SAS Visual Analytics App for iOS: Accessibility Features

• Overview
• Choosing the Right SAS Report Viewer for You
• Recommended Configuration
• Limited Vision
  • Accessibility Settings for Limited Vision
  • Dark Mode
  • Override the Report Theme
  • View an Object Using the Full Screen
  • Magnify Report Content
  • View Report Data in a Table
  • Using Sonification with Limited Vision
• Without Vision
  • Description of User Interface
  • Access the Report Summary
  • Specialized Accessibility Actions
  • Available Workarounds to VoiceOver Problems
  • Using Sonification with VoiceOver
• Hearing
• Contact Us

Overview

SAS is committed to providing accessible software, documentation, training, and support materials through the ongoing evolution of our products and internal processes.

SAS adopted the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1 level AA as our internal accessibility standard for all software, documentation, training and support materials. We have appointed a Director of Accessibility and established a centralized accessibility team that is charged with implementing the internal accessibility standard. The centralized accessibility team includes accessibility subject matter experts from a variety of disciplines including user experience design, visual design, computer science, quality assurance, and project management. Several members of the team have disabilities. For detailed information about the accessibility of this product, email accessibility@sas.com or contact SAS Technical Support.

Choosing the Right SAS Report Viewer for You

SAS provides the following report viewers:

• SAS Visual Analytics App for Android
• SAS Visual Analytics App for iOS
• SAS Visual Analytics App for Windows
• SAS Visual Analytics

  This is a desktop-browser-based version of the report viewer integrated into SAS Visual Analytics 8.4, 8.5, 2020.1 and later. It is called SAS Report Viewer in versions 8.1, 8.2, and 8.3.

• SAS Visual Analytics Viewer

  This is a desktop-browser-based version of the report viewer provided by SAS Visual Analytics 7.3, 7.4, and 7.5.

The type of accessibility support that is provided by each report viewer varies. Each report viewer has particular strengths. Depending on the type of support that you require, you might prefer one report viewer over the others.

SAS Visual Analytics App for iOS is a good choice for the following groups of users:

• Users of screen readers. By using the VoiceOver screen reader built into iOS devices, users without functional vision can explore the contents of reports and access individual data elements. SAS Visual Analytics App for iOS also provides sonification. Sonification enables users to explore data using non-speech audio. This feature replicates some of the experience of looking at a traditional chart using your eyes – such as the ability to get information about trends with a quick glance. See Using Sonification with Limited Vision and Using Sonification with VoiceOver.
  Note: At the time of publication, SAS Visual Analytics App for iOS is the best choice for screen reader users.
• Users of keyboards only. By using either the VoiceOver or Switch Control features that are built into iOS devices, people can fully access the application by using a Bluetooth keyboard. Touching the screen is not necessary to use the device.
• Users with low vision. Taking advantage of the Dynamic Type feature provided by iOS, this version of the report viewer enables users to adjust the size of text that appears on the screen. The adjustment can be as much as 200%. The SAS Visual Analytics App for iOS also supports a high-contrast theme override for report contents. Users who prefer a high-contrast theme can apply this theme to any report, even if the author of the report has assigned a different theme. In addition, the app supports the iOS Smart Invert and Increase Contrast features. When used with the high-contrast theme override for report contents, these features enable users to configure the app to use a high-contrast light-on-dark display, which might be easier for some people to see.

For information about the accessibility features provided by the other report viewers, see the following documents:

• SAS Visual Analytics App for Android: Accessibility Features
• SAS Visual Analytics App for Windows: Accessibility Features
• SAS Visual Analytics: Accessibility Features (SAS Visual Analytics 2020.1 and later)
• SAS Visual Analytics: Accessibility Features (SAS Visual Analytics 8.5)
• SAS Visual Analytics Viewer: Accessibility Features (SAS Visual Analytics 7.5)

Recommended Configuration

SAS Visual Analytics App 2023.11 accommodates most accessibility settings provided by iOS. The app also provides specialized support for the VoiceOver screen reader built into all iOS devices. See Specialized Accessibility Actions.

This product also provides sonification for charts. Using SAS Graphics Accelerator technology, sonification provides non-speech audio to convey important information about a chart. Sonification can be useful to users with visual or cognitive disabilities. See Using Sonification with Limited Vision and Using Sonification with VoiceOver.

To customize this product and its features, complete the following steps:

1. Open the iOS Settings app.
2. Tap Accessibility.

Limited Vision

Accessibility Settings for Limited Vision

This product supports iOS accessibility settings for limited vision. See the iOS Settings app and the User’s Guide for your version of iOS.

Dark Mode

The app supports the iOS feature called Dark Mode. When you enable this mode, a high-contrast theme is applied to the app user interface outside of the actual report, such as Home, Add Content, and the report viewer user interface that surrounds a report but is not part of the report.

