Practical web accessibility

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YouTube allows fans to contribute video captions

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In a recent update, YouTube will allow community members to contribute closed captions to supported videos, opening up the potential for the world’s largest online video platform to be more accessible for people who are Deaf or hearing impaired.

YouTube logo alongside the Closed Captioning (CC) logo

Taxonomy: 
Web
News
Practical web accessibility
Disability
Deaf or hearing impaired
Solutions
Captions
Closed captions
Inclusion
Digital media and technology: 
Techniques
Technologies
YouTube

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Digital Gap pushes for change by 2017

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The call for improvement to digital accessibility for people with disabilities moved to Parliament House in Canberra with a call for significant change to happen by 2017, which is the 25th anniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act.

Two glass jars of peanut butter. Smooth on the left and crunchy on the right.

Taxonomy: 
Digital technology
Web
Australian policy and legislation
News
Practical web accessibility
Policy
Disability
Blind or vision impaired
Deaf or hearing impaired
Solutions
Inclusion
Digital media and technology: 
WCAG
Techniques
Technologies
Web browsers
Assistive technology
Mobile operating systems
Operating systems
Devices
Smartphones

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ACCAN launches campaign for online caption quality

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The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) has formed an alliance of organisations which is calling for online videos to be provided with accurate, readable captions.

YouTube auto-caption for Tony Abbott reads "things like the big butts well we want to carefully look". Image credit: ACCAN via Facebook

Taxonomy: 
Web
Research & policy
Australian policy and legislation
News
Practical web accessibility
ACCAN, Australian Communications Consumer Action Network
Policy
Disability
Deaf or hearing impaired
Solutions
Captions
Closed captions
Inclusion
Open captions

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Digital Gap Initiative invites you to Parliament

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The Federal Parliament will be the venue for a major accessibility event showcasing developments and issues in digital accessibility.

The front of Parliament House in Canberra

Taxonomy: 
Digital technology
Australian policy and legislation
News
Practical web accessibility
Disability
Blind or vision impaired
Deaf or hearing impaired
Inclusion
Digital media and technology: 
Techniques
Technologies

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Blind Citizens Australia wraps up successful convention in Perth

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The Blind Citizens Australia (BCA) annual convention was held over the weekend at the Mercure hotel in Perth, with approximately 120 attendees discussing a range of issues.

Much of the focus related to the 40th anniversary of BCA with presentations and discussions relating to how products and services for people who are blind or vision impaired have progressed over that time, current issues both locally and internationally, and the significance of BCA in the future.

Taxonomy: 
Digital technology
Web
News
Practical web accessibility
Media Access Review
Disability
Blind or vision impaired
Solutions
Inclusion
Audio description
Digital media and technology: 
App reviews
Standards
Techniques
Technologies
iTunes
Assistive technology
Screen readers
NVDA
VoiceOver
iOS
Android
Operating systems
Microsoft Windows
Mac OS X
Devices
Android tablets
iPad
Smartphones
Android smartphones
iPhone

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Looking forward with access at BCA

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Media Access Australia’s Director of Digital Accessibility, Dr Scott Hollier, will be presenting on developments in access technology for blind and vision impaired people at the Blind Citizens Australia (BCA) national convention in Perth on 10th October.

Entrance of the Perth Mercure hotel at dusk. Image credit: mercureperth.com.au

Dr Hollier is a well-known international expert and his presentation will cover a wide range of access technology following the convention theme of “Looking Forward Looking Back - Celebrating 40 Years of Achievement.”

Taxonomy: 
General
Australian policy and legislation
News
Practical web accessibility
Television
Policy
Review of access to electronic media
TV terms
TV access
Disability
Blind or vision impaired
Inclusion
Audio description

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Accessible India Campaign to greatly improve access to media

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The Accessible India Campaign is set to launch on December 3, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, with a strong focus on improving access to information and communication technology in the region.

Accessible India Campaign. Accessible India - Empowered India. Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment

Taxonomy: 
General
Research & policy
International policy and legislation
News
Practical web accessibility
Policy Terms
Policy
Review of access to electronic media
TV access
Disability
Blind or vision impaired
Deaf or hearing impaired
Mobility
Solutions
Captions
Inclusion
Audio description
Digital media and technology: 
Techniques
Technologies
Assistive technology
Screen readers

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Five tips to make the web work better in your language

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In late May, Dr Scott Hollier travelled to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to teach a web accessibility course to 22 students. As part of the assignment work, the students learnt how to use the basic functionality of screen readers and other Assistive Technology (AT). While the work went well, it quickly became apparent that there were a number of issues relating to the way in which Arabic was supported by the tools, and how those tools interacted with the web.

Translate button on a keyboard amidst keys labelled with multiple languages

There are several reasons why the web becomes more complicated for non-English speaking users, and it’s a combination of a number of factors:

Taxonomy: 
General
Web
International policy and legislation
News
Practical web accessibility
Policy
Disability
Blind or vision impaired
Deaf or hearing impaired
Solutions
Captions
Inclusion
Audio description
Digital media and technology: 
Standards
ATAG
Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines
Section 508
WCAG
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
Techniques
Technologies
W3C
Web browsers
Assistive technology
Screen readers
Mobile operating systems
Devices
Smartphones

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Employment conference to cover digital accessibility

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One of the most powerful practical approaches to assist people with a disability in becoming self-sufficient and managing their needs is through helping them into employment. Specialist disability employment services are the usual first place that both employers and people with a disability turn to in that job-hunting quest. Whilst the person may be experienced, willing and able to take on the workplace, the workplace also needs to accommodate their needs.

Australia's Disability Employment Conference - Sydney 2015

Taxonomy: 
Research & policy
News
Practical web accessibility
Policy
Disability
Blind or vision impaired
Deaf or hearing impaired
Solutions
Inclusion

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Chinese tech giant Baidu announces Blind Search device

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China’s leading search engine provider Baidu has announced the Blind Search device, a tool to assist blind and vision impaired people access “massive amounts of information online through touch” using a combination of tactile and voice-activated commands.

Blind Search facing upward with light emitting from the tactile display. Caption reads 'The device is called Blind Search'

Taxonomy: 
Digital technology
Web
News
Practical web accessibility
Disability
Blind or vision impaired
Digital media and technology: 
Techniques
Technologies
Web browsers
Assistive technology

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