274 Matching Annotations
  1. Jan 2024
  2. Dec 2023
    1. accessibility
      • for: recommendation - citizen group - accessibility

      • recommendation - citizen group - accessibility

        • a big part of generating participation is feasibility and accessibility
        • combination of physical and online meetings are the most flexible, but the physical space must be accessible. Ideally within walking or biking distance. Try to eliminate any form of car travel as it is polluting and consumes precious time
  3. Sep 2023
    1. US to give Ukraine long-range missiles - reports

      we can navigate and interact with the web page using only the keyboard. we can select pages with TAB;

  4. Aug 2023
  5. Jul 2023
    1. a custom alarm, appliance, or doorbellYou can also set up iPhone to recognize a custom alarm, appliance, or doorbell if they aren’t recognized automatically.Go to Settings  > Accessibility > Sound Recognition > Sounds.Tap Custom Alarm or Custom Appliance or Doorbell, then enter a name.When your alarm, appliance, or doorbell is ready, place iPhone near the sound and minimize background noise.Tap Start Listening, then follow the onscreen instructions.
    1. In many cases, all or some of an author'sworks included in this set were unavailable.

      One of the primary goals of The Great Books, was to make some of the (especially ancient writers) more accessible to modern audiences with respect to ready availability of their works which were otherwise much more expensive.

      This certainly says something about both publishing and reading practices of the early 20th century.

  6. Jun 2023
    1. A resource can map to the empty set, which allowsreferences to be made to a concept before any realization ofthat concept exist

      This is a very useful but underutilized property. It allows you to e.g. announce in advance that a resource will exist at some point in the future, and thereby effectively receive "updates" to the linking document without requiring changes to the document itself.

  7. May 2023
    1. Should the W3C be disbanded, then any Web site will be granted the right to make a copy (at a different URI) of all public persistent resources so long as they are not modified and are preserved in their entirety and made available free of charge, and provided the same persistence policy is applied to these "historical mirrors." In such event, the original https://www.w3.org web site will be handed over for management to another organization only if that organization pledges to this policy or one considered more persistent.
    1. Introduction to Accessible Images

      This is an excellent site for instructional designers or anyone who creates content with inclusion in mind.

    1. (Not sure if it got highlighted properly, but it's the accessibility button on the bottom-right of the webpage) Whenever a website has an accessibility menu option it is a great effort at providing accessibility as it's very simple to configure and boasts a lot of capabilities for accessibility. Such as being able to change languages, having a screen reader, voice navigation, contrast options, text options (spacing and enlarging),and being able to hide animations and images.

  8. Mar 2023
    1. CSS-generated content is not included in the DOM. Because of this, it will not be represented in the accessibility tree and certain assistive technology/browser combinations will not announce it. If the content conveys information that is critical to understanding the page's purpose, it is better to include it in the main document.
    1. For people like me, who believe that accessibility applies to all users, the following two words come to mind: Inclusive design. The British Standards Institute (2005) defines inclusive design as "The design of mainstream products and/or services that are accessible to, and usable by, as many people as reasonably possible..."

      inclusive design

    1. some disadvantages of OER should be acknowledged.

      I think one more disadvantage or may be we call it needs attention while creating/distributing OER is considering accessibility aspects of them. Like text images etc.

  9. Feb 2023
    1. the same general methods

      This kind of link list isn't the most accessible. As an example, consider a screen reader that provides its user with an alphabetized list of the page's links. What is the user supposed to do with a link simply called "the"? See https://webaim.org/techniques/hypertext/

  10. drive.google.com drive.google.com
    1. 〈 This explanatory wording is provided for your information onlyand does not form part of the contract. 〉

      <span style="color: red;">Design Consideration: Non-contractual Explanations</span>

      To ensure that the contextual text was not interpreted as legally binding, it was important for the contextual text to be clearly distinguishable from the legal wording. This is done visually, through the bordered box and distinct typographical style. This text is also enclosed in angle brackets for accessibility reasons, such that users of the contract who may use screen readers or similar tools can identify the contextual text without relying on visual means.

    1. We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of this site. If you have specific questions or feedback about this site's accessibility or need assistance using specific features, please contact us. If you have found an inaccessible area on the site, please specify the web page or element, and provide any other relevant information to help us locate the problem.  In the event a page cannot be made accessible, we will work with you to make a text version of the content available. Please contact us via telephone or email to request a specific electronic format. Additionally, please provide us with your contact information, the format you require, the web page address, and the location of the content. We welcome your questions about this accessibility statement and comments on how to improve our website's accessibility.  
  11. Jan 2023
    1. Someone with a cognitive impairment, for example, might benefit greatly from visuals rather than paragraphs of text, whilst for screen readers user paragraphs of text are the more accessible option.

      !- different handicaps : how to optimise - indyweb solution - long tail app development. Not the responsibility of the information provider, but the Indyvidual who owns their own indyhub selects the apps that are appropriate to their situatedness. - If their perspective is a visually impaired person, then apps that compensate for that are selected, if their impairment is some other sensory or cognitive modality, then select apps appropriate to that

    2. Blind news audiences are being left behind in the data visualisation revolution: here's how we fix that

      !- Title : Blind news audiences are being left behind in the data visualisation revolution: here's how we fix that

    1. Research has shown that limiting the width of longform text leads to a more comfortable reading experience, and better retention of the content itself.
  12. Dec 2022
  13. Nov 2022
    1. Accessible AmenitiesAvailable accessible features include:AccessibleAccessible business centerAccessible concierge deskAccessible guest rooms with mobility features with entry or passage doors that provide 32” of clear widthAccessible hotel restaurantAccessible parkingAccessible parking spaces for cars in the self-parking facilityAccessible public entranceAccessible registration deskAccessible route from the accessible public entrance to the accessible guestroomsAccessible route from the accessible public entrance to the registration areaAccessible route from the hotel’s accessible entrance to the meeting room/ballroom areaAccessible route from the hotel’s accessible public entrance to at least one restaurantAccessible route from the hotel’s accessible public entrance to the business centerAccessible route from the hotel’s accessible public entrance to the exercise facilitiesAccessible route from the hotel’s accessible public entrance to the swimming poolAccessible swimming poolAccessible transportation with advance noticeAssistive listening devices for meetings upon requestClosed captioning on televisions or closed captioning decodersDoes Hotel comply with all local and/or national disability laws (outPublic Areas/Facilities accessible for physically challengedServ support animals welcomeSwimming pool hoist for pool accessTTY for guest useVan-accessible parking in the self-parking facilityThe following features are not available:Accessible exercise facilityAccessible route from the hotel’s accessible public entrance to the spaValet only parking
  14. Oct 2022
    1. Goutor recommended the use of bibliographic cards not only for their standard uses as sourcing, information, and footnotes, but for creating potential scopes of work and research for planning purposes, especially in planning out one's reading and note taking using various archives and resources to make more effective and productive use of one's time. (p13) This can be potentially very useful for visiting archives and sources for which one does not have easy or frequent access.

