Category Archives: society

Reduction of Legal Risk as Web Accessibility Business Case – Karl Groves

In this post, I’d like to discuss risk. Specifically, I’d like to focus on list of litigation, primarily because although I have previously outlined a number of factors that fall under the umbrella of “risk”, it is legal risk that most people tend to gravitate toward when discussing accessibility. This is especially true in theContinueContinue reading “Reduction of Legal Risk as Web Accessibility Business Case – Karl Groves”

Being a deaf developer

I’ve been deaf since infancy. It is not profound; my hearing loss is described as moderate to severe and is mostly problematic at higher frequency ranges, the range at which most human speech happens. I rely on lip-reading and identifying vowel patterns to understand spoken language. Particular struggles are:recognising consonants, especially sibilants and unvoiced consonantsContinueContinue reading “Being a deaf developer”

Accessibility Concerns Delay $30M Amazon E-Book Contract in N.Y.C.

New York City schools postponed action on an Amazon contract for creating an online storefront where educators will buy e-books, after the National Federation of the Blind raised questions about it. The National Federation of the Blind is questioning whether its community would have full accessibility in the online platform that would be built for teachersContinueContinue reading “Accessibility Concerns Delay $30M Amazon E-Book Contract in N.Y.C.”

How a Running App Helps a Blind Runner Train Solo

Before Simon Wheatcroft starts running near his home in Doncaster, Great Britain, he finds where the grass begins on his left and takes one step to his right, positioning himself in the center of a ribbon of sidewalk. Like any run, light poles and street signs jut slightly onto the path on occasion. curated by (Lifekludger)ContinueContinue reading “How a Running App Helps a Blind Runner Train Solo”

The Future of Accessibility Innovation | Foreign Policy

The 2015 FP Global Demographics Student Essay Contest, underwritten by AARP, invited college and graduates students from around the world to participate in an intergenerational discussion about the opportunities presented by a rapidly aging world. Dozens of students from nearly every continent shared their ideas with FP. The winning essay is presented below. The developmentContinueContinue reading “The Future of Accessibility Innovation | Foreign Policy”

EdTech and the accessibility paradox | Christensen Institute

Summer Cox is an exceptional student education coordinator at Henry County Public Schools in Georgia. For a number of years, her district has pursued personalized learning. That’s given Cox a front seat to a new movement in education, which calls for recreating classrooms in a manner that supports learning for each child. Cox has aContinueContinue reading “EdTech and the accessibility paradox | Christensen Institute”

Articulating and Advocating for Accessibility by Matt May | Model View Culture

[tl;dr] Tech workers should be advocating for accessibility – how to get started and what to expect. by Matt May on June 9th, 2014 I have one technical specialty to speak of: building systems and processes that make technology easier for people with disabilities. Most people in technology, surprisingly, don’t know what accessibility means. It’sContinueContinue reading “Articulating and Advocating for Accessibility by Matt May | Model View Culture”

The New Old: High-Tech and Design for Aging | Re/code

… While Silicon Valley excels in creating technology that engages younger consumers and makes business practices more efficient, there is a growing opportunity for technologists to apply their skill sets to redefine how people age. Take, for example, the current trend of aging in place. Smart technology has started transforming homes, infiltrating everything from ourContinueContinue reading “The New Old: High-Tech and Design for Aging | Re/code”

Ethiopia: Of Disability and Accessibility – allAfrica.com

INTERVIEW By Henok Reta Judith Heumann is an internationally recognized leader of the disability community and a lifelong civil rights advocate for disadvantaged people. She has been appointed Special Advisor for International Disability Rights at the US Department of State. She previously served as the Director for the Department on Disability Services for the DistrictContinueContinue reading “Ethiopia: Of Disability and Accessibility – allAfrica.com”

If Uber Kills Cabs, Cities Must Ensure Accessible Vehicles Live

According to a recent report, the number of wheelchair-accessible vehicles for hire in San Francisco fell significantly in the past few years — all while services like Uber and Lyft were rapidly expanding in the area. “This is more urgent than people realize,” Carol Tyson, policy director for the United Spinal Association, told The Huffington Post. Tyson,ContinueContinue reading “If Uber Kills Cabs, Cities Must Ensure Accessible Vehicles Live”

Tech companies should care more about customers with disabilities.

The Blind Deserve Tech Support, Too Why don’t tech companies care more about customers with disabilities? Finding himself in the position of having to justify his disability to a person who was intent on questioning its reality, Bahram asked—in terms he admits were rather pointed—that the call be escalated to a manager. … But accessibleContinueContinue reading “Tech companies should care more about customers with disabilities.”

ADA 25th anniversary: The Internet should be accessible for the disabled.

Last month FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly told us the Internet is “not a necessity.” At a speech to the Internet Innovation Alliance, an organization that promotes broadband accessibility, O’Rielly said people “can and do” live without Internet access. “Instead,” he offered, “the term necessity should be reserved to those items that humans cannot live withoutContinueContinue reading “ADA 25th anniversary: The Internet should be accessible for the disabled.”

Disability and Graduate Job Hunting | Robbie Crow

I’m blind. Not completely, but I’m registered blind. I have been since birth and there’s no chance of fixing it. During my life I’ve faced many challenges, most of which I’ve overcome. … Nevertheless, the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do as a blind person is find a job. Why? Of course, I faceContinueContinue reading “Disability and Graduate Job Hunting | Robbie Crow”

Microsoft Careers: Sr Accessibility Product Mgr

Sr Accessibility Product Mgr The Microsoft.com User Experience team has an immediate opening for a Senior Product Manager to help drive Accessibility across Microsoft.com Marketing experiences. Are you passionate and have empathy for the experience on the web for customers with disabilities?   Are you a mature, technical, experienced professional capable of leading initiatives toContinueContinue reading “Microsoft Careers: Sr Accessibility Product Mgr”

Usability, Accessibility and Telehealth | Open Health News

The telehealth market is expected to grown at phenomenal rates in the next few years. Recent reports claim that the global telehealth market may reach $6.5 billion over the next five years at an annual growth rate of 24.2 percent. Healthcare IT is known to have usability problems, but for telehealth companies to survive theyContinueContinue reading “Usability, Accessibility and Telehealth | Open Health News”

10 Crucial Ways We Can Make Society More Inclusive for People With Disabilities | Kristin Duquette

The Americans with Disabilities Act celebrated its 25th year of coming into law last month, and while it has changed countless lives, it has become apparent that inclusion loopholes still exist.The ADA was designed to have people with disabilities become viable and authentic citizens within the United States, but access to resources are still deniedContinueContinue reading “10 Crucial Ways We Can Make Society More Inclusive for People With Disabilities | Kristin Duquette”

Accessibility and education | Voices | Saudi Gazette

“We send people to the moon, to space but the majority of children with disabilities still do not go to school and it is the 21st Century.” These words were from Gopal Mitra, an officer in UNICEF’s inclusive education program. And this was how he started his speech at the Forum hosted by the GlobalContinueContinue reading “Accessibility and education | Voices | Saudi Gazette”

Chieko Asakawa: How new technology helps blind people explore the world | TED Talk | TED.com

  How can technology help improve our quality of life? How can we navigate the world without using the sense of vision? Inventor and IBM Fellow Chieko Asakawa, who’s been blind since the age of fourteen, is working on answering these questions. In a charming demo, she shows off some new technology that’s helping blindContinueContinue reading “Chieko Asakawa: How new technology helps blind people explore the world | TED Talk | TED.com”