Accessibility at SAS

We’re enhancing business.

Businesses need inclusive tools that allow all employees to work effectively. SAS is committed to providing accessible software products and documentation through the ongoing evolution of its product lines. Recognizing that accessible software also provides mainstream value and ease-of-use for everyone, we incorporate universal design into our development process.

The following products exemplify the evolution toward accessible analytics:

• SAS^® Visual Analytics. Democratize your data by empowering employees throughout the organization to find and share insights. SAS Visual Analytics has an approachable self-service user interface that supports a variety of color themes - including a high-contrast theme - customizable visual focus indicator, built-in zoom, and support for keyboard access.
• Base SAS^® Output Delivery System (ODS) EPUB Destination. Generate on-the-go reports for your mobile device. The ODS EPUB destination takes advantage of the accessibility features inherent to iOS, such as customizable font size and color schemes, magnification, text alternatives for images, accessible row and column headers within tables, and compatibility with the VoiceOver screen reader.
• SAS^® Mobile BI for iPad^®. Share insights throughout your organization using SAS Mobile BI for iPad. Reach a broader audience with the new high contrast report theme, text descriptions for data visualizations, and compatibility with the VoiceOver screen reader that is built into every iPad.
• SAS^® Enterprise Guide^®. Analyze data and publish results with this point-and-click, menu- and wizard-driven user interface. SAS Enterprise Guide now includes support for screen readers, magnifiers and refreshable Braille displays within the editor, log and output windows within the integrated development environment, as well as the ODS EPUB destination.
• JMP^® Graph Builder for iPad^®. Create, edit and view graphs wherever you are with the same Graph Builder engine found in JMP. The free app takes advantage of the built-in accessibility features of the iPad, including the VoiceOver screen reader.

It starts in the classroom.

Students with disabilities face numerous challenges on their way to achieving their full potential both in the classroom and the 21^st-century knowledge economy. This especially rings true for visually impaired students in the areas of mathematics and science, which rely heavily on diagrams, charts and pictures to convey concepts and information.

SAS provides hands-on training that brings educators up to speed with the latest accessible technology and prepares them to use it effectively in the classroom. And SAS^® Curriculum Pathways^®, our suite of educational software, is made accessible to students of varying abilities through structured and guided processes that help them better understand concepts and develop skills.

In addition to making accessible technology the centerpiece of the classroom, we are dedicated to inspiring students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). People with disabilities are drastically underrepresented in STEM fields. We believe assistive technologies can break down barriers to entry, allowing more bright minds to contribute and innovate.

• Download SAS^® Flash Cards for iPad^®, a mobile learning app for learners of all ages and abilities.
• Learn more about our hands-on technology workshops for educators.
  
• Watch the Bloomberg story on unlocking the power of the iPad for the blind to see how SAS is training educators with hands-on workshops.
• Get the Quick Reference Guide for VoiceOver on iOS. 
• Learn how SAS creates opportunities for students with disabilities.
• Download an accessible interactive map of the Governor Morehead School for the Blind in North Carolina.

Addressing human rights.

Governing bodies around the world recognize that equal access to information and services is a human rights issue. There are an estimated 1 billion people – about 15 percent of the population – with disabilities. This is the largest minority group, and a largely marginalized one, with poor health outcomes, lower educational achievement, less economic participation and higher poverty rates. Countries and governing bodies like the European Union and United Nations are passing broad legislation mandating accessibility to communication and information, health care, education, transportation, buildings and sites, and services to better include those with disabilities.

Accessible technology is vital to making this level of equality a reality. SAS is designing software that is accessible to government agencies that use it for data management and analysis, as well as citizens who must understand the information born out of the data – regardless of technical savvy, age or ability.

SAS is committed to providing accessible software products and documentation through the ongoing evolution of its product lines. Recognizing that accessible software also provides mainstream value and ease-of-use for everyone, we incorporate universal design into our development process.

We’re better together.

SAS values collaboration, both within our company and with other organizations. We’re always on the lookout for partners who are applying technology with accessibility in mind. Our unique portfolio of technology has the potential to enhance external projects, and vice versa.

The beauty of our statistical software is that it can be applied to a variety of industries to solve a whole range of problems. With some of our project partners, we are:

• Assessing the effectiveness of SAS audio-embossing technology that makes charts, graphs, and maps accessible to students with visual impairments. This project is led by Derrick Smith, PhD, of the University of Alabama at Huntsville and funded by a grant from the university.
• Developing an iBook^® in conjunction with the Space Telescope Science Institute that utilizes SAS audio-embossing technology and other emerging technologies to ensure that the images from the Hubble Space Telescope are accessible to children with visual impairments. The project has been funded by an Education and Public Outreach (EPO) grant from NASA.
• Enhancing the experience for visually impaired visitors of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences with an iOS app that contains an accessible museum map and audio tracks from an existing, self-guided audio tour. This project is funded by the Spark Innovation Grant competition at the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences.