Accessibility Criteria Research Articles

Accessibility of South African university websites

In today’s information age, many universities around the world utilize their websites as a key platform for interaction with various stakeholders. As a result, it is of crucial importance for these websites to be highly accessible so that they can be effectively used by all stakeholders. However, there has been growing evidence over the years indicating that most university websites are unable to meet accessibility criteria. This study had as objective to evaluate the accessibility of South African (SA) university websites. An accessibility evaluation of the homepages of all 26 SA university websites showed that none of the websites met all the WCAG 2.0 accessibility criteria. The websites violated an average of eight rules, of which many are fundamental Level A criteria that ideally must be addressed by all websites. Additionally, all the websites had broken links, while four of the websites failed the Google Mobile-friendly Test. These findings suggest the need for SA universities to devote the necessary financial and human resources to enhance the accessibility of their websites.

A camera based human computer interaction through virtual keyboard assistant

Human Computer Interaction has evolved with time and exploited almost all the possible relationships that human can have with computers. The present scenario of using the computer is often inaccessible to people with severe motor impairment, which cannot inhabit the traditional keyboard and mouse, and require another specialized input device. A Camera mouse Human-Computer Interface (HCI) based virtual assistant is designed and planned to be evaluated with 15 subjects and hoped to work for individuals with advanced Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), all of whom were given tasks to execute through the virtual assistant. In the proposed system, this includes primarily, a virtual keyboard with an embedded Internet browser. The virtual keyboard allows users with movement impairments, basically hand movement issues, to directly interact with the computer. The keyboard has varied functions, apart from just typing; namely, searching anything on google, login to social media and checking emails, text to speech facilities and has a database that holds all the basic helper commands for the person. The camera mouse is software that allows people to interact with the computer by registering any part of their body and then using that part as the pointing device to work on the computer system. The participants of the evaluation will be both, subjects that have knowledge about the HCI interface and those completely new to it. We define additional criteria for unrestricted internet access for evaluation of the presented and future internet browsers, Camera based browser provides unrestricted access and enables free web surfing for individuals with motor impairments. This system improves the subject’s quality of life and provides uninterrupted access for the subject to use the computer.

Relationships for Entrepreneurship in a Newly Emerging Market

This study explores how entrepreneurs’ make decisions on who to build relationships with in order to establish a business presence in the early years of a post-Soviet emerging economy. Existing literature based on Western empirical data, points to the importance of strong ties and trusted relationships during the early stages of a venture; within an emerging economy, however, such ties are often insufficient to provide access to resources necessary to establish and grow a venture and entrepreneurs need to venture outside their trusted circles of friends. This itself presents additional problems within an environment that lacks institutions and infrastructure to support entrepreneurs. Through in-depth qualitative interviews with eight ventures, the study examines how entrepreneurs choose who to build relationships with in order to establish and grow their ventures in a new emerging economy. The findings point to three decision making strategies which underpinned who entrepreneurs chose to network with: ‘purposeful friendships’, ‘come, take, leave’ and ‘we are all free agents’. In addition, we show how these strategies involved selection criteria for access, for gain and for dynamism and fluidity. These three strategies and the different selection criteria help to shed new light on the development of relationships for entrepreneurship in emerging economies.

Protecting Workers Abroad and Industries at Home: Rights-based Conditionality in Trade Preference Programs

A growing number of developed country governments link good governance, including human rights, to developing countries’ access to aid, trade, and investment. We consider whether governments enforce these conditions sincerely, in response to rights violations, or whether such conditions might instead be used as a veil for protectionist policies, motivated by domestic concerns about import competition. We do so via an examination of the world’s most important unilateral trade preference program, the US Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), which includes worker rights as one criterion for program access. We argue that the two-tiered structure of the GSP privileges some domestic interests at one level, while disadvantaging them at the other. Using a new data set on all US GSP beneficiary countries and sanctioning measures from 1986 to 2013, we demonstrate that labor rights outcomes play a role in the maintenance of country-level trade benefits and that import competition does not condition the application of rights-based criteria at this level. At the same, however, the US government does not consider worker rights in the elements (at the country-product level) of the program that have the greatest material impact. The result is a situation in which the US government talks somewhat sincerely at the country level in its rights-based conditionality, but its behavior at the country-product level cheapens this talk.

