Keyboard and screen reader accessibility in complex interactive science simulations: Design challenges and elegant solutions

Abstract

Interactive science simulations are commonly used educational tools that, unfortunately, present many challenges for robust accessibility. The PhET Interactive Simulations project creates a suite of widely used HTML5 interactive science simulations and has been working to advance the accessibility of these simulations for users of alternative input devices (including keyboards) and screen reader software. To provide a highly interactive experience for students, science simulations are often designed to encourage interaction with real-world or otherwise physical objects, resulting in user interface elements being implemented in ways either unrecognizable as native HTML elements, or that require fully custom implementation and interactions. Here, we highlight three examples of simulation design scenarios that presented challenges for keyboard and screen reader access. For each scenario, we describe our initial approach, challenges encountered, and what we have found to be the most elegant solution to address these challenges to date. By sharing our approaches to design and implementation, we aim to contribute to the general knowledge base of effective strategies to support the advancement of accessibility for all educational interactives.