  15. Aug 2022
  16. Jul 2022
    1. he citation canbecome a footnote.

      Why not make this index card pictured fill up the entire width of the text? It could be more visually accessible...

  17. Jun 2022
    1. LAST UPDATED AND EFFECTIVE DATE: JULY 10, 2014

      This conflicts with the effective date at the top of the document.

    1. No additional considerations for iOS, macOS, or tvOS.

      Believe it or not, finding this sentence, just now was actually a huge breakthrough in my iPhone Keyboard Reference project...

      Proud of you, bastards, for actually saying one sentence!

  18. May 2022
    1. The biggest barriers to coding are technical complexity around processes like collaboration and deployment, and social obstacles like gatekeeping and exclusion — so that's what we've got to fix
    2. If you’re a coder, when’s the last time you just quickly built something to solve a problem for yourself or simply because it was a fun idea?

      And how future-proof was the result or how easy was it to make sure you could share it with others in a form that they could make use of (and not be dependent on you or some third-party or their internet connection)?

  19. Apr 2022
    1. This appeal would have a greater effect if it weren't itself published in a format that exhibits so much of what was less desirable of the pre-modern Web—fixed layouts that show no concern for how I'm viewing this page and causes horizontal scrollbars, overly stylized MySpace-ish presentation, and a general imposition of the author's preferences and affinity for kitsch above all else—all things that we don't want.

      I say this as someone who is not a fan of the trends in the modern Web. Responsive layouts and legible typography are not casualties of the modern Web, however. Rather, they exhibit the best parts of its maturation. If we can move the Web out of adolescence and get rid of the troublesome aspects, we'd be doing pretty good.

    1. This book was written to help educators and instructional designers to design visually appealing courses (and curricular materials) that are also digitally accessible. I argue that applying graphic design principles reduces barriers, lowers cognitive load, and improves learning. I created the Graphic Design E-Learning Checklist to help instructional designers improve the look and feel of their courses while designing for inclusivity at the forefront
    1. must not consist of a bag of tricks and trade secrets, but of a general intellectual ability

      I often think about how many things like Spectre/Meltdown are undiscovered because of how esoteric and unapproachable the associated infrastructure is that might otherwise better allow someone with a solid lead to follow through on their investigation.

    1. A complaint more specific to the quantity of books was articulated in 1522 by the jurist Giovanni Nevizzano of Asti (d. 1540) who observed that the great number of available books made it hard to find the books one needed. Proper selection among the many books available was crucial because “if a scholar does not have the books required for his subject, he does not enjoy the privi-leges of a scholar.”20

      This same sort of quote is often repeated in the present while vitiating against the corporate publishers who own most of research publishing and charge for it dearly.

  20. Mar 2022
    1. The Open Network Learning Mooc has a focus on using open platforms and Open Education Resources; except for the Adobe Connect Pro software being used for webinars. This model of openness signifies a significant move forward in making education accessible and flexible for all participants.

      I strongly believe in this method of teaching by presenting opportunities to access information, knowledge and education as freely as possible (my main reason is due to the severity of the socio-economic disparities in my learning environment in South Africa). It is important to provide opportunities for all to be able to move out of their circumstances and the best way to do this is through education (if education is accessible).

  21. citeseerx.ist.psu.edu citeseerx.ist.psu.edu
    1. Writing for the web is still a complex and technically sophisticated activity. Too many tools, languages, protocols, expectations and requirements have to be considered together for the creation of web pages and sites.
    1. Audio Description (AD) is usually defined as a way to make TV, films, theater, and other art and media content accessible to blind and low vision audiences. In this standardized approach, AD is often reduced to an add-on that gets created only after artworks are finished. AD and the artwork, in other words, remain distinct. Hosted by the AIM Lab, artistic mentors to the exhibition, Cheryl Green and Thomas Reid, led a 3-part online workshop (September 2021) that challenged this separation. Instead of keeping AD apart from the artwork, they asked: why not consider AD as an art form in and of itself? Beginning from a place that centres the experiences of those who are Blind and recognizes the art in audio description, the workshop invited participants to reflect critically both on visual information and to view it as more than mere access. It encouraged creativity not only through describing an image or object but recognizing how description can generate new art. Participants began with a catalyst piece of art of media piece – audio described it, and then generated a whole new work using the audio description as the foundation. Instead of producing neutral or objective descriptions, participants were invited to experiment with approaches that highlighted the physical body, its situatedness, rich sensory experiences, and storytelling. The resulting series of works engage with AD in innovative and creative ways, exploring sound, text, movement, and their mixtures to build entire worlds. From an audio-logo to a binder that comes to life to sci-fi mediation to a lusty afternoon brewing mead to a video game adventure to artistic critiques of colonial pasts to glittering light that turn windowpanes into jellyfish, the collection of pieces in this online exhibit engages with the creative potentials of access.
    1. Despite its warts, we continue to rely on e-mail with attachments as the standard enabler of these collaborations because it is a universal solvent. Our HR folks, for example, work for a different organizational unit than I do. Implementing a common collaboration system would require effort. Exploiting the e-mail common denominator requires none.
  22. Feb 2022
    1. Principle 2: Consider Adding On‐Screen Text to Narration in Special Situations

      p. 139-141

      Clark and Mayer describe a key exception to the first principle they describe. One of the special situations they describe consists of when a learner must "exert greater cognitive effort to comprehend spoken text rather than printed text" (p. 140). This could be when the verbal material is complex and challenging, such as when learners are learning another language or when terminology is challenging such as might be encountered in scientific, technical, or legal(?) domains (p. 141).

      [P]rinting unfamiliar technical terms on the screen may actually reduce cognitive processing because the learner does not need to grapple with decoding the spoken words.

      However, it may be necessary to ensure that video is slow-paced or learner-controlled under circumstances where both audio narration and on-screen text are provided. Mayer, Lee, and Peebles (2014) found that when video is fast-paced, redundant text can cause cognitive overload, even when learners are non-native speakers.

      Mayer, R. E., Lee, H., & Peebles, A. (2014). Multimedia Learning in a Second Language: A Cognitive Load Perspective. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 28(5), 653–660. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.3050

    2. Principle 1: Do Not Add On‐Screen Text to Narrated Graphics

      p. 133-134

      Clark and Mayer advise against providing redundant on-screen text at the same time that graphics (video) and narration are provided. They base their recommendation on both research and theory. And they provide two reasons before getting into the details: 1) learners reading on-screen text might not attend to graphics and 2) learners may try to reconcile on-screen text and audio narration and engage in extraneous processing defined below (p. 459)[emphasis added]:

      Irrelevant mental work during learning that results from ineffective instructional design of the lesson. For example, a graphic appears at the top of a scrolling screen and text explaining the graphic appears at the bottom so that contiguity is violated.

      But what if recognizing words and phrases accurately becomes a key component of comprehending a graphic or a video-recorded presentation? And what if the combination of audio narration and on-screen text can be used to support that that comprehension?

      There are some interesting studies in second language learning that seem to show similar benefits.

      Gass, S., Winke, P., Isbell, D. R., & Ahn, J. (2019). How captions help people learn languages: A working-memory, eye-tracking study. Language Learning & Technology, 23(2), 84–104. https://doi.org/10125/44684

      Mayer, R. E., Lee, H., & Peebles, A. (2014). Multimedia Learning in a Second Language: A Cognitive Load Perspective. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 28(5), 653–660. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.3050

      Winke, P., Gass, S., & Sydorenko, T. (2010). The Effects of Captioning Videos Used for Foreign Language Listening Activities. Language Learning & Technology, 14(1), 65–86. http://dx.doi.org/10125/44203

    1. on top stacked laying flat on the left side, next to a potted plant on the right two other books to the right of the plant, spines not visible

      tools for thought rheingold MIT Press logo concept design: the essence of software jackson designing constructionist futures nathan holbert, matthew berland, and yasmin b. kafai, editors MIT Press logo structure and interpretation of computer programs second edition abelson and sussman MIT Press Indroduction to the theory of computation

      top shelf ordinary orientation: books upright, spines facing out tops leaning to the left

      toward a theory of instruction bruner belknap / harvard tools for conviviality ivan illich harper & row the human interface raskin addison wesley the design of everyday things don norman basic books changing minds disessa MIT Press logo mindstorms seymour papert unknown logo understanding computers and cognition winograd and flores addison wesley software abstraction jackson revised edition MIT Press logo living with complexity norman MIT Press logo the art of doing science and engineering—learning to learn richard w. hamming stripe press logo the computer boys take over ensmenger recoding gender abbate MIT Press logo weaving the web tim berners-lee harper dealers of lightning: xerox parc and the dawn of the computer age michael a hiltik harper the dream machine m. mitchell waldrop stripe press logo from counterculture to cyberculture fred turner chicago the innovators walter isaacson simon & schuster paperbacks a people's history of computing in the united states joy lisi rankin harvard the media lab stewart brand penguin logo

      bottom shelf ordinary orientation: books upright, spines facing out tops leaning to the right

      about face: the essentials of interaction design cooper, reimann, cronin, noessel 4th edition wiley the new media reader wardrip, fruin, and montfort, editors designing interactions bill moggridge includes DVD MIT Press logo interactive programming environments barstow, shrobe, sanderwall mcgraw hill visual programming shu software visualization editors: stasko, domingue, brown, price MIT Press logo types and programming languages pierce MIT Press logo smalltalk-80: the interactive programming environment goldberg addison wesley constructing the user... statecharts qa 76.9 .u83 h66 1999 the human use of human beings: cybernetics and society wiener da capo pasteur's quadrant stokes brookings scientific freedom: the elixir of civilization donald w. braben stripe press logo a pattern language alexander, ishikawa, silverstein, jacobson, fiksdahl-king, angel oxford the timeless way of building alexander oxford

    1. And here’s a photo of my computing bookshelf as of November 2020, with some of the books that have influenced me the most:

      Not accessible.

  23. Jan 2022
    1. The internet is for end users: any change made to the web platform has the potential to affect vast numbers of people, and may have a profound impact on any person’s life. [RFC8890]
    1. If you visit the Web site of the Online Computer Library Center and look at its WorldMap, you can see the numbers of books in public and academic systems around the world. Sixty million Britons have a hundred and sixteen million public-library books at their disposal, while more than 1.1 billion Indians have only thirty-six million. Poverty, in other words, is embodied in lack of print as well as in lack of food. The Internet will do much to redress this imbalance, by providing Western books for non-Western readers. What it will do for non-Western books is less clear.
  24. Dec 2021
    1. If you try to export the document in an internet-compatible format like HTML, you get a mess.

      I've noted elsewhere that despite the reputation of WYSIWYG editors' tendencies for handling HTML, modern mainstream Web development practices are so bad today that just typing a bunch of junk into LibreOffice and saving as HTML results in one of the most economical ways to do painless authoring of Web content...

  25. Sep 2021
    1. So do all manner of other peculiarities of form, including notations of editions on the verso (the flip side) of the full title page and the running headers all throughout that rename the book you are already reading.

      I do dislike the running headers of digital copies of books as most annotation tools want to capture those headers in the annotation.

      It would be nice if they were marked up in an Aria-like method so that annotation software would semantically know to ignore them.

    1. making more accessible our bewildering store of knowledge.

      Perhaps a task as daunting as this felt unachievable in 1945 (unless through some form of library systems) however I would argue that nowadays, knowledge is more accessible than ever before and with each passing day, the accessibility only augments from that of the day before. The WWW has created a global and open source store of knowledge that can be read and written by all.

  26. Aug 2021
    1. building software visualization tools as web ap-plications can help in making them available to a larger audi-ence
  27. Jul 2021
    1. Live Caption

      I went to Google Accessibility and played with the Live Caption feature it has. I didn't even know this was a thing. It may be another option for captioning videos. Technology is such a beautiful thing!

  28. Jun 2021
  29. oeidsanders.pressbooks.com oeidsanders.pressbooks.com
    1. Padlet

      By including these learning checks within Pressbooks, I'm overlapping with LMS functions. This would be another decision to work out with SME. The purpose is not to have course activities in 10 different places or to overextend the Pressbooks format, but simply to show the committee some range in my interactivity options.

    2. Some

      Again, a video insert to illustrate content in a new format to engage diverse learning styles. The selection would be worked out with SME.

    3. Tools

      Inserted section title & heading structure

    4. Facebook Messenger, Google Hangouts, and Skype). There are also 3D chat rooms that can be found in VWs (see chapter 3) such as Second Life and Twinity.

      Revised links by linking text with the URLs so they are intelligible to screen readers.

    1. Consider the following infographic

      This would have been selected with SME. I wanted to demonstrate multiple means of representation and use an insert to demonstrate use of Code of Best Practices for Fair Use in OER.

    2. following video

      Video embed to illustrate content & address diverse learning styles. Handy that I found one from the author, but as with all media inserts I've added, these would be chosen with the SME!

