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Put in place by the Australian Government Information Office (AGIMO), the strategy states that all Australian government websites must comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 Level A by 31 December 2012, and Level AA by December 2014. By complying with these standards, website owners help ensure that web-based information and tools can be used by everyone regardless of disability.

Funded by the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network and first launched in March, sociABILITY helps people with sensory or mobility impairment overcome the accessibility barriers found in six of the world’s most popular social networking tools. The report and tip sheets guide people through getting started on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Skype and blogging.

Following the 13-week trial of AD on ABC1, which ended on 4 November, we are now waiting on the ABC to release its report on the technical aspects of delivering the service.

Speaking in the Senate yesterday, Senator Ludlam moved a motion that requested the Senate to officially note:

What is the conference about?

Languages and the Media combines academic research and practical information on the technologies and processes involved in delivering accessible media. The main components are separated into disability access, such as captioning, audio description and sign language; and translation using subtitles and dubbing.

To access the long description, press 'NVDA'+'d' once the screen reader announces it is there. For example, if users have their screen reader focused on an image of a graph, NVDA will announce there is long description available. To activate the long description, users can press the NVDA button (usually Insert) and the 'd' to hear the long description. This update is compatible with the Firefox and Internet Explorer browsers.

Since the trial commenced on 5 August, an average of two hours of audio described content was broadcast each night. Other Australian programs described during the trial included Rake, Lowdown and The Mystery of a Hansom Cab.

“The ABC is to be commended for doing such a good job with the trial,” said Chris Mikul from Media Access Australia. “The quality of the audio description, particularly on the locally produced shows, has been terrific.”

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US recently set a September 30 deadline for all TV networks and web video sites to caption videos it posts online. The mandate ensures captions are provided for content, to keep up with the increasing number of videos that are posted on websites, particularly by commercial networks and broadcasters.

The questionnaire is designed to capture information around technical issues that patrons may experience while trying to watch accessible cinema. These may be a number of problems, such as captions dropping out halfway through a movie or volume changes to the audio description.

The information collected from the questionnaire may be used for a report that will be sent to movie post-production houses and Australian cinemas to help them to improve the delivery of closed captions and audio description.

The Music Focus Group is holding a series of workshops which will explore the aspects of music which can be appreciated by cochlear users. The findings of the research will then guide the production of music specifically for those with the implants.