To apply a high-contrast theme to report content, use the theme feature in the app. See Override the Report Theme.

Override the Report Theme

A report is designed to use specific colors and fonts. This is called a theme. You can override that theme when you view the report in app. The High Contrast Theme is recommended for people with low vision. This theme uses a black background with bright foreground colors to achieve high contrast.

To learn more about this feature, view the following slideshow. A detailed procedure is below the slideshow.

To override the theme:

1. If you are in the report viewer, tap Close.
2. Tap .
3. Tap Settings.
4. Tap Advanced Settings.
5. Tap Override Report Theme. A list of themes opens.
6. Tap the theme that you want to use.
7. To return to SAS Visual Analytics App, tap Back in the upper left corner.

View an Object Using the Full Screen

To maximize an object:

1. Tap the object to highlight it.
2. On the bottom bar, tap .

To restore the object size:

1. Tap the object to highlight it.
2. Tap .

Magnify Report Content

The magnifying glass feature makes it easy to view data in a report. You can move the lens over the report. When the crosshairs at the center of the lens are placed above a data point, the information for that data point appears in a window.

Complete these steps in the report viewer:

1. Tap the object that you want to magnify.
2. Tap .
3. Tap Show Magnifier.

   The magnifying glass lens appears in the report area.

4. To dismiss the magnifier, tap and then tap Hide Magnifier.

View Report Data in a Table

You can view underlying report data while viewing an object. In previous releases this was referred to as explore mode.

Complete these steps:

1. Tap the object.
2. In the bottom bar, tap to view the object in full-screen mode.
3. Tap .
4. Tap Show Details to open the table.

   If they are available, data details appear in a table beneath the object.

   TipYou can still tap the object when the table is open.
5. Tap a row in the table to highlight the associated item in the object.
   TipYou can scroll the table up and down to view all of the rows.
6. Tap .
7. Tap Hide Details to close the table.

Using Sonification with Limited Vision

Using SAS Graphics Accelerator technology, sonification provides non-speech audio to convey important information about a chart.

Determine Whether an Object Supports Sonification

Complete these steps to determine whether an object supports sonification:

1. Tap the object.
2. Tap in the bottom bar.

   If Sonification appears in the menu, it is supported by the object.

3. Tap Sonification to open the Sonification window.

Control the Playback of Data Elements in an Object

Complete the following steps:

1. Tap .
2. Tap Sonification.
3. Tap to play the sonification.
4. Tap to stop the sonification.

Adjust the Playback Speed

Sonification has five speeds: fastest, fast, normal, slow, and slowest.

Complete the following steps:

1. Tap .
2. Tap Sonification.
3. In the Sonification window, tap the slider to adjust the speed.

Control Chart Animation

Sonification can also animate each data element when its note is played. Animation is enabled by default.

To disable or enable the animation:

1. Tap .
2. Tap Sonification.
3. In the Sonification window, select the Animate Playback switch.

   The switch turns blue when enabled.

Without Vision

Description of User Interface

Guided Introduction for New Users

When a new user opens the app, it provides two paths:

• set up the app by connecting to a server and adding reports to the app.

  The new user is guided through Add Content.

• view sample reports only.

  Sample reports appear on the screen. You can add additional sample reports to the app. Activate a report to open it in the report viewer.

These are the only paths available for new users until they complete the path to set up the app. After the app is set up, the app opens its home screen and displays Home.

General Layout

The product consists of the following interfaces:

• the Home page, which shows the Reports and My Insights sections. Other pages include Favorites, Shared, and Insights.
• Add Content
• Report viewer

The interfaces in this product contain two areas.

Bottom bar

There is a banner that runs along the bottom of the app and is known as the bottom bar. The bottom bar contains access to the Home, Favorites, Shared, and Insights pages.

Main content area

The main content area displays the content that corresponds with the page that you selected.

• Home, Favorites, Shared, or Insights

  Home contains the Add button, which opens Add Content.

  The main content area contains the report tiles.

  In the Reports section of the Home page, you can activate a report tile to open the report in the report viewer.

  Home also contains the My Insights section. If you create an insight, it appears in this section.

  In Home, Favorites, or Shared, you can touch and hold on a report tile to access applicable actions.

  Home, Favorites, Shared, and Insights contain the More Options menu, which accesses sorting options and other settings, including the Help.

• Add Content

  The main content area displays the folder navigation for the contents of your server. When you select a server, the folders and reports that are available on that server appear.

  Folders can contain report tiles. When you tap a report tile, a window appears in which you can perform actions.

  In the bottom right corner of the window is the Folder menu. Activate the Folder menu to access Explore Data and Import Package.

• Report viewer

  The main content area displays the report and its bottom bar. You can scroll through the pages of the report. The bottom bar provides additional actions that you can use in the report as a whole or for a selected object. Some of the actions are available only when an object is maximized or only for specific types of objects.