Migration policy: did an emergency provision displace standard rules? Evidence from Italy

In 2011, to manage the exceptional flow of people escaping North Africa, the Italian government released the North Africa Emergency (Emergenza Nord Africa, ENA) provision, temporarily relaxing migration policies for some categories of asylum seekers. Using data from an important charity, we perform baseline difference-in-differences regressions to investigate the impact of this emergency rule on the probability of migrants regularizing their legal status. We exploit the timing of the enactment of the ENA accessibility criteria—such that potential beneficiaries learned of its existence only after the realization of the state of entitlement—to identify the effects of the emergency policy provision on treated and control groups of immigrants. The results show an increased number of successful applications in favor of eligible individuals, although a dramatic boost in the denial rate for other migrants is also observed. This suggests either that some migrants suffered displacement due to the emergency rule, and/or that improper submissions of ENA-oriented applications have occurred. We extend our analysis to the use of multilevel models to shed light on these possible (non-mutually excludable) explanations. Results seem to support the presence of some rule-displacement effects, although the existence of a set of wrongful submissions cannot be excluded. We discuss these possibilities from a policy perspective.

UK podiatrists\u2019 experiences of podiatry services for people living with arthritis: a qualitative investigation

BackgroundProvision of podiatry services, like other therapies in the UK, is an area that lacks guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Many individuals living with arthritis in the UK are not eligible to access NHS podiatry services. The primary aim of this investigation was to understand the views of podiatry clinicians on their experiences of referral, access, provision and treatment for foot problems for patients who have arthritis.MethodsFocus groups were undertaken to explore, in-depth, individual views of podiatrists working in the UK to gain feedback on experiences of barriers and facilitators to referral, access, provision and treatment for foot problems for individuals living with arthritis. A purposive sampling strategy was adopted and two, semi-structured, focus group interviews conducted, involving 12 podiatrists from both NHS and independent sectors. To account for geographical variations one focus group took place in each of 2 predetermined ‘zones’ of the UK; Yorkshire and Hampshire. Thematic analysis was employed to identify key meanings and report patterns within the data.ResultsThe key themes derived from the podiatry clinician focus groups suggest a variety of factors influencing demand for, and burden of, foot pain within the UK. Participants expressed frustration on having a service that accepts and treats patients according to their condition, rather than their complaint. Additionally, concern was conveyed over variations in the understanding of stakeholders’ views of what podiatry is and what podiatrists aim to achieve for patients.ConclusionPodiatrists interviewed believed that many individuals living with arthritis in the UK are not eligible to access NHS podiatry services and that this may be, in part, due to confusion over what is known about podiatry and access criteria. Essentially, podiatrists interviewed called for a timely renaissance of current systems, to newer models of care that meet the foot care needs of individual patients’ circumstances and incorporate national multi-disciplinary guidance. Through this project, we have formulated key recommendations that are directed towards improving what other stakeholders (including GPs, commissioners and users of podiatry services) know about the effectiveness of podiatry and also to futureproof the profession of podiatry.

The patient's safety and access to experimental drugs after the termination of clinical trials: regulations and trends.

Participants' rights and safety must be guaranteed not only while a clinical trial is being conducted but also when a clinical trial finishes. The criteria for post-trial access to experimental drugs, however, are unclear in various countries. The objectives of this study were (i) to ascertain if there were regulations or guidelines related to patients' access to drugs after the end of clinical trials in the countries selected in the study and (ii) to analyze trends in post-trial access in countries classified by their level of economic development. This study is a retrospective review. The data are from the records of clinical trials from 2014 registered in the World Health Organization's International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) database. Among the countries selected, provision of drugs post-trial is mandatory only in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Finland, and Peru. The plans for post-trial access tend to be more present in low- and middle-income and upper middle-income countries, in comparison with high-income countries. Studies involving vulnerable populations are 2.53 times more likely to have plans for post-trial access than studies which do not. The guaranteeing of post-trial access remains mandatory in few countries. Considering that individuals seen as vulnerable have been included in clinical trials without plans for post-trial access, stakeholders must discuss the need to develop regulations mandating the guaranteeing of post-trial access in specified situations.

