using Radegast can easily find and sit on a chair without worrying about sitting on someone else. The script is open source and can be used in other objects than the cushion.

For a copy of the “Empty Seat 1” cushion, please contact info at virtualability dot org

26. Is it clear what objects should be interacted with, and how? Most Viewers show a different mouse-pointer over items that can be clicked on. Radegast has the "Touch" menu option available for clickable items. Clickable items should be appropriately and descriptively named, and visually obvious in most cases. Items that use other forms of interaction (collision, listener, etc.) should have appropriate warnings. It is difficult to make general guidelines beyond these.

27. If resources outside of Second Life, such as websites, documents, etc., are pointed to, do those resources meet the relevant ‘’’WCAG 2 standards’’’?

For Accessibility Questions

Please contact Virtual Ability, Inc. at: info at virtualability dot org

User-developed Projects To Develop Accessibility Tools

Radegast

Academic Research Projects Related to Accessibility

Related Resources

Every modern computer operating system has numerous build-in accessibility features. Many of these can work in Second Life.

Windows accessibility features https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/discover-windows-accessibility-features-8b1068e6-d3b8-4ba8-b027-133dd8911df9

Apple accessibility features https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-pro/accessibility-apd4c143b3c5/mac

Linux accessibility features https://www.ucdenver.edu/centers/center-for-inclusive-design-and-engineering/community-engagement/colorado-assistive-technology-act-program/technology-and-transition-to-employment/linux-accessibility

For assistance in using assistive technology with your computer, contact one of the following:

Vocational Rehabilitation in your state https://rsa.ed.gov/about/states

RESNA https://www.resna.org/

An occupational therapist - contact your state OT agency at STATE@aota.org