    3. Figure 4.1. A computer classroom at Washington State University.

      Inserted images with captions and added alt text

    4. Provide opportunities for learners to be active.

      Applied formal heading structure

    1. take advantage of modeling gain new, comprehensible language input use language creatively work together to understand new experiences and derive meaning from them solve language and content problems gain control of a situation or person learn to use language appropriately transfer information focus on language structure and use

      Created formal bulleted list for easier navigability and accessibility.

    2. STE Standards for Students

      Revised link

    3. TESOL Technology Standards

      Heavy references to standards in this chapter could be represented in a table format in addition to text for UDL reasons.

    1. Explain

      Applied formal structure to lists to enable keyboard/assistive technology readability

    2. Chapter 4: Communication and Collaboration

      Applied heading structure for accessibility & navigability

  30. May 2021
    1. Canvas has an accessibility checker option that provides an evaluation of how well the instructor sets up their site for overall accessibility. It also provides tips on how to improve the site. 

      I was not aware of this feature and I'll definitely be checking it out in the future!

  31. Apr 2021
    1. Email Accessibility

      • Subject lines: Simple, No-nonsense
      • Preheaders (i.e., the snippet that shows up in the inbox view) need to clearly state the purpose of the email
      • Use alt text for images (even for logos, "unimportant" information. Blind and low-vision folks don't want to "miss out" on information. If you've decided it's important enough to include in your email, it's important enough for alt text)
        • Buttons should be large, bold color, obvious, and should have ARIA labels
      • Software like Salesforce, Constant Contact, and Mailchimp allow you to paste HTML code, which allows you to add ARIA roles, alt text, etc
      • Will continue to use A, AA, and AAA to indicate 1st priority, 2nd priority, and 3rd priority
      • 2.2 Guidelines will be more technically prescriptive, but will offer multiple ways to meet guidelines so designers still have control over look and feel of content
      • New AA requirement: All functionality that uses dragging movement can be operated by a single pointer without dragging, unless dragging is essential (might have implications for creating highlights/annotations?)
      • Requirement that users can find help for completing tasks (having a "Contact us" link meets this requirement, so Hypothesis will be covered)
      • Accessible authentication: don't require users to remember an email/password or complete a CAPTCHA. Allow for social login, or provide "Email a login link" option.
    1. CSS-generated content is not included in the DOM. Because of this, it will not be represented in the accessibility tree and certain assistive technology/browser combinations will not announce it. If the content conveys information that is critical to understanding the page's purpose, it is better to include it in the main document.
  32. Mar 2021
    1. Unfortunately, so many of our tutorials (and media in general) only comes in one form. When our teachings are only provided in one media, in one language, in one form, it is inherently inaccessible to some subset of our students.
    1. A Low Bar to Entry, and then What?There is an interesting tension between making something accessible and making it boring. Lowering the barrier of entry is a good thing, but if all you do is low-bar stuff, you end up losing the people again that you managed to attract. There needs to be a path forward beyond the entry level.
    1. Screen readers for the blind can help them fill out a form more easily if the logical sections are broken into fieldsets with one legend for each one. A blind user can hear the legend text and decide, "oh, I can skip this section," just as a sighted user might do by reading it.
  33. Feb 2021
    1. What challenges do your students face in their learning environments, and how does your pedagogy address them?

      My students experience a number of accessibility challenges. These can range from paying for materials, viewing materials in different modalities, accessing the materials at different times etc. My hope is that Open Pedagogy can help lower those barriers to increase educational outcomes.

      I also (esp in the age of COVID) want to use resources that help build community within my classrooms and across the university environment.

  34. Jan 2021
    1. We talked, for example, about how stores and governments were adding new rules and social distancing guidelines, often communicated through purely visual means, like stickers on the floor and printed signs. Mr. Johnston acknowledged that it was a tough new time for businesses, but shared that he faces new types of exclusion as a result.

      this just makes me wonder how society in general will cope with this. Companies nay be more sensitive to all these challenges COVID has pushed in fast forward mode.

      This is not only about designers being in the front seat of the business development plan, is about we as users setting-up these expectations!

    1. The trouble with leaving the verb off is that if a user experiencing low or no vision is browsing with the aid of a screen reader, they may not be able to determine what the noun is for. Screen readers can scrape the current page and create lists by content type (headings, links, buttons, etc.) for easer navigation. Static text that is placed in visual proximity to the download links will not come along for the ride if accessed via this method. While it might seem redundant to show the word “download” over and over again, including it can go a long way to providing context for users navigating without visual aids, or who have zoomed the page’s content to the point where the layout may not communicate the visual relationship.
    2. In cases where there’s multiple download links on a page, the presence of the noun will help users navigating via screen reader. Here’s what it would sound like if you were browsing a page that had eight noun-less download links: Do you know which one of those eight links gets you what you want? No? That’s not great. Similarly, the presence of the download attribute on an <a> element won’t be announced by screen readers, so the verb is equally vital. It’s important to provide context!
    1. Content for alternatives: Having a basic alternative, whether it's alt text, a transcript, audio description, or sign language, makes the content accessible but to be equivalent it needs to capture the essence of the original.
  35. Nov 2020
    1. Make sure the label colour stands out against the button fill. You can check using http://accessible-colors.com/. Always make sure that your colours meet the AAA requirements.
    1. Becca Monteleone, a professor of disability studies at the University of Toledo. Monteleone says, historically, when people have written about individuals with intellectual and development disabilities, they’ve been “writing about rather than for or with.”

      And isn't this how we should be writing about most?

    1. many modes matter in representing academic knowledge.

      multi modal not only matters in representing academic knowledge, but is also a method of ensuring accessibility

  36. Oct 2020
    1. Interaction strategies are a type of accommodation that typically go unnamed and unwritten

      How many times do we use "accommodations" which dance around the relational issues, instead of dealing directly with them?

  37. react-spectrum.adobe.com react-spectrum.adobe.com
    1. Sometimes you might need to use an element other than a native <button>. useButton supports this via the elementType prop. When used with an element other than a native button, useButton automatically applies the necessary ARIA roles and attributes to ensure that the element is exposed to assistive technology as a button.
    1. Workplace Learning: The Roles of Knowledge Accessibility and Management

      Li, J., Brake, G., Champion, A., Fuller, T., Gabel, S., & Hatcher-Busch, L. (2009). Workplace Learning: The Roles of Knowledge Accessibility and Management. Journal of Workplace Learning, 21(4), 347–364.

      https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=eric&AN=EJ842625&site=eds-live&scope=site&custid=uphoenix

      Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine how knowledge management systems have been used by the studied organizations to improve knowledge accessibility and knowledge sharing in order to increase workplace learning. Design/methodology/approach: The study relies on a qualitative multisite case study method. Data were obtained from five organizations at a southern state in the USA. Multiple interviews, onsite observation, and documentation analyses were conducted at each studied organization. Data analysis used open coding and thematic analysis. Results were triangulated based on multiple data sources. Findings: The findings revealed that the learning environment of an organization is important for workplace learning. All studied organizations share a need for a conversion of tacit to explicit knowledge in order to facilitate effective informal learning in the workplace. This research concludes that engineering the learning environment through effective knowledge management should be a cohesive effort of the entire organization and demands congruent support from all levels of the organization. Originality/value: The study expands the understanding of issues related to workplace learning through knowledge accessibility in both business and academic settings. To improve workplace learning, one should not just stipulate technology interventions; other factors, such as the organization's design, work design, and the culture/vision of the organization, all play important roles in the creation of a learning organization that will induce informal learning in the workplace.