Access the Report Summary

In About this Report, you can view a text summary of the report. The report summary is created by the report author.

1. Touch and hold the report tile.
2. Tap About this Report.

Specialized Accessibility Actions

About Specialized Accessibility Actions

SAS Visual Analytics App provides custom actions on the VoiceOver rotor. To access these custom actions, you must navigate to Actions on the rotor. For information about the rotor, see the User’s Guide for your Apple iPhone or iPad.

Report Tile Actions

Report tile actions are available on the rotor and vary depending on the user interface. Report tiles appear in the following user interfaces:

• Home
• Add Content
• Favorites
• Shared
• collections
• search results

Report Object Actions

The Details window

The Details windows is accessed from the bottom bar in the report viewer.

On the Data pane, when viewing data roles for an object, the default action is to edit the data item. The custom action is to view the properties information, which is available only if the format or aggregation properties are present.

Charts and graphs

For report objects that are charts or graphs, the activation action is to select the report object and access the data elements.

IMPORTANT Previously available custom actions are now located in the bottom bar.

Tables

For report objects that are tables, the activation action is to select the report object and access the table elements.

IMPORTANT Previously available custom actions are now located in the bottom bar.

Crosstabs

For report objects that are crosstabs (also called crosstabulation tables), the default action is to select the report object and access the table elements. Custom actions for a crosstab object are as follows:

• If the crosstab object contains a row hierarchy on the header, a custom action activates the row header elements.
• If the crosstab object contains a column hierarchy on the header, a custom action activates the column header elements.

Text objects

For report objects that are textual content, the activation action is to select the report object and access the textual content.

IMPORTANT Previously available custom actions are now located in the bottom bar.

If the textual content has been accessed and the VoiceOver cursor is on a portion of the textual content, you can exit the textual content and return to the object.

Full-screen view actions

When you maximize a report object, access to data elements, table elements, or textual content occurs when opening the report object in the full-screen view. The following actions are available in the full-screen view:

• To restore the report object to its original size and return the VoiceOver cursor to the top level of the report object, use the two-finger scrub (also called escape) gesture or activate the Restore button in the bottom bar.
• To return the VoiceOver cursor to the top level of the report object without restoring the size of the object, use the custom action on the rotor.

Data Element Actions

For data elements that are in charts or graphs, the default action is to select the data element. When a data element is selected, its associated report object is also selected. When a data element is selected in charts and graphs, the data element is activated and the data element information appears in the object information window. If the data element has associated actions, these appear in the window also.

Custom actions for a data element are as follows:

• exit the data element and return to the report object.
  TipWhenever you access data elements in a report object, you can use the two-finger scrub (also called escape) gesture to return the VoiceOver cursor to the top level of the report object.
• activate terse details for data elements. The default data element information is expanded (verbose). After you activate terse details, the custom action changes to Activate expanded details for data elements.
  TipThis action toggles the terse details setting for all table and data elements in the report while the report is open.
• If the data element is selected, clear the selection is an option. Clearing the data element selection does not clear the report object selection.
• If the report object supports sonification, activate sound for data elements. Each data element is indicated by a tone. After you activate sound, the custom action changes to Activate speech for data elements. See Using Sonification with VoiceOver.
  TipThis action toggles sound for all data elements that support sonification in the report while the report is open.

Table Element Actions

For table elements, the default action is to toggle the selection of the row associated with the table element. When a table element is selected, its associated report object is also selected. When a table element is selected, the table element is activated and the table element information appears in the object information window. If the table element has associated actions, these appear in the window also.

Custom actions for a table element are as follows:

• exit the table element and return to the report object.
  TipWhenever you access table elements in a report object, you can use the two-finger scrub (also called escape) gesture to return the VoiceOver cursor to the top level of the report object.
• activate terse details for table elements. The default table element information is expanded (verbose). After you activate terse details, the custom action changes to Activate expanded details for table elements.
  TipThis action toggles the terse details setting for all table and data elements in the report while the report is open.
• If the row associated with the table element is selected, clear the selection is an option. Clearing the row selection does not clear the report object selection.

Filter Control Actions

Available actions vary depending on the filter control type.

Buttons

The default action for the button filter control is to access the filter options that are displayed in the report. The default action for buttons that are not selected is to select them. Only one button can be selected at a time. Depending on how a report is designed, a selection might be required. If a selection is not required, the default action on a selected button is to deselect that button. The button filter control can be displayed either vertically or horizontally.

The custom action for filter options is to exit the options and return to the button filter control.

TipWhenever you access options in a button filter control, you can use the two-finger scrub (also called escape) gesture to return the VoiceOver cursor to the top level of the filter control.

