Welcome to Disability: IN’s monthly round up of digital accessibility news for April.
At Disability:IN we know that digital accessibility impacts all aspects of disability inclusion. If you have questions about our digital accessibility program, please contact Jeff Wissel, our Chief Accessibility Officer.
Disability:IN Happenings
As the Chief Accessibility Officer at Disability:IN, I am often asked for information on the most common ways individuals who are blind, or have low vision navigate the web and mobile apps. Is IOS or Android more commonly used and which screen readers and browser combinations are most popular? You can find the answers to these questions and more in the WebAIM Project Screen Reader User Survey.
There is an exciting addition to the Disability:IN 2024 Disability Equality Index. Procurement Accessibility is a new category with non-weighted questions for 2024. Advancing accessibility through procurement is a critical component of a mature accessibility program. Is your company advancing accessibility through your procurement process? If so, then consider signing on to the Procure Access Statement. Wherever you are on the journey of establishing or advancing accessibility in your procurement process you can find the information you need in the Procure Access Toolkit.
And be sure to watch the Building Block Series to learn how industry leaders have implemented accessibility requirements into their procurement processes.
Spotlight on Disability:IN Partners using technology to enhance the accessibility of products we use every day.
Microsoft
When asked about what she wants from this year’s Ability Summit, Flurrie reiterated the notion that the disability divide remains stark and said disabled people continue to face inequities on a daily basis. It’s her hope that Ability Summit drives people to have more tough conversations about accessibility and accelerate the work yet to be done at a societal level. Technologically speaking, Flurrie hopes people will try new things like generative AI and see how empowering a tool it can be for accessibility. Moreover, she would love to see accessibility in more companies’ executive ranks, include chief accessibility officers like her.
Apple
Change subtitles or languages for videos in the Apple TV app
Learn how to choose audio languages, subtitles, closed captions, and other accessibility features on your iPhone, iPad, computer, and Apple TV.
On Apple TV, smart TV, or streaming device
Starbucks
How a GR firm played a role in first fully accessible Starbucks store
Starbucks recently opened a first-of-its-kind coffee shop in Washington near Union Market that’s designed with accessibility in mind, particularly for those with disabilities.
MakeMyTrip x Microsoft
MakeMyTrip Partners with Microsoft to Offer AI-Powered Travel Booking in India
The collaboration between MakeMyTrip and Microsoft is a significant leap forward in making travel more accessible, personalized, and efficient for users across India.
GE Appliances
GE Appliances Improves Access for Visually Impaired Consumers | Ophthalmic Edge
For quite some time now, people with vision loss have gained increasing audible access to digital displays and touch screens on electronic devices. Such advances in accessibility have not yet materialized in most major and household appliances.
You can use a screen reader, keyboard shortcuts, and other features to make your Google Maps experience more accessible. You can also find accessible transit.
Evinced
Evinced Proposes Long Overdue Mobile Content Accessibility Guidelines
At the CSUN conference held in Anaheim earlier this month, the largest of its kind worldwide focusing on assistive technology and accessibility, the company announced bold plans to kickstart a movement that it hopes will one day lead to an official set of international guidelines for accessible mobile app design.
Procter & Gamble
An Introduction to Digital Accessibility – P&G Global Accessibility Team
Paul Gallagher, Global Accessibility Lead at Procter & Gamble gives an overview of the work P&G have done on digital accessibility: what is digital accessibility and why does it matter, how have P&G been active in bringing about change in this area, what do successful digital accessibility practices look like and how can we measure success.
Aira
Aira Announces New Access AI Feature at CSUN!
AIRA announced the beta release of Access AI, a brand-new AI image chat feature with a unique twist that provides an extra layer of trust. Access AI allows Aira users—who we refer to as Explorers—to take a photo, share from their photo gallery, mobile device, or computer, get a detailed description, ask follow up questions, and receive free validation of AI responses from a visual interpreter.
Other Accessibility Highlights for this Month
WhatsApp to integrate Meta AI directly into search bar for enhanced accessibility
WhatsApp is likely to revolutionize user interaction by integrating Meta AI into the search bar to enhance efficiency and accessibility by accessing AI assistance.
Apple
7 AI features that are already hiding on your iPhone
Apple’s upcoming software update iOS 18 is expected to be full of AI features for iPhone users. Still, it doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of artificial intelligence on your device right now. As long as you have bought an iPhone in the past five years and are running the latest software, which is iOS 17, you’re good to go.
Economic Impact of Accessibility
As public agencies increasingly prioritize accessibility and inclusivity in their procurement processes, contractors are compelled to develop products and services that meet stringent accessibility standards and cater to the diverse needs of users with disabilities.
Accessible Charts
New software enables blind and low-vision users to create interactive, accessible charts
Screen-reader users can upload a dataset and create customized data representations that combine visualization, textual description, and sonification.
By: Adam Zewe | MIT News
Workplace Accessibility
How to make your workplace accessible
BY KELLIE SMITH
We look at how you can support staff with disabilities to excel in their jobs and play an active role in the workplace.
Hotel Accessibility
Hotel rooms are not designed with me in mind. But hopefully, that’s going to change.
Navigating hotels as a person with a disability can be challenging in unexpected ways. After a long day of traveling, nothing feels better than settling into a cozy bed. But for wheelchair users like me, there are often several obstacles that keep us from resting, relaxing and getting anything else done in a hotel room that was clearly not designed with anyone like me in mind.