      6/10

    1. Once you have selected text on the page and used our a keyboard shortcut, your browser’s focus will shift to a text box in the Hypothesis sidebar. Here you’ll be able to type a note to accompany your text selection.

      Testing out making annotations in the browser with Hypothes.is by only using my keyboard.

      • F7 to turn on Carrot browsing extension
      • Ctrl+Shift+H to turn on Hypothesis
      • Use Ctrl and arrow keys to move about the page
      • Shift + arrow keys to highlight section
      • Alternately Shift+Ctrl+ arrow keys to go by word
      • Tap a or h to open up an annotation or highlight respectively
      • For annotations, type the note, tab to add tags, and then post.
  38. Sep 2020
    1. The fully styleable primitives that the web offers (e.g. <div>) are quite powerful, but they lack semantic meaning. This means that accessibility is often missing because assistive technology cannot make sense of the div soup that we use to implement our components.
  39. Aug 2020
    1. Accessibility without inclusion is not real accessibility.
    2. If you work in government, food supply, healthcare, or utilities, there is no excuse for not providing offline options. In doing so you are excluding some of the most marginalized people. The internet is amazing, but it is not the only way to share information.
    3. Digital exclusion is when someone is unable or unwilling to access information and services online.
    1. Vogels, C. B. F., Brackney, D., Wang, J., Kalinich, C. C., Ott, I., Kudo, E., Lu, P., Venkataraman, A., Tokuyama, M., Moore, A. J., Muenker, M. C., Casanovas-Massana, A., Fournier, J., Bermejo, S., Campbell, M., Datta, R., Nelson, A., Team, Y. I. R., Cruz, C. D., … Grubaugh, N. (2020). SalivaDirect: Simple and sensitive molecular diagnostic test for SARS-CoV-2 surveillance. MedRxiv, 2020.08.03.20167791. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.08.03.20167791

  40. Jul 2020
  41. Jun 2020
  42. May 2020
    1. Also, with more design styles and choices, many websites opt to not use an underlining style for an embedded link in text, nor will they use a traditional blue color to indicate an embedded link.

      Fortunately Google's ranking algorithm penalizes against this in addition to requirements for better online accessibility that help to encourage against these sorts of dark patterns of web design. Users still need to be aware that they exist however.

  43. Apr 2020
    1. I got way too many emails from people about API requests being blocked to respond to. Often this was due to simply not meeting the API requirements, for example providing a descriptive UA string. Other times it was because they were on the same network as abusive users. There were also those who simply smashed through the rate limit too quickly and got themselves banned for a day. Other times, there were genuine API users in that West African country who found themselves unable to use the service. I was constantly balancing the desire to make the API easily accessible whilst simultaneously trying to ensure it wasn't taken advantage of.
  44. Mar 2020
  45. Feb 2020
    1. MIT, one of the most celebrated academic research institutes in the world, has agreed to provide industry standard captioning for publicly-available online content, including video and audio content posted on MIT.edu as well as MIT’s YouTube, Vimeo, and Soundcloud pages, certain live-streaming events and online courses such as Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs), MITx and MIT OpenCourseWare. 

      everything publicly facing and once has to assume it will be privately facing as well as this point. The need for live transcription, natural language processing, and all sorts of things to convert such massive outputs should be through the roof!

    1. Safari Settings: Advanced > Accessibility > Press Tab to highlight each item on a webpage

      In Safari 13.0.5 on macOS 10.15:

    2. System Settings: Keyboard > Shortcuts > Full Keyboard Access > All controls

      I think this may be out of date. On macOS 10.15 (Catalina) I see no such option. However there is an option to enable keyboard navigation with a different label ("Use keyboard navigation...").

      System settings in macOS 10.15

    1. Ruelas_C_OIP

      Implementing Accessibility in a Digital Print

      LO

      Address the design of a variety of instructional media while effectively designing and testing for accessibility

      Types of Impairments and Disabilities

      Preview of a digital print

      Developing a design plan

      Give me some specifics on Dyslexia, cognitive disabilities, etc.

      recommending listing Step 1 of X, Why is this easier for a person with disabilities?

      cool cool i know how to add alt text

      Designing Plan Considerations:

      Visual - images with alt text

      Motor/Mobility - use mouse-free

      Auditory - add close captioning

      Learning - Add visual cues and dyslexic font

  46. Dec 2019
    1. Remarkably, studies receiving mainly public funding can, a quarter of a century on, still survive without making their data available in a useful way. In the UK a series of studies—the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) (100), UK Biobank (101), and Born in Bradford (102), among others—have surely been exemplary in promoting data accessibility.

      Critical points!

  47. Nov 2019
    1. article circulating that claims accessibility and aesthetics are at odds with each other

      Oh, you mean this one? https://uxmovement.com/thinking/the-aesthetic-accessibility-paradox/ I'll just go ahead and link it to make it ... accessible ... for everyone. :)

    1. This is to say, the ingredients and the quantities thereof are indicated by pictures which most illiterate persons can understand and persons with poor vision can see; and which are readily grasped by the minds of those who are not in the above classes.

      an early example of accessibility UI in a cook book.

    1. public money isnot used to create or perpetuate disability-related barriers, and regarding training of front-linepersonnel.

      This component of the Bill may help other disciplines other than our own to take this seriously.

  48. Aug 2019
    1. And they have largely moved beyond the mental model of universal design (UD) in the physical environment, which is static, bounded, and predictable—instead designing interactions according to UDL, which sees interactions as dynamic, open, and emergent.

      Really interesting point here about the limit of the "curb cut" metaphor.

    2. They typically chop off the end of the word "accessibility," focusing their efforts on expanding access, regardless of the ability profiles of their learners

      Great pull quote.