Check boxes

The default action for the check box filter control is to access the filter options that are displayed in the report. The default action for boxes that are not selected is to select them. The default action for a selected box is to deselect that box. Depending on how a report is designed, a selection might be required. If a selection is required, then all boxes can be deselected except one.

The custom action for filter options is to exit the options and return to the check box filter control.

TipWhenever you access options in a check box filter control, you can use the two-finger scrub (also called escape) gesture to return the VoiceOver cursor to the top level of the filter control.

Lists

The activation action for the list filter control is to open a window that contains the filter options provided by the list. The activation action for list options is to select the option and close the window. To remove a selection, activate the Clear Filter option. Depending on how a report is designed, a selection might be required. If a selection is required, the Clear Filter option is not available.

Radio buttons

The default action for the radio button filter control is to access the filter options that are displayed in the report. The default action for buttons that are not selected is to select them. One button must be selected at any time.

The custom action for filter options is to exit the options and return to the radio button filter control.

TipWhenever you access options in a radio button filter control, you can use the two-finger scrub (also called escape) gesture to return the VoiceOver cursor to the top level of the filter control.

Single slider

Single sliders do not have a default action. The single slider can be displayed vertically or horizontally.

TipThe single slider is an adjustable accessibility component. Swipe up or down to adjust the value by 10%. To make finer adjustments, use the single-finger double-tap and hold gesture to drag the slider along the track.

Range slider

The range slider can be displayed vertically or horizontally. The activation action accesses the sliders and the track that is between the sliders.

Tip

• The sliders and the track are adjustable accessibility components. Swipe up or down to adjust the value by 10%. To make finer adjustments, make sure that the focus is on the track or the sliders that you want to adjust. Then use the single-finger double-tap and hold gesture to drag the sliders along the track or drag along the track itself.
• Whenever you access the sliders and track in the range slider filter control, you can use the two-finger scrub (also called escape) gesture to return the VoiceOver cursor to the top level of the filter control.

Text field

The default action is to access the text field and open the keyboard. Depending on how a report is designed, a window might appear when you activate the field or start typing. When you type each character, the window dynamically updates its available filter options. The beginning of these options matches the first character entered and the text entered thereafter.

Note: If the field is blank or you clear the field, the window closes.

The custom action for the text field is to return to the top level of the filter control which also dismisses the keyboard. To use this custom action, you must first close the window.

TipWhenever you access the text field, you can use the two-finger scrub (also called escape) gesture to return the VoiceOver cursor to the top level of the filter control. This also closes the window and dismisses the keyboard.

Available Workarounds to VoiceOver Problems

VoiceOver Problem	Workaround
In the report viewer, VoiceOver cannot access the Annotate feature.	Tap the More Options button and tap Share. Tap Copy. The app creates a screenshot of the current page. In the iOS Mail app, paste the image into an email. This app provides annotation tools that support VoiceOver.
In reports, interactions caused by charts are supported by VoiceOver, but when an interaction affects a target object, there is no announcement of the change.	The interaction occurs, but the user must explore the target object to observe the changes.

Using Sonification with VoiceOver

Using SAS Graphics Accelerator technology, sonification provides non-speech audio to convey important information about a chart.

Determine Whether an Object Supports Sonification

To determine whether an object supports sonification, two-finger double-tap to preview the report object. If the object is supported, sonification plays tones that represent the data in the report object at the currently set speed.

Control the Playback of Data Elements in an Object

The Activate Sound for Data Elements custom action on the rotor enables you to quickly alternate between sonification or VoiceOver announcement for a data element.

• When the Activate Sound for Data Elements custom action is activated and the focus is on the data element, sonification plays the corresponding note.
• When using sonification, two-finger double-tap to hear VoiceOver announce the data element value.
• To return to VoiceOver, select the Activate Speech for Data Elements on the custom rotor.
• When using VoiceOver, two-finger double-tap to hear the tone for the data element value.

Adjust the Playback Speed

Sonification has five speeds: fastest, fast, normal, slow, and slowest.

To adjust the speed of the playback while the focus is on an object that is supported by VoiceOver, single-finger swipe up or down.

Otherwise, open the sonification window and then single-finger swipe up or down.

Control Chart Animation

Sonification can also animate each data element when its note is played. Animation is enabled by default.

To disable or enable the animation:

1. In the bottom bar, activate the Object More Options menu.
2. Activate Sonification.
3. In the Sonification window, activate the Animate Playback switch.

Hearing

All short-form English language external SAS videos are captioned as part of the standard video publishing process along with select longer-form videos. This includes both technical and marketing videos that are published to the SAS Software and SAS Users channel on YouTube and videos published to SAS web properties. Longer-form videos that are not captioned as part of the standard process can be captioned upon request.

Contact Us

Email us at accessibility@sas.com if you need this document in an alternative digital format. For more information about the accessibility of SAS products, visit www.sas.com/accessibility.