Disability

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

Digital media and technology:

WCAG

Web browsers

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Q&A: Australia’s Media Accessibility in a Multicultural, Multilingual Context—Australia as a Case Study

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Media Access Australia spoke to Professor Peter Hutchings, Dean of the School of Humanities and Communication Arts at the University of Western Sydney about media accessibility in Australia; in particular, looking at how multiculturalism and multilingualism affect people’s access to media—a topic on which Professor Hutching recently presented on at the 2014 Languages & The Media conference in Berlin.

Professor Peter Hutchings using a MacBook

Taxonomy:

General

Research & policy

Australian policy and legislation

Solutions

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Captions supporting students with autism

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Captions are acknowledged as being beneficial for a range of students with diverse learning needs, including Deaf and hearing impaired, English as a Second Language and now a new initiative from Ai-Media in the UK shows how captions support students with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

Young girl pressing finger down on a tablet device

Taxonomy:

Projects

Practical web accessibility

Inclusion

Digital media and technology:

Devices

iPad

Smartphones

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Samsung announces new eye-controlled mouse

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Electronics company Samsung has announced that it has created a new eye-controllable mouse, EYECAN+, to allow people with disabilities to browse the web and compose and edit documents through eye movements.

Hyung-Jin Shin, graduate student who has worked with Samsung demonstrates the EYECAN+ mouse. Image credit: Samsung Tomorrow

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Westpac banking app inaccessible: Former Disability Commissioner

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Former Australian Disability Commissioner Graeme Innes is lodging a complaint against major Australian bank Westpac due to the alleged inaccessibility of its mobile banking application.

iPhone 6 resting on a flat surface

In a blog post, Innes claimed that as the result of an upgrade to Westpac’s online banking platform several months ago, including changes to its banking app, he could no longer bank via his iPhone.

Taxonomy:

Policy

Review of access to electronic media

Disability

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

Solutions

Digital media and technology:

WCAG

Mobile operating systems

iOS

Devices

iPhone

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Five live-caption quality issues from the UK

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The quality of live captioning was a major topic discussed at the recent The Future of Subtitling conference held in London on 10 November 2014. Media Access Australia CEO Alex Varley presented at the conference and he gives his impressions on the main issues from the UK perspective.

Woman using live captioning set-up with microphone, headphones and computer

Taxonomy:

Ofcom, Office of Communications

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US cinemas and advocacy groups agree on accessible cinema recommendations

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US cinema owners and advocacy groups have come to a historic agreement in order to make accessible cinema recommendations to government around the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Columbia City Cinema main hall

Taxonomy:

Accessible Cinema

Audio description

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3D printers to improve classroom access

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While not traditionally thought of as media, 3D printers are emerging as a new way for students to access learning and information.

Printing head of a FELIX 3D Printer

Increasingly affordable devices can ‘print’ three dimensional objects with computer-based 3D ‘maps’ of everything from chemical compounds, microorganisms, topographical maps, to bodily organs and machine parts.

Taxonomy:

Ofcom, Office of Communications

Equipment

Digital media and technology:

Technologies

Assistive technology

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Ofcom releases first access report for 2014

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The UK communications regulator Ofcom has released its Television Access Report for the first half of 2014, which shows that once again, most British broadcasters are exceeding their access requirements. The report comes as the Federal Government is trying to end similar reporting requirements which are in place for Australian broadcasters.

Girl watching TV

Taxonomy:

TV & video

News