  49. Apr 2019
  50. learn-us-east-1-prod-fleet01-xythos.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com learn-us-east-1-prod-fleet01-xythos.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com
    1. Since online learning has a different setting from the conventional classroom,online educators need to use some special techniques and perceptions to leadto success. Moreover, adults have special needs and requirements as learnerscompared with children and adolescents, thus online educators should knowhow adults can learn best because of their special characteristics. Philosophicaland methodological shifts also affect instruction. Many researchers havesuggested that constructivism should be applied in distance education. Thus,this paper attempts to examine the impact of constructivism in online learningenvironments when focusing on adult learners. The author develops the con-nection between constructivism and adult learning theory. In addition, thepaper proposes instructional guidelines using the constructivist approach inonline learning for adults.
  51. Mar 2019
    1. The Accessibility Guide

      Arizona State University has a public webpage i nregards to accessibility and instructional design. The web page links to multiple online resources that outline accessibility standards across the United States. Additionally, this webpage provides an accessibility guide for anyone to download for instructional design related projects. Rating 9/10 for being a helpful resource that is easily accessible.

    1. Online is clearly where the growth is, especially when it comes to enrolling adults.

      This article is based around the idea that online education increases access for learners but lacks in completion data. This article provides data around the United States from a study conducted over a few years. Generally speaking this article encourages blended learning rather than all online to obtain better outcomes for adult learners. Rating 7/10 for use of graphs and evidence from data.

    1. Adult students have a higher incidence of disability and are less likely to seek accommodations than the general student population, so it is critical that institutions of higher education anticipate their needs, especially in online classes.

      This article provides statistics about the number of adult learners who learn online with a disability and how these numbers need to be addressed. The author observes that adult learning are least likely to ask for help and it's the designers job to assess their work to make it more accessible. This article provides recommendations on how to become more familiar with technology and what guidelines people should be following. Rating: 10/10 for addressing accessibility among adult learners and providing recommendations.

    1. The project reported here aimed to highlight the advantages and weaknesses of web‐based learning for adults with learning disability, and to suggest improvements.

      This article reviews challenges faced by adult learners with learning disabilities as it related to online learning. This article discusses how adults with learning disabilities might not adopt new technologies in a productive way and highlights positive and negative aspects of this scenario. Additionally the author provides solutions to identify advantages and disadvantages of online learning for adults. Rating: 9/10 for addressing accessibility and disability concerns among adult learners.

    1. This is here in part to make sure that one of my bookmarks is the E-learning Guild. They offer an executive summary on 'creating accessible eLearning: practitioner perspectives" for free at this page. The entire document is available to members. Rating 3/5

  52. Feb 2019
    1. A new set of quality indicators for accessible educational materials aims to help institutions ensure at scale that all students have the same learning opportunities in face-to-face classrooms and digital learning environments.

      set of quality indicators for accessible materials - can we measure these? Are we measuring these?

  53. Jan 2019
    1. if packages and their elements are essential tools, then it makes a considerable difference that some are more readily available than others. Making sense of the world requires an effort, and those tools that are developed, spotlighted, and made readily accessible have a higher probability of being used

      i.e. the most available and accessible frames are the most likely to influence public opinion

    Tags

    Annotators

  54. Dec 2018
    1. without opening a separate tab)

      "In general, it is better not to open new windows and tabs since they can be disorienting for people, especially people who have difficulty perceiving visual content."

      https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20-TECHS/G200.html

  55. Nov 2018
    1. This article brings up the important issue of accessibility as a barrier to technology integration. It is suggested that accessibility should be a much more pressing concern than technological relevance to a lesson plan. First it is important to know whether or not all students will still have equal access and ability to reach mastery with the deliver method provided.

      Rating: 7/10

  56. Oct 2018
    1. Making Bulb More Accessible Heydon Pickering
    2. The Imitation Game Job van Achterberg

      Simulation alone might have opposite of intended effect— participants might end up feeling negatively about the disability being simulated.

      However, if framed with an appropriate conversation, the simulation can have positive effects and build empathy

    3. Three Lessons from Co-designing in a Large Corporation Alwar Pillai

      Co-design: empowering users to make design decisions

      Challenges

      • Timing: a11y often not considered until too late in the design process
      • Budget: when retrofitting for a11y, creates cost issues

      Perception

      • Calling co-design sessions "meetings" appealed to the company culture & made it seem more casual. Team was more open to the idea this way.

      Measuring success

      • Scope & compliance: how much of product is compliant?
      • Shared responsibility: does everyone in the product lifecycle feel a sense of responsibility for a11y?
      • Open lines of communication between designers and devs & users with disabilities
    4. [Dog Barking in Distance] Vanessa Wells
      • Remember that subtitles and captions are not the same! Subtitles = just transposing spoken parts. Captions include sound effects.
      • Lack of QA for captions is ableism

      How to make captions better

      • Special training is required - not just anyone can do this -Captioning should be a discipline within media & comms studies
      • For sounds: it's significant if it contributes to the purpose of the scene. Background sounds, even if loud, are not always necessary!
      • Also, sometimes silence is necessary to point out to create appropriate atmosphere
      • Pay attention to idioms and make sure they're spelled / punctuated properly, otherwise it'll trip up the reader
      • Fact checking is necessary to make sure sounds are being described properly (sirens vs factory whistles, as an example)
      • Be exact about music playing - include song title, artist, and lyrics
      • Make sure captions aren't obscured by background
    5. Creating Accessible React Apps Scott Vinkle

      How to set page titles with React

      • default behavior: page title not updated and not announced to screen reader
      • use document.title property to display name after load (Note: this might be useful info for Hypothesis to provide to publishers / page owners once we had support for SPAs)

      Managing focus during page load

      • don't use document.getElementById because it doesn't work reliably
      • use React Ref API, set focus on the div after the page is fully loaded
    6. The Dark Side of the Grid Manuel Matuzović
      • Both tab order and screen reader order follows DOM order. Changing visual order with CSS grid has no effect on DOM and therefore screenreader. Can make things confusing for keyboard users, users of screen magnifiers.
      • Change source order, not visual order
      • Test all layouts with keyboard to make sure focus order is as expected
      • Don't compromise on semantics for visual order
    7. SC 1.3.5: More than just autocomplete John Foliot

      WCAG 2.1 Requirements:

      • 5 examples of websites meeting the requirement, at least 2 meeting AA and 1 meeting AAA
      • For each criterion, there needed to be at least 2 examples of how to implement
      • Documenting and testing procedures

      History of Success Criterion 1.3.5

      • Personalization: tailoring aspects of UX to meet preferences or needs of user
      • Buttons, controls, links, inputs, can be modified/personalized by user --> First, identify purpose

      Technical needs:

      • publicly published metadata schema
      • means of attaching metadata at the element level
      • demonstrate value of attaching the metadata

      Personalization task force formed to work on:

      • taxonomies for semantics, help & support, and tools
      • in the future: implement a "numbers-free" mode for users with dyscalculia
      • work is being tracked in personalization-semantics repo
      • Seeking feedback on vocab list
      • HTML5 autocomplete attribute can be used to hint to user how to or whether to provide information --> provided a taxonomy for 2.1

      Extensions for SC 1.3.5

      • One that adds commonly used pictograms for certain words
      • One that presents a compact list of all autocomplete fields on the page (could help with security concerns re: off-screen inputs)
    8. Game Accessibility In 2018 Ian Hamilton
      • AT: single switch. Anything with just a simple on/off switch. Could be a button, tube to blow into, etc (like what Steven Hawking would use!)
      • Consider that cognitive disabilities might be present in addition to physical ones.
      • “Games represent access to recreation, culture, and socializing. The difference between existing and living.”

