Deaf or hearing impaired

Australian policy and legislation

AHRC, Australian Human Rights Commission

Solutions

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Read more about Employment discrimination inquiry highlights value of digital accessibility

Petition to make Steam accessible launched

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A Change.org petition has launched asking for the world’s largest digital game distribution platform, Steam, to be made accessible for people with disabilities.

Left hand resting over the W,A,S,D keys on a computer keyboard. Image credit: Brian J. Matis via Flickr

Taxonomy:

Digital media and technology:

Accessible gaming

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Crowdfunding platform Kickstarter adds closed caption support for videos

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Kickstarter, one of the world’s most popular crowdfunding platforms, has announced a new accessibility feature enabling entrepreneurs to add closed captions and subtitles for videos uploaded to its website.

Woman speaking with the caption "Now, with the ability to add subtitles and captions". Image credit: Kickstarter blog

Taxonomy:

Practical web accessibility

Closed captions

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

Digital media and technology:

WCAG

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Facebook turns new leaf on accessibility

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Facebook has begun touting its accessibility credentials to developers and consumers alike, announcing that it has launched a new Accessibility Toolkit and that it is creating an accessibility culture.

HACK logo with American Sign Language hand signs

Taxonomy:

Practical web accessibility

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

Digital media and technology:

Section 508

WCAG

Techniques

Social media

Facebook

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Empathy and the accessible web experience

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Have you considered taking an empathy-based approach to identifying how your organisation can make itself more accessible for people with disabilities? Perhaps you should.

Man using a laptop while sitting cross-legged on a sofa

Empathy training and developing emotional intelligence are gaining in popularity as ways to better understand customers, improve collaboration with colleagues and to develop better leaders.

Taxonomy:

Practical web accessibility

Mobility

Solutions

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

Digital media and technology:

Section 508

WCAG

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Samsung boosts smartphone accessibility with Galaxy Talkback for the S6 and S6 Edge

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Samsung’s Galaxy S range of smartphones are due to receive a significant accessibility upgrade with the addition of Galaxy Talkback and several new features for Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge devices.

Two Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge devices stacked together. Image credit: TechStage via Flickr

Taxonomy:

Digital technology

Mobility

Digital media and technology:

Assistive technology

Mobile operating systems

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Read more about Samsung boosts smartphone accessibility with Galaxy Talkback for the S6 and S6 Edge

Captions can help address disability education funding crisis

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New data has been released showing that Australian schools are struggling to fund the educational support needs of students with a disability. For schools looking for low-cost ways to support learning, especially for students with a hearing impairment, using captions on classroom videos offers essential access to the curriculum.

Teacher and students in a primary school classroom

Recent research conducted by the Australian Education Union (AEU) through the State of Our Schools Survey questioned 3,300 teachers and principals about funding for students with disability.

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Netflix launches in Australia with captions

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The US-based video-on-demand (VOD) service Netflix launched in Australia today. The good news for Deaf and hearing impaired viewers is that virtually all the content is captioned.

Netflix logo placed inside the shape of Australia

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New caption quality rules take effect in the US

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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has introduced new quality rules for closed captions on television which come into effect in the US on 16 March 2015.

Left hand pointing remote control towards TV. Image credit: flash.pro via Flickr

Taxonomy:

TV & video

FCC, Federal Communications Commission

Television

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Read more about New caption quality rules take effect in the US

Disability employment: the three key questions

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Answering three key technology questions for job seekers, employers and the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) lies at the heart of improving disability employment in Australia.

Computer keyboard with 'Find Job' button in the shape of the Enter key

The first of the three questions—‘What is the best way to provide ICT support to job seekers with disabilities?’—is an obvious one. But yet, it’s one that isn’t considered all that often.

Taxonomy:

General

Solutions