uiAccess Research Project
Would you be willing to take a few minutes to help a research project for people with dyslexia, low vision, and other conditions, including ageing?
If so, would you send this message to people who might know about making text easier to read, including:
1. People with dyslexia, low vision, or any other condition that impacts reading -- specifically, people who can see and can read, but have difficulty reading normally-formatted text, and need to change the way text is displayed in order to read effectively.
Or
2. Occupational therapists, vocational rehab providers, accessibility specialists, and others who understand how people need to customize text display in order to read effectively.
If you are either 1 or 2 above, would you be willing to fill out a survey that will help people understand the need to make text easier to read?
It takes about 20 minutes to complete one part of the survey. The survey is online at:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/text1304
Please complete the survey by Friday 3rd May 2013 if possible (or even right now before you forget). |
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Fujitsu Tech Boosts Social Enterprise
Technology is having a massive impact on the way people live their lives.
Ensuring that technology is designed to be fully inclusive has to be a top priority otherwise millions of disabled people will be left behind. That’s why Fujitsu is taking a leading role in the debate on accessible technology.
We have been working with the Digital Accessibility Centre
to provide accessibility testing services and advice on Digital Inclusion. Inclusive IT can enable many disabled people to access work and entertainment and lead independent lives.
Fujitsu is a Gold Member of the Business Disability Forum and is proud to champion their Business Taskforce for Accessible Technology (BTAT) Charter.
Cam Nicholl, Sales and Marketing Director of the young social enterprise says, “On the 5th of October, we received a visit from Fujitsu’s Chief Information Officer for UK & Ireland, Craig Macpherson. Craig attended the Digital Accessibility Centre to meet the testing team personally and also used this opportunity to present the DAC with two Netbooks and a Tablet which Fujitsu have kindly donated to aid our hugely important accessibility work. We are grateful for their donation and are pleased to be able to actively support Fujitsu with their Diversity and Inclusion Programme”.
Operations Director, Gavin Evans, voiced his appreciation for Fujitsu’s generosity saying, “We would like to take this opportunity to thank Craig and his team at Fujitsu for this equipment, which is being put to good use both in and out of the office. The laptops have already been used in training sessions with the Law Society and the tablet has been integrated into our mobile testing service. We really appreciate the support from Fujitsu, and look forward to continuing our relationship; working closely with them in the important and worthwhile pursuit of digital inclusion.”
The Digital Accessibility Centre is a non-profit social enterprise and one of the leading providers of web accessibility services. They are a team of accessibility specialists, reliant upon a number of assistive technologies and passionate about digital inclusion and ensuring everything digital is accessible.
The Disability Action Alliance
"We are proud to say that we have joined the Disability Action Alliance! The Disability Action Alliance brings together disabled people's organisations with other organisations from the public, private and third sector. The aim is to work together to deliver actions at a local and national level which make a real difference to disabled people's lives. We want to make a difference - do you? If so join the Disability Action Alliance http://disabilityactionalliance.org.uk" |
Importance of being accessible
Take a look at this recent interview with Cam Nicholl of the Digital Accessibility Centre on the importance of being accesible. |
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Vodafone Smart Accessibility Awards
We have partnered with 232 Studios to provide expert review and user testing, on a mobile App they have developed. There is a diverse market of commercial video magnifiers, allowing zoom and real time colour filters, beneficial not just to low vision but also other conditions such as dyslexia and colour blindness.
They cost from £500 – £1500. This is prohibitively expensive for much of the audience who are retired or low income. Anyone with a smartphone already owns a screen and a camera, so we have produced a video magnifier as a free software solution rather than an expensive hardware solution.
The app is designed to be as universally accessible as possible, bearing in mind the varying target audiences and high likelyihood of multiple conditions. The buttons are larger and higher contrast than the usual Android recommendations, with large simple zoom in / zoom out buttons rather than the complex motor demands of pinching or dragging. There is no reliance on text, with as literal / metaphor-free iconography as possible.
Use Case
An elderly man is reading the Financial Times. Typically he has a range of minor impairments. He has blurred vision due to cataracts. He has no cognitive impairment other than some forgetfulness due to medication, and has some difficulty operating small fiddly things due to some hand shakiness (essential tremor).
With Zoom Plus he can zoom in and increase the contrast. Both of these things are helpful for blurred vision, especially taking into account the dark paper of the FT. The jargon-free menu with simple iconography is appropriate for his level of IT literacy, and the large well spaced buttons and reliance only on simple presses are appropriate for his motor ability.
Technology
Developed in Adobe Air which doesn’t yet support screenreaders, but the app is intended for people with some vision. It accesses the input from the camera and applies various colour filters. and a digital zoom.
Link to Guardian article: Winners named at Vodafone's Smart Accessibility awards |
GPII
The Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure (GPII) is an international project to build accessibility into the Internet, so that everyone can use it, regardless of barriers due to disability, literacy, aging, or economic disadvantage. GPII will support customized, personalized interfaces on any information and communication technology device – computers, mobile phones, kiosks, ticket machines, etc.
GPII would not create new access technologies itself, but would create the infrastructure for making access technologies easier to develop, select, deliver, and use. GPII will be like a road system, which does not provide transportation itself but enhances the ability of car manufacturers, freight services, and bus companies to do so. The Internet is today’s infrastructure for “getting around” and getting things done; GPII enhancements will enable the Internet to be truly inclusive.
Users will select their preferred interface features such as text to speech, captions, magnification, or simplified language, using a Wizard with or without assistance. That personal preference profile is then stored securely and privately in the cloud. Users can then summon those features to be implemented on any device they encounter. This gives them full functionality with an interface they’re already familiar with. GPII will let public agencies and businesses accommodate their employees and customers, without having to address their needs one at a time.
GPII is now in its early stages of development, with cooperating projects in Europe, Canada, and the United States. You can visit its website and see an introductory animation at http://gpii.net.
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