a11y (digital accessibility)

This research highlights that institutions with a web accessibility policy have more accessible websites. Now most higher education institutions have a web accessibility policy. However, a lot of institutions still do not have any policies relating to instructional digital accessibility. I think institutions should develop instructional accessibility policies, which will encourage faculty and staff to develop more inclusive learning materials.

The European Commission's statement highlights issues with accessibility overlays and deceptive advertising.

Does anyone recommend other books on digital accessibility? Please share if you have any suggestions.

This Guide covers how to use the screen reading software VoiceOver, which is accessibility software included in the operating system of every iPhone and iPad. It provides a lot of tips and shortcuts.

*There is a part of this video when pause animations from the overlay is selected (11:50-14:50) and rapid flickering in the video occurs.

Eric Eggert provides a great walkthrough highlighting accessibility issues with the UserWay overlay on a real website. This is why you can't just slap an accessibility overlay on a website and call it "fully accessible." Also a lot of the accessibility features offered by the overlay like changing the font or using text to speech a user wouldn't want to do on a per website basis. A user would most likely apply these features globally by using a browser extension.

My Mom shared this story with me and I think it highlights the importance of inclusion and finding a way to do what you love. Bars, nightclubs, and venues often overlook physical accessibility. People like Rob will hopefully lead to shows/concerts becoming more accessible in the future.

This is an interesting article that dispels the myth that an accessible website won't be visually beautiful or appealing. Considering accessibility in the design process leads to websites that are easier to navigate and to read. These websites can be visually captivating as well as accessible.

This guide provides a lot of different resources for testing and creating accessible applications for iPhone and Android devices.

This article highlights 11 recommendations to make VR more accessible for people who are blind. Currently there are a lot of accessibility barriers that prevent blind people from interacting with VR environments. VR Designers should work to create 3D spaces and controllers that are more adaptable so that the level of input can be toggled based on the individual's needs.

This study explores accommodating students in an in-person setting vs an online setting. The study found that online classes offer more flexibility and students are less likely to register for accommodations. For example online students were much less likely to need accommodations like flexible attendance, audio recording, and peer note taking services. However, there are less accommodations offered for online classes and students with disabilities are less likely to register with the campus disability office.

Level Acess is acquiring UserWay, one of the largest accessible overlay companies. Level Access is one of the largest accessibility companies. They offer a lot of professional remediation services. I wonder how an overlay company will integrate into their portfolio.

This article summarizes some of the major accessibility advancements over the past year. This includes new accessibility features offered by Apple, Netflix, and Google.

One of my earliest posts was about Forza Motorsports being designed with blind driving assists. Microsoft made a trailer demoing the features. Accessibility features foster inclusion and representation. A blind Twitch streamer playing Forza Motorsports emphasizes this point. Hopefully, video games will continue to become more accessible in the future.

This is the full report provided by the government on Section 508. A total of 5,861,996 intranet web pages were tested, which account for about 26.1% of all the entities. 59% of the web pages were deemed fully Section 508 compliant. This reflects that the government still has a ways to go before all its web content complies with Section 508. Congress should target high-use software and focus on fostering accountability.

These insights from Fable highlight the importance of accessibility when purchasing new items, how widely used assistive technologies are, and some of the most common accessibility barriers.

This article highlights why ChatGPT is not ready to replace an accessibility expert, which makes sense. ChatGPT has some knowledge about accessibility but lacks the examples and experience needed to identify and fix inaccessible code consistently.

This journal article finds that assignment reminder notifications increase assignment adherence. I believe assignment reminders should be integrated into courses because they foster universal design. Assignment reminders may be particularly helpful for neurodiverse students and those who have difficulties with executive functioning. I hope that assignment reminders become more prevalent in the future.

This highlights the need for people with disabilities to be represented in our society. Being represented is an important aspect of being included. Also it highlights the power of learning a second language, which can help you connect with people from different backgrounds.

I recommend checking out the University of Washington's U-DO-IT Webinars.

This guide provides an overview of how to implement different accessibility features in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.

The Office of Management and Budget has released a memo today providing guidance on Section 508. The memo outlines the need for digital accessibility testing and action steps for governmental departments. In the next 180 days, agencies will provide a Section 508 Program Manager, provide a digital accessibility statement on their website, provide a mechanism for reporting accessibility barriers on their website, conduct a comprehensive assessment, and develop a plan to remediate inaccessible materials. This seems like an exciting step toward making governmental websites and documents accessible.

This guide provides a lot of tips for how to create accessible math content in Jupyter Notebooks.

The overlay company FACIl’iti won a judgment requiring a small accessibility company to pay $28,000.00 for two tweets. This lawsuit occurred in France but accessibility overlay companies have been trying this tact in the United States too. They are using the legal system to try to silence criticism of their product. You can learn more about the lawsuit by reading the defendant's blog post.

This guide provides helpful information about how to test content using screen reading software.