P063: Ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous access in the emergency department: a randomized controlled trial comparing single and dual-operator technique

Introduction: Ultrasound-guided intravenous (UGIV) insertion performed by nurses has been shown to be more effective than the blind approach for patients with difficult intravenous (IV) access in the emergency department (ED). While both the single-operator (SO) (where a single operator holds the IV and probe) and dual-operator (DO) (where a second operator holds the probe) techniques have been described, the DO is more resource-intensive, requiring a second operator to be present. The objective of this study is to compare the first-attempt cannulation success rates between a SO and DO technique in ED patients with predicted difficult access. Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled non-inferiority trial using a convenience sample of adult ED patients. Participating ED nurses received a one-hour UGIV training session including didactic and practical training on simulated arms. Patients were enrolled if they met any of three criteria for difficult access: (1) history of difficult access, (2) no visible or palpable veins, or (3) two failed blind attempts. Patients requiring active resuscitation, lack of suitable veins on US, or those unable to consent or comply with the procedure were excluded. Eligible patients were randomized to the SO or DO technique and a maximum of two UGIV attempts were allowed. The primary outcome was first-attempt success rate. Additional outcomes included overall success rate, number of attempts, time to successful cannulation, patient pain scores, operator ease of use scores, and complications 30 minutes after insertion. The chi-square test was used to compare success rates between groups and t-tests used for all other secondary outcomes. Results: 42 eligible patients have been approached for our study. 14 were excluded due to lack of visible veins on US or due to ongoing resuscitation. A total of 33 UGIV attempts were performed on 28 patients (17 in SO group, 16 in DO group). There was no statistically significant difference in first attempt success rates between the SO group of 76.5% (95% CI [50.1% to 93.2%]) and the DO group of 68.8% (95% CI [41.3% to 89%]) (p=0.62). There were also no statistically significant differences between the SO and DO groups in time to cannulation (140 vs 165 seconds, p=0.36), patient preference on a 10-point scale (7.0 vs 7.9, p=0.49), patient pain score (6.3 vs 6.6, p=0.87) or nursing ease of use (5.3 vs 6.5 p=0.23) respectively. There were no complications noted in either arm of the study. Conclusion: To date, the SO technique appears to be non-inferior to the DO technique for successful UGIV cannulation. Our results support the use of the SO technique, reducing the need for additional nursing resources when performing this procedure.

PIN62 - Aligned Strategies Identified by Prescribers and Managed Care to Close Treatment Decision Gaps in HCV and HIV

Despite the availability of effective treatments for HCV and HIV, persistent barriers have compromised achievement of patient health goals, including those related to misalignment in policies and practices among treatment decision-makers. This research is aimed at developing a conceptual model of HCV, HIV, or HCV-HIV co-infection therapy decision-making based on prescriber and managed care perspectives, by qualitatively assessing and describing (1) prescriber and managed care considerations for treatment access, treatment differentiation, and patient selection criteria, and (2) barriers to therapy prior-authorization (PA) processes and communication. Qualitative data were collected through trained scribes during 25 accredited education seminars held in 25 US cities, May—November 2017, combining prescriber and managed care professionals who manage patients with HCV and HIV. The discussion texts were analyzed using thematic analysis to generate a conceptual model of interprofessional practice and communication on therapy decision-making. Session data were collected from 270 prescribers and 211 managed care participants (combined sample: 44% pharmacists, 28% physicians, 29% NP/PAs). Findings revealed dominant themes: barriers were identified by both prescribers and managed care related to PA requirements, denials, and application of guidelines within therapy decisions. Specific forms of collaborative communication and practices were identified as aligned across both prescribers and managed care as mechanisms to close decision-making gaps: review guidelines and approval criteria, increase interprofessional communication, improve documentation and develop new protocols for PA submissions. This research suggests that a conceptual model of prescriber and managed care barriers to optimal care of patients with HCV, HIV, and co-infection includes interprofessional alignment on domains that warrant improvement, and discordance in role-specific considerations for decision-making. The findings support the importance of considering the conceptual alignments when developing practical strategies for improved communication among prescribers and managed care decision-makers. Research was supported through education grants from AbbVie and Gilead.