      Recent advancements:

      • Nintendo Switch introduced color inverting and greyscale options. First time in history every major gaming system has some level of a11y integration!
      • Xbox has adaptive controller which allows you to completely remap controls in any way you want.
      • GameCritic now includes screenshot of what subtitles look like and screenshot of game controls. Allows someone to know whether they’ll be able to play the game.
      • Ubisoft now does FAQs for a11y features in games.
      • EA Sports also surfacing a11y info and publishing manuals in screen reader accessible format
      • Publish a11y info in advance of game release so AT users can decide whether they’ll buy the game ahead of time.
      • Consider addition of “stress free mode” where users can play without worrying about failure (see: Barbarian)
      • Madden 18 added haptics (in addition to preexisting announcer feature) to make the game accessible to blind users
      • Auto camera tracking removes need to use right joystick when walking
      • Customizable subtitles!!!!
    9. A Primer on the Designer's a11y Responsibility Hala Anwar
      • Wireframes are only visual, meaning devs are responsible for figuring out how the product behaves for all non-sighted users
      • Designers need to create comparable experience for everyone who uses the product
      • Include WCAG-compliant guidelines re: color, contrast, focus states, etc in your design system
      • For wireframes, mark up header, main, and footer sections so devs know to use appropriate semantic roles
      • Focus order: designers should draw the path of focus order for devs
      • Tip: get the NVDA list of elements to see links and buttons out of order, see if it still makes sense
      • WAI-ARIA cheat sheet by Karl Groves
      • Create a table where each element of the page is listed. Create columns for role, properties, and any state changes
    10. Microsoft's Inclusive Tech Lab Tara Voelker

      "Simulators are not for validation. They're for ideation. We don't roleplay disabilities." <br>–@LadieAuPair, #a11yTOConf

      — Eric BooOOOooley (@ericwbailey) October 16, 2018

      <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

      Accessible interior design for labs: adjustable lighting, high contrasting furniture on dark carpet, and chairs that are sturdy but easy to move #a11yToConf

      — Nell Chitty (@NellChitty) October 16, 2018

      <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
    11. Why wait? Let's make virtual reality accessible today! Thomas Logan

      "Leverage capitalism" for alt text for objects in virtual environments. In 3D marketplaces, objects are labelled for search discoverability; we can reuse these labels in virtual spaces, too, to identify what these objects are. Great recommendation from @TechThomas at #a11yTOConf

      — Cordelia (@cordeliadillon) October 16, 2018

      <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

      #a11yTOConf @TechThomas<br>Add alternative text; use the object name from the marketplace. pic.twitter.com/6GpuHgqqAR

      — Adrian Roselli 🗯 (@aardrian) October 16, 2018

      <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> ![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dpojin8U4AIsACA.jpg)

      Allow users to disclose and store user preferences, including accessibility considerstions, for 3D excited experiences. @TechThomas, #a11yTOConf

      — Eric BooOOOooley (@ericwbailey) October 16, 2018
      <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

      A-Frame GUI Examples #a11yTOConf https://t.co/Kr6RgLSoPa

      — Nell Chitty (@NellChitty) October 16, 2018

      <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
    12. The benefits and dangers of static code linting as a method of evaluating interface accessibility support Jesse Beach

      #a11yTOConf @jessebeach shows a function that loops through a pre-defined list of valid ARIA roles as part of a React linting process. pic.twitter.com/BkxdLtotSK

      — Adrian Roselli 🗯 (@aardrian) October 16, 2018

      <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

    13. Adventures in AOM Rob Dodson
      • AOM = accessibility object model. Proposed new collection of JavaScript APIs for web a11y being worked on by Google, Apple, and Mozilla
      • Goals: fill in ARIA gaps, expose computed properties, enable a11y for custom-drawn UI

      Fill in gaps with ARIA

      • Work toward attribute and property parity.
      • ARIA is string-based which makes working in JS inconvenient, AOM is working to fix this
      • Also, components should have built in semantics, rather than devs needing to remember which to set (& risk having browsers set them incorrectly)
      • Read more
      • Map actions to DOM events
      • Add new InputEvents types (currently designed primarily for text editing; need increment/decrement/dismiss events)
    14. Everything I learned about interaction design I learned in the senior center computer lab Cordelia Dillon
      • CAPTCHA is difficult for elderly people, especially if English isn’t their first language. But also conceptually: if they’re being asked to provide birthday and other personal info, why are they then asked to prove they’re not a robot?
      • A lot of tech is created by young, able-bodied people and as a result for them. Who gets excluded?
      • 15% of the US population is over the age of 65 as of 2017. Will increase to 22% by 2050. Older adults are a rapidly growing user base
      • Many older adults are low income or house less, therefore using older / outdated devices
      • Arthritis, low dexterity, tremors among common concerns for older adults

      Design principles for older adults:

      • Provide more than one way of performing an action (I.e. opening an app: double click, voice command...,)
      • Don’t add time-based pressure
      • Large tap targets (48px minimum), generous margins between targets, consideration of action order (don’t put trash too close to save!)
      • Outline tap targets clearly so users know where to tap (button outlines, form field outlines, etc)
      • Allow for user to easily recover from mistakes
      • Strong color contrast
      • Tooltips help a user know they’re about to interact with the correct thing
      • Avoid thin fonts
      • Don’t use the same icon for multiple meanings across one app
      • Describe functionality and key concept in plain language. Provide as much documentation as possible, but make it contextual
      • Make sure navigation patterns are consistent and intuitive
      • Half of seniors write down a list of steps for how to use a website. Redesigns, even small ones, can present significant challenges for seniors.
      • Provide a reliable experience so users don’t have to re-learn interaction patterns
    15. From the Field: Levering User Research in your Accessibility Quest Mel Banyard
      • Minimum Compliance Approach: using baseline a11y standards as the only method for inclusive design. Example: something can have an 88% WCAG compliance, which is pretty good, but still be unusable to a blind user.
      • Actual interviews/user testing with disabled users is necessary in addition to standard compliance work. “Move past the minimum”
      • Don’t just diagnose. Consider social context in which tech is used. Example: blind people tend to go with “low tech” solutions like canes and dogs because more high-tech options make things socially awkward for them.
      • People consider if a technology can serve them combined with how it will serve them. Does this fit with my sense of self?
      • Consider how a product might work in a user’s day-to-day life. That means you need to know what the day-to-day life is like for a user with disabilities.
      • When setting success criteria, ask how your definition of success could limit someone’s ability to be successful. Consider remote sessions instead of F2F. Don’t assume lack of eye contact or verbal feedback = disinterest
    16. Designing and Developing for the Neurodivergent Mind Shell Little
      • Neurodivergence = having a brain that functions in a way that diverges from the dominant societal standards of "normal." Covers a large scope of cognitive disabilities: autism, ADHD, and more
      • WCAG does not have a lot of guidelines for people with cognitive disabilities bc the landscape of neurodivergent minds is so complex and diverse

      Moving content:

      • A chat bot that pops up could be helpful to a neurotypical person, but for someone with sensory/distraction issues, it's a barrier
      • Sliding text across the screen can pull attention away from subtitles

      Subtitles

      • Language processing disabilities: some need speech + captions, some get distracted by captions and can't understand speech. Subtitles should be configurable
      • If subtitles are paraphrasing rather than exactly as spoken, that's confusing for someone listening and following along with captions

      Voice to Text

      • Think beyond people with motor disabilities. People for whom English is not a 1st language or people with dyslexia / other cognitive disabilities are helped as well.
      • Don't disable voice to text for any reason!!
      • Google Docs' VTT works well and is an example to look at.

      Working Memory

      • Display password option in login form fields (note to self: does H have this??)
      • "Remember Me" and password autocomplete reduces cognitive load for those with working memory issues
      • Don't block access to password management software like LastPass
    17. If it’s interactive, it needs a focus style Eric Bailey
      • The A11y Project
      • Is it beautiful? Is it useful? Let’s not sacrifice the latter in the name of the former... focus styles are regarded as ugly, but many people rely on them!

      What makes a good link?

      • affordances like color, underline, hover states
      • Focus style! Every browser has a fallback state for when they are not specified by author. But these defaults aren’t always good enough for WCAG standards.
      • Don’t shift layout when styling for a link state!!
      • Check focus styles in high contrast mode to make sure they’re still visually distinct
      • Focus-within pseudoclass is useful for tables where cells contain links
      • Don’t make assumptions about how people use their devices. If someone is on a mobile device they might still be using a keyboard!
    18. Sustaining Accessibility – an Enterprise Commitment Sam Chandrashekar
      • A11y is not a static state— every time new code is added there is a risk of losing a11y
      • Sustaining a11y: what are the risks in maintaining? What are the challenges to keep it? Who has the power to support maintenance of a11y?

      Risks to A11y

      • Critical employee turnover, when 1 or few people are passionate about a11y and then later leave. Suggestion: promote active internal discussion for problem solving as a means of externalizing employee knowledge.
      • Inadequate a11y training. Suggestion: provide usable and useful training resources. Rather than long courses or workshops, consider just-in-time resources (i.e include instructions for installing & configuring a11y software with instructions for setting up dev environment)
      • Changes in regulatory requirements. Suggestion: create a11y SMEs in all areas of the organization, not just design or engineering
      • Inadequate oversight in product management
      • Loss of technology interoperability

      Organizational Commitments

      • prioritize a11y as a core value
      • Support employees in creating knowledge assets
      • Invest in infrastructure for knowledge management
    19. Unstoppable Campaign for Accessibility Laws – Latest News David Lepofsky

      Overview of laws at the provincial and federal level in Canada

      • Provincial: Ontarians with Disabilities Act. Other provinces are now following suit with similar laws. Lesson from Ontario: passing a law is one thing, getting it implemented is another thing entirely. Govt has currently frozen a11y efforts pending “briefing of new government,” which was elected over 100 days ago.
      • Federal: Accessible Canada Act. A good start, but is a weak bill (no timelines or obligations). Currently fighting for concrete timelines.

      Lessons learned

      • Accepted wisdom: a11y should be implemented for govt first, then large private sector corporations, then small private sector companies. However, it’s much easier for small companies and orgs to implement changes, so these should be tackled first.
      • If there’s no deadline, there’s no pressure for action.
      • Don’t splinter the power to make standards & access to enforce them. Creates inefficiency and dysfunction.
    20. Data Verbalization Doug Schepers
      • Common metaphor: data visualization = a story about data. More helpful: it's a user interface for data. Data visualization IS accessibility technology. Helps people with and without cognitive disabilities by reducing effort required to interpret data.
      • The idea of helping a user interpret data isn't inherently visual. "The purpose of visualization is insight, not pictures"
      • Cognitive load: how much effort is required to understand something. Germane cognitive load: brain looking for patterns within clutter to determine context. Serial tasks cost more cognitive load than parallel tasks
      • Pre-attentive attributes ideal for visual data representation: size, 2D position, and saturation
      • Gestalt principles also help with understanding with relatively little cognitive load
      • If tables were accessible, we wouldn't have data visualizations. So we know they're not good enough on their own.
      • Demo of accessible data viz tool Fizz Reader
    21. Finding the Place Where Accessibility and SEO Happily Co-Exist Carie Fisher
      • SEO = strategic changes to websites to increase search engine ranking
      • A11y = designing & building websites so anyone can interact regardless of ability.
      • Structure: good for search engine bots AND assistive tech users. Using semantic HTML, clear & consistent architecture improve scan-ability for bots and humans alike. (Tip: don’t overuse h1 tags. Search engines will down-rank you if you have too many)
      • Links & media: a11y also helps users with low bandwidth & those who view content without sound (i.e., when in public). Descriptive link text, alt text, consistent file naming, all help with SEO as well as a11y.
      • Content: include bullets, lists, & white space (preferred by SE bots and people with attention/cognitive disorders) and aim for 9th-grade reading level for copy
      • A11y Style Guide available here
    22. Assistive technology: training, UX and design: what devs need to know about UX and Aging Sassy Outwater
      • AT is a barrier for seniors accessing technology because it’s expensive & there’s a learning curve
      • biggest issues = overestimating what AT can do or underestimating what seniors can do.
      • important to understand the emotional component of seniors needing assistive tech. For some it’s traumatic to acquire disability so they are coming to your product already frustrated.
      • What makes a good website for an elderly end user? Obvious items include text size, mouse and keyboard use both accounted for, basically WCAG standards
      • Seniors like what works, meaning they hate upgrading / updating their tech.
      • “Don’t make me hunt down my mouse cursor in a mass of text”
      • Consider cognitive load and distractions. Moving elements or pop ups break focus and cause the user to forget what they were doing.
      • Use clear error message so when a form can’t be submitted the user knows where the error is and how to fix it
      • Personas should consider: various short term memory lengths, lack of tech knowledge, and the perspectives of real people with disabilities