Sports Venues Accessibility
AT&T Stadium, Cotton Bowl among Top 5 most convenient sports venues in the US
Analysts looked at the biggest stadiums in the U.S. and U.K. to find the best event spaces based on accessibility factors like wheelchair seating, restrooms, parking, shuttle service, and elevators.
Mosaic Stadium is a public, community facility, and it is important that all guests are able to visit the facility for any type of event and have a positive experience.
Improving the accessibility of the stadium is an ongoing effort and ensuring it is inclusive for all guests is a top priority.
CAPTCHA & Accessibility
Creative CAPTCHA puzzles can help promote web accessibility—and security
It’s a scenario familiar to internet users: You’re trying to log into a website, and you’re hit with a security challenge. Type this string of wavy letters and numbers. Pick the photos that depict traffic lights. Slide the puzzle piece from point A to point B.
National Library Service Accessibility
NLS National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress
National Library Service (NLS) is a free braille and talking book library service for people with temporary or permanent low vision, blindness, or a physical, perceptual, or reading disability that prevents them from using regular print materials. Through a national network of cooperating libraries, NLS circulates books and magazines in braille or audio formats, that are instantly downloadable to a personal device or delivered by mail free of charge.
Solar Eclipse Accessibility
Solar Eclipse Accessibility Resources: Assistive Technology For Blind and Low Vision | Veroniiiica.com | March 25, 2024
When I watched the “Great American Eclipse” in August 2017 from my backyard, I used the graphics in the Eclipse Soundscapes app as a visual reference, which were helpful for me to explore as someone with low vision. As I update this post in advance of the April 2024 total solar eclipse, I’ve discovered several other options for blind and low vision viewers to learn about and view the solar eclipse using a mix of visual, tactile, and audio modalities to convey information. Here is a round-up of solar eclipse accessibility resources designed with visually impaired audiences in mind, inclusive of solar eclipse accessibility for blind and low vision.
Gaming Accessibility
Gaming | The future is pixelated, and yet bright
The shift towards accessibility and cross-platform experiences isn’t just expanding the gaming community; it’s reshuffling the deck of digital play and weaving gaming into the very fabric of our digital lives.
Cost of Inaccessible Websites
Seniors ditch inaccessible websites, costing retailers
Retailers are facing a silent drain on their online revenue due to websites and apps that fail to consider the needs of senior shoppers.
Research by Hassell Inclusion, a digital accessibility firm, reveals a concerning gap. While over-65s spend an average of £163 ($211.22) online monthly, this translates to only 6% of their disposable income. The research was carried out for Hassell Inclusion by Yolo Communications in November 2023 via online and telephone survey. The sample comprised 1,296 UK adults aged 65 and over…
AI & Video Accessibility
March 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Wistia, a leading video marketing platform for businesses, today unveiled its 2024 State of Video Report. Compiling user data from over 90 million videos on the company’s platform as well as a customer survey of 2,000 professionals, Wistia’s annual report revealed that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance video accessibility dramatically increased in 2023.
Apple iPhone Live Captions
An iPhone Feature Helping Deaf / Hard of Hearing People: Live Captions | Haben Girma | 3/12/24
My friend Lainey Feingold showed her 91-year-old dad how to turn on Live Captions on his iPhone, and now he loves how much easier phone calls are for him. How many other elders don’t know about Live Captions? Everyone, including our elders, should have communication tools that help facilitate connection. Share accessibility features with elders in your communities.
Text-to-Speech Accessibility
TTS for Accessibility: How Text-to-Speech is Empowering People with Disabilities
In today’s digital age, access to information and communication is crucial for everyone, including individuals with disabilities. One technology that has revolutionized accessibility is text-to-speech (TTS), which converts written text into audible speech.
Ingenium Digital Accessibility
Canada is a world leader in ensuring that private and public organizations comply with accessibility standards and legislation, as outlined in the Accessible Canada Act. Ingenium’s Digital Innovation Lab makes what is a complex – but necessary – step towards providing inclusive experiences all that much more feasible.
AI & Accessibility
How Artificial Intelligence (AI) Helps Improve Accessibility
In today’s digital world, information is power. But for people with disabilities, access to that information is often challenging. People with disabilities may face many barriers in accessing online content—including websites, articles, and videos.
Digital Accessibility Conferences and Events
Audio Description Institute- All Virtual
Date: April 8-12, 2024 at 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm Eastern each day
The Ohio State University Twenty-fourth Annual Multiple Perspectives Conference- Columbus, OH
Date: April 8-9, 2024
UX Virtual Training- Online
Date: April 13-19, 2024
WomenTech Global Conference 2024- Online
Date: April 23-25, 2024
ACCESS 2024- Online
Date: April 31- May 1, 2024
John Slatin AccessU – Austin, TX
Date: May 13-16, 2024
Inclusive Africa Conference – Nairobi, Kenya
Date: May 14-16, 2024
Accessible Canada – Accessible World – Montreal, QC
Date: May 27-28, 2024
National Federation of the Blind National Convention- Orlando, FL
Date: July 3-8, 2024
Disability:IN 2024 Annual Conference- Las Vegas, NV
Date: July 15-18, 2024
M-Enabling Summit in Washington, DC
Date: October 15 – 17, 2024
Accessing Higher Ground- Accessible Media, Web, and Technology Conference- Denver, CO
Date: November 11-15, 2024