Exploring policy perceptions and responsibility of devolved decision-making for water service delivery in Kenya’s 47 county governments

Improving water services is a well-rehearsed political instrument to win public support against a backdrop of a wide range of hydro-political realities in Africa. This paper examines whether devolution to Kenya’s 47 counties advances the constitutional mandate for the human right to water. Specifically, it examines which factors influence decision-makers’ perception of their responsibility for water service delivery in their counties. Drawing on interviews from all county water ministries, a sociopolitical risk model leveraging public choice theory is developed and tested. Information on election margin, climate risk, urbanisation, poverty levels, water budget and citizen satisfaction is modelled to explain variations in the policymakers’ perceptions of their responsibilities. Results reveal that county water ministries recognise increased political responsibility for the poor outside current provision areas across water quantity, quality, accessibility and non-discrimination criteria. Affordability is the most contested criterion, with only a limited number of counties accepting responsibility. High socioclimatic risks and narrow election margins are likely to boost devolved duty-bearers’ perception of responsibility for improved water service delivery. These variable factors demonstrate the interdependence of spatial and political dimensions during Kenya’s devolution process and promote the conclusion that independent and strong regulation is critical to realising the human right to water for the great majority of Kenyans living in rural areas and facing unpredictable climate risks.

Quality assessment of a system of prenatal information.

Objective To evaluate the quality of the Prenatal Information System of the city of Vitoria - ES. Methods This is a cross-sectional study with an analysis of the Prenatal Information System Data (SISPRENATAL) from a municipality in the Southeast Region of Brazil. The quality of the system was evaluated according to the accessibility criteria, methodological clarity, timeliness and completeness defined by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). Completeness was evaluated according to the criteria of incompleteness proposed by Romero and Cunha, and assigned scores in degrees of evaluation for: excellent, good, fair, bad and very bad. Results Most of the results presented scores of bad and very bad quality. Fields with excellent or good quality for incompleteness are related to the mandatory items. Conclusion Professionals need to be aware of the proper registration of the care provided to pregnant women.

Canadian legislatures and the regulation of the private health-care industry

This article discusses the three regulatory measures that Canadian provinces have used to implement the Canada Health Act criteria of universality, accessibility, and comprehensiveness. These three measures – the prohibition of duplicative private insurance, the prohibition of mixed private–public practice, and the capping of private physician fees to the levels of public fee schedules – are designed, above all, to regulate the health-care insurance and delivery industries. The article highlights the dangers of superficial analysis by the courts that is limited to canvassing potential violations of some patients’ individual rights, without taking into account the intricacies of health-care industry regulations and their effects on the public system as a whole. Without the vigilance of the courts, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms can certainly become the industry’s best ally in forcing a radical realignment of public policy in health-care systems across the country, without democratic debate.

The Problems of Syrian Students in the Basic Education in Turkey

Abstract In this study, it was aimed to examine the educational problems of basic education students migrating from Syria encountered in the schools. The research study group involved 37 Syrian students, 4 school managers and 18 teachers who were willing to participate to the research from four different secondary schools. The study group was chosen according to accessibility criterion. The data were collected through interviews. Therefore, the data was analyzed according to the qualitative methods. In the analysis of data collected by using face to face interview technique and semi-structured interview form, the content analysis method was used. According to the research results, it was determined that Syrian students have a language problem, especially during their education. They had sufficient knowledge of the Turkish language to manage their daily lives, however, academically the knowledge was concluded as insufficient. The main problems occurring among Syrian students are communication skills and adaptation. Main causes of these two problems are the differences between the ethnic origin among the Syrians students and the integration and communication with Turkish students. The Syrian students can be divided into two group as Syrian Kurdish or Syrian Arab. Both groups indicate that it is hard to communicate with each other due to the language difference. Furthermore, the Syrian girls expressed that they have more difficulties in being accepted and making friends, which causes the feeling that they are left alone. The findings of the research reveal that Syrian parents do not visit the school and that their skills of understanding and speaking Turkish are far behind their children's ability to understand and speak Turkish. According to the students 'views, the main reason for their parents' not visiting the school is the language problem. According to the data obtained from the interviews conducted by the administrators, guidance teachers and class teachers of the schools, it has been determined that some Syrian students have problems in integration during school, lack of motivation for the classes, and a more introvert student profile compared to other students. On the other hand, it was also stated that it was uncommon that Syrian students were included or had caused for any improper circumstances at school or were involved in any disciplinary case.

Identidade e futebol: um estudo sobre membros de uma torcida organizada

Soccer is the most popular sport in Brazil. It is one of the main responsible for Brazilians’ identity and cultural construction. Love for soccer is transmitted through generations and conquer more adepts each day. Some of them find in supporters’ groups a group within which they can share goals, behaviors, and ideas. This article aimed at comprehending how these supporters’ organizations act in the personal, social and collective identity construction of Clube Atletico Mineiro’s young supporters in Belo Horizonte city and metropolitan area, Brazil. By doing a qualitative research, we developed a case study about a soccer supporters’ group, named Furia Alvinegra. We collected semi-structured interviews and analyzed them through the Discourse Analysis approach. Interviewees were selected by accessibility and snowball criteria. Additionally, we also analyzed photos. Results pointed to a significant influence of the supporters’ group on the identity construction of interviewees, because of: their dedication to the group; friendship relations; utility feelings from being responsible for cheering up the stadium; and desire to build a new image of the supporters’ group towards public opinion. Keywords: identity, soccer, supporters’ group, Discourse Analysis.

VISÃO DE JUIZES TITULARES EM RELAÇÃO À CONTRIBUIÇÃO DO SISTEMA DE EDUCAÇÃO CORPORATIVA NO TRIBUNAL DE JUSTIÇA DO MARANHÃO

This paper presents a case study with the objective of analyzing the view of the judges of the Imperatriz County of the Court of Justice of Maranhao (TJMA) about the contribution of the Corporate Education System (SEC) of the strategic objectives determined for the Lower Court under the responsibility of these judges. Comparing the data collected with the basic implementation assumptions and the success principles of an SEC proposed by Eboli (2004) and the generic model of strategic planning proposed by Lopes (2010). In order to do so, a qualitative research of a descriptive character was carried out, having as data collection instruments the documentary research and semistructured interviews, and as tools of data analysis the techniques of sensemaking, narrative analysis and visual mapping. The population surveyed were judges from the courts of the Imperatriz County and the sample was made through the criterion of accessibility. The results of the survey showed that both the SEC and strategic planning are properly implemented, although there is little involvement of the magistrates in the strategic planning process and the view of the magistrates leads them to perceive the contribution of the SEC to meeting the strategic objectives determined for the courts under their responsibility as insipid and little relevant, which puts in question the sustainability of the strategic planning process and the own quality of the existing SEC.

Addressing the Passenger Transport and Accessibility Enablers for Sustainable Development

Sustainable Development (SD) is a fundamental objective in the European Union (EU) and transport is considered one of the key challenges necessary to achieve it. Although transport is mostly contested from the environmental dimension, an investigation of peer-reviewed literature along with EU policy documents suggests that the transport and accessibility (T&A) criteria of infrastructure, accessibility distance, and multimodality can positively contribute to SD. However, despite this synergetic relation between T&A and SD, a practical analysis of such enablers is unknown at the regional European level. Therefore, this study investigates the Mediterranean as a study area by analyzing 79 identified passenger ports as passenger transport land-sea interaction points. Based on open access data, port infrastructure and ship accessibility, hinterland accessibility, and multimodality are evaluated as the passenger T&A enablers for SD. Comparative geo-spatial analyses are also carried out among the passenger ports’ levels of enablers by using the data normalization method. These data driven comprehensive analytical results can bring added value to SD policy and planning initiatives in the Mediterranean. This study may also contribute to the development of relevant passenger port performance indicators for boosting port or regional competition and attractiveness towards SD.

Crisis Management for Public Sector during the European Financial Crisis: Lessons of Estonia in 2008-2011

The austerity implementation experience of the Estonian Government during the European financial crisis has high value both in practical terms when improving preparations for future crises, and as a case for academic research, especially when compared with the other Baltic States and Visegrad countries. The crisis response was even more complicated as a simultaneous goal was set to fulfil Eurozone accession criteria. When studied carefully, the Estonian experience is valuable from the wider future perspective as it offers experience and answers to whether extreme austerity is an efficient solution to counter a financial crisis, the economic and social costs it includes, the best administrative practices to be suggested when implementing austerity and some hints how to implement unpopular austerity politically.

Textual-dialogical approach to the development of humanistic person interaction ability of cadets - prospective penal-executive system employees

The article is devoted to the problem of training a future employee of the penal system, which is able to build relationships with surrounding people, including people who have transgressed the law and who serve punishment on humanistic grounds. The urgency of humanistic interaction in the conditions of the criminal executive system is argued from the position of the idea: a person by nature - i.e. initially, essentially - good. The author proposes a definition of a humanistic interaction between a cadet and a future employee of the criminal executive system with a person as a special type of relationship that fixes the understanding of the values and actions of another person; actualizing moral, humanistic values; reflecting the content of their own actions and actions in relation to the other; reflecting the perception of the spiritual world of another person. The textual-dialogical approach in education is presented as a learning strategy, as an educational technology, as a scientific approach. The content of the textual-dialogical approach to the development of cadets-future employees of the penal-executive system ability for humanistic interaction with a person is revealed through the content of the concepts text and dialogue. It is justified that the texts presented to cadets while developing their ability should, firstly, contain such knowledge, which, speaking in the meaning of humanistic values, allows students to interact with other people on the basis of these values; secondly, to meet the criteria of significance, accessibility and credibility. It is shown that, in the context of dialogues, cadets acquire personal experience of humanistic interaction with other people, which allows them to choose a humanistic oriented sense of dialogical interaction with another, find ways of interaction with another person that are adequate for this situation, and reflect their attitude to another.

A Geospatial Approach to Managing Coastal Access in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

ABSTRACT Willemse, M. and Goble, B.J., 2018. A geospatial approach to managing coastal access in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. In many countries minimum criteria for coastal access have been determined to ensure people's right of access. South Africa is no exception; the provision of coastal access is a legal requirement in terms of the recently promulgated Integrated Coastal Management Act (Act No. 24 of 2008). Unfortunately, as a result of working within a capacity vacuum, both human and financial, there still exists a knowledge gap pertaining to local coastal access and the provisions thereof. Given legislative requirements and public needs, this paper proposes a desktop assessment and cost-effective approach to determining reasonable coastal access. The main aim is to provide coastal municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) with a geospatial framework to support decision making through improved understanding of current and desired coastal access localities and quality. The KZN coastline varies substantial...

THz field engineering in two-color femtosecond filaments using chirped and delayed laser pulses

We numerically study the influence of chirping and delaying several ionizing two-color light pulses in order to engineer terahertz (THz) wave generation in air. By means of comprehensive 3D simulations, it is shown that two chirped pulses can increase the THz yield when they are separated by a suitable time delay for the same laser energy in focused propagation geometry. To interpret these results, the local current theory is revisited and we propose an easy, accessible all-optical criterion that predicts the laser-to-THz conversion efficiencies given any input laser spectrum. In the filamentation regime, numerical simulations display evidence that a chirped pulse is able to produce more THz radiation due to propagation effects, which maintain the two colors of the laser field more efficiently coupled over long distances. A large delay between two pulses promotes multi-peaked THz spectra as well as conversion efficiencies